New Los Angeles County Marriage Index Published

Los Angeles County, California Marriages: Volumes 11 - 15
Published by the Southern California Genealogical Society

The most recent volume of California Marriage Index, published by the Southern California Genealogical Society, contains a transcription of the information included on each of the 2,538 marriages listed. The index presented is an every name index that includes all of the grooms, brides, wedding officials, witnesses, and alternative names. This comprehensive transcription approach yielded an index of almost 14,000 entries.

The period covered by the transcription is approximately from September 1885 through July 1888. There are, however, a few certificates outside that range: one in 1878, one in 1879, one in 1881, two in 1883, two in 1884 and six between May 1885 and August 1885.

Approximately 50 percent of the records contain comments made by the recorder. The comments pertained to many different things, including past marriages and marital status of the bride and groom (widowed, divorced, single), names of parents, and nativity of parents. Any remarks made on a document are listed as “Clerk’s remark(s) written on document.” If our transcriber had a special observation or comment, it is added to the transcription as “Inputter’s Comment.”

Many of the entries in the volumes were difficult to read so we have made every effort to give alternative spellings which are identified as “Alternative Bride’s Name” or “Alternative Groom’s Name.” The name on the license often differed from the name on the actual marriage entry. If that is the case, both names are listed.

Appendix A gives every combination of name and identifying information for the Marriage Official listed in the certificates. This may allow the researcher to determine the religion and/or exact physical location where the marriage took place.

The following presentation format is used:

Groom’s surname, given name - age, birthplace, residence, marriage date, marriage official & and identifying information (if given) TO: Bride’s given name and surname - age, birthplace, residence. Marriage location, if given. Witness names followed by their residence when given.

We have made every effort to minimize the errors in our transcription. We sincerely apologize for those errors which were not caught.

The original marriage records reside in the basement of the Los Angeles County Clerk/Recorder’s Office in Norwalk, California.

The Publication Committee, together with Southern California Genealogical Society’s Board of Directors, extends a special “Thank you” to Dr. William Tully and our panel of proofreaders. These individuals are primarily responsible for completing this publication.

The Marriage Index costs $35 and can be ordered from the SCGS website.