Source Information
About St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., Marriage Index, 1804-1876
Other than the following two exceptions, the volume and page number refer to the original books found at the St. Louis City Hall.
Marriage Contracts Found in Deed Books, 1764-1804
This index also contains contracts that were made between 1764, the founding of Pierre Laclede Liquests' fur trading post, and 1804, the beginning of U.S. rule for this region. These contracts, recorded in the city archives along with deeds for land, are in their original French or Spanish and are accompanied by English translation. Usually of great length, these records reveal a great deal of information, including names of parents, property settlements, heirs, prior and current places of residence, and other personal items. The records in the database that fall under this category are indicated in this index by the letter "D" preceeding the volume/page reference. These references are to the volume and page of the deed records, not the marriage records.
Marriage Records Found in St. Louis County Records
Recently, the St. Louis County Recorder's office reviewed the marriage licenses it issued since the time of the separation of the city of St. Louis from St. Louis County in 1876. Book 1, which was once presumed lost, has since been located, and part of that information has been entered into the St. Louis County's computer database. Due to computer program limitations all of the records could not be entered. It was discovered that a number of pre-1876 marriages were recorded in the county's records by clergy after 1876, when they should have been recorded in the St. Louis City Recorder's Office. These records have all been included in this index and are so indicated by the letter "C" preceeding the volume/page reference.
Although St. Louis City has a list of these pre-1876 marriage records, the County has the actual record. If you wish to obtain a copy, contact the St. Louis County Recorder of Deeds, 41 South Central Avenue, Clayton MO 63105. Send a check or money order payable to Recorder of Deeds for $2.00 (photocopy) or $9.00 (certified copy), full names of both parties, the year of marriage and a long, self-addressed, stamped envelope. Please do not contact the St. Louis Genealogical Society for follow-up, as they cannot provide any additional information.
To purchase a copy of this index contact the St. Louis Genealogical Society at its Web site. For more information on the data you can contact City Hall.