Cape Girardeau County Archive Center presents evolution of the marriage license

~ Exhibit shows how documents have changed in 200 years.

Almost two centuries of marriage licenses are displayed at the Cape Girardeau County Archive Center in Jackson. The exhibit starts with the Aug. 13, 1807, marriage of Benjamin Shell and Elizabeth Bollinger and continues to 2005. Examination of the marriage licenses reveals careful attempts at saving time and energy at a time when technology was limited.

Until 1861 marriage certificates were handwritten, often illegibly, by the justice of the peace or minister who officiated at the ceremony. Genealogists may find more information in family Bibles and church records regarding parents' and witnesses' names.

Standardized forms became more common during the 1860s and Cape Girardeau County even used forms printed for St. Louis County, scratching out and adding "Cape Girardeau."

The Cape Girardeau County Archive Center has the evolution of the marriage license over the past 200 years on display until the end of the summer. (Submitted photo)

Archivist Cathy Stoverink, who is responsible for the display, said she was prompted to launch the display because of last year's inspirational etchings from probate court. "When you enlarge a tiny image there's so much detail it's crazy," she said.

Speeding up the process

Speeding things up and efficiently using resources included recording more than one ceremony per page. This cut down on paper waste and trips to Jackson, where the licenses were recorded.

But engravings of the certificates and licenses reveal a significant expenditure of energy regarding a document's elegance. By the 1890s engravings of flowers, decorative borders and even images of wedding ceremonies were customary. Printed by Hannibal Printing Co., the certificates remained much the same until about 1915 when miniature center images of a marriage ceremony were prominent. That lasted until about 1930 when they became simpler.

Research also indicates that discerning correct names from the handwritten licenses was challenging because of illegible penmanship and incorrect spellings. Double "S's" looked more like "F's," and capital "L" and "S" were almost identical in early script.

Difficulty in finding ancestors' licenses can be attributed to the fact that couples often traveled from outlying areas to get married in Cape Girardeau. Unless the location of the marriage was recorded in family records, it was unlikely that descendants would know to look to Cape Girardeau County for the license.

What visitors to the exhibit may be surprised to find are that some licenses are written on just scraps of paper and that couples tried to get married when they were underage.

cpagano@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 133