Washington County PAGenWeb Genealogy Project

Marriages 'O' Names 1885-1889 - Persons
Residing In or Born In Washington County

RG-14
Records of the Department of Internal Affairs
RECORD OF MARRIAGES, 1885-1889. {series #14.25}

Please READ this IMPORTANT INFORMATION about these records.

Instead of marriages performed "in" or at Washington Co., Pa., I pulled ALL entries for people born in or residing "in" or at Washington Co., Pa.
*These MAY help prove someone was born in Washington Co. PA -- since births were not recorded this early in the county.

Index for Brides and Grooms Residing In or Born In Washington County:

Note:  ALL were WHITE race.

Column Headers:  Full Name of Female, Residence, Place Of Birth, Age of Female, Color, Date Of Marriage, Full Name of Male, Occupation, Residence, Place Of Birth, Age of Male, Color, County

WC-PA = Washington County, Pennsylvania

BRIDES "O" NAMES - 4 pages (not included in the count)

Beginning URL : http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r14-25RecordMarriages/r14-25-O-BrideInterface.htm

Note: Half of this page is missing half of the Grooms section.

Instead, this Robert H. Blacka was possibly the groom of Sarah L. (Knotts).

The original entry reads:

Oberholtzer, Annie E. Southampton Township; Blank; 20; W; Aug 25, 1887; Robert H. Blacka; Clerk; Fayette Co.; Washington Co.; 21; W; Fayette Co.

Instead, this Robert H. Blacka was possibly the groom of Sarah L. (Knotts).  View more information.

Special Notes for this page--Please Read!

On 6/25/08, Dawne Temple <dtis4me@zoominternet.net> wrote:
> 
> NOTE: The next ten entries do not look as if they belong together. The handwriting on the left side of the page does not match the handwriting on the right side of the page. The people seem to come from too different of areas to be paired correctly. I think the archives have mistakenly paired two non matching pages.
> 
I've also been going through these PA Archives Brides' index for marriages.

I've spent several hours studying page 3 where the ink and handwriting changes. It looks like the right and left sides of the book--meaning, I don't think the PA Archives copied it wrong. Instead, I think it shows a problem common in the 1700 and 1800s, which is::::

In Deeds, Wills and other Court offices, The Clerk, Recorder, or Registrar wrote entries by hand as people came in to do business. But, the first time the books were written is often not the only book written for entries. The Clerk, Recorder, or Registrar would often re-write (re-copy) whole books (volumes) of entries for their offices. Sometimes, they needed a 2nd set to send to another office, or they kept one original and one for public use. (They had more room back then.) When Harrisburg or other place needed the records (or for whatever reason the 1st book was deemed damaged), they didn't have copy machines so they hand-copied every page of an entire book. One or more people MAY have done the original or the copying. 

On this page 3, handwriting changes. But, it's the same two (maybe 3 total) hands that have appeared throughout all pages of these volumes. The pen ink runs out on page 3-right; a new bolder ink begins on the second-half of the right hand page--this also occurs on other pages throughout these indices.

As to locations, here is what Dawne & I see, so you all can evaluate this also.
Locations Compared

Res: Noutzdale (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Hemlock Twp Birth: blank Marr: Columbia Co
Res: Clearfield (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Rogersville Birth: GC Marr: GC
REs: Peale PA (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Decatur Twp. Birth: blank Marr: Clearfield Co.
Res: Lawrence (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Mahaffy Twp Birth: blank Marr: Clearfield Co.
Res: West Clearfield (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Clearfield blank Marr: Clearfield Co.
Res: Decatur Twp. (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: East Freedom Birth: East Freedom Marr: Blair Co.
Res: Clearfield (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Chambersburg Birth: PA Marr: Franklin Co.
Res: West Clearfield (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Jefferson Co. Birth: PA Marr: Jefferson Co. 
Res: Noutzdale (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Jefferson Co. Birth: PA Marr: Jefferson Co. 
Res: Noutzdale (birth:blank) - HUSBAND->Res: Lehigh Birth: PA Marr: Jefferson Co. 
Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Co - HUSBAND->Res: Mahaffy Twp Birth: blank Marr: Clearfield Co.
Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Co - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Co Marr: Fayette Co 
Res: Waynesboro Birth Franklin Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Co Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Southampton Twp Birth Blank - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Wash Co Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Smithburg Birth Md - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Hungary Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Lehigh Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Ireland - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Lehigh Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: Fayette Co Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Lehigh Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Fayette Co Birth: West Virginia Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Ireland - HUSBAND->Res: Pittsburgh Birth: Pittsburgh Marr: Fayette Co
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Germany - HUSBAND->Res: Wayne Co. Birth: Wayne Co. Marr: Wayne Co.
Res: Lehigh Co. Birth: Lehigh Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Houdale Bith: Blank Marr: Wayne Co.
Res: Barnet Two. Birth: Wayne Co. - HUSBAND->Res: Cambria Co Birth: Cambria Marr: Blair Co.
Res: Snyder Co PA Birth PA - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Warren Co PA Birth Denmark - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Warren Co PA Birth Ireland - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Wrightsville PA Birth Brightville PA - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Meade Twp Birth Sweden - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: Philadelphia - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: Blair Co - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: (a date in 1857) - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: Germany - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: Germany - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Bells Mills Birth: Blair Co. PA - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth Bedford Co PA - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Blair Co Birth: Blair Co - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Johnstown Brth: Indiana Co. - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Altoona Birth: Altoona - HUSBAND->Res: empty
REs: Fayette Birth: Allegheny - HUSBAND->Res: empty
REs: Fayette Birth: Fayette - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Pike Co PA Birth: Pike Co PA - HUSBAND->Res: empty
Res: Catarrisa? Twp Birth: (Blank) - HUSBAND->Res: empty

Theory: It may be the writer stopped because he realized some error. 

BUT the brides-grooms in question DO NOT appear on other pages. (Tested names: bride: OLER --- from another line: groom - John Stillwagon -- both Fayette, so Dawne had done these but neither appear twice).

Theory: It may be the writer stopped because he realized some error and planned to re-write the entries but never got back to doing it.

Source Information: 

These marriages from 1885-1889 were taken from original volumes housed at and copied by the Pa Archives for online use.  (*The website states: "The original records extend beyond this date, to 1991...")

These records are often called "Marriage Returns", meaning someone (usually the preacher) reported to the Court House Clerk, "Yep, they actually got hitched."  Getting a marriage license does not a marriage make.  (And, licenses were not required this early.)   The Index starts at this URL: 
http://www.phmc.state.pa.us/bah/dam/rg/di/r14-25RecordMarriages/r14-25MainInterface.htm

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