Missouri Marriages in the News, 1851-1865. (Vol. #1)

By: Lois Stanley, George F. Wilson, and Maryhelen Wilson, Pub. 1984, Reprinted 2017, 90 pages, sofrt cover, Index, ISBN #0-89308-439-5.

Many important details not found in civil records appear in this collection, from about 50 newspapers and covering a wide area. Most idenitfy the brides's father or a parent - "second daughter to Ezekiel, of Spencer Co., KY.," "daughter of Edwin, deceased," fomerly of Hardin Co., TN." A vital clue often missing in courthouse papers is the "Mrs." preceding the bride's name, many brides were widows. Another useful category are records never found in courthoses because they are from "BURNED" countiesor reports of marriages which took place outside of the state. Old newspapers may be the only possiblesource of such information. This book contains 1,400 marriages reported from all over the state; about 300 were outside of Missouri, some as close as Illinois and Kansas, others as far away as California. They include a number of odd, interesting and very human sidelights.