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A few years ago Mrs. Kilgore discovered, hidden away in the Dickson County Courthouse in Charlotte, Tennessee, a large quantity of early marriage licenses, bonds and certificates. She set about transcribing and arranging this material, from the earliest record in 1817 through 1856. Her work was unusual in that she relied almost entirely on these original records, using the marriage books themselves (which started in 1838) as a check against these loose papers. Since there were numerous omissions and errors in these books, including the complete absence of several years of marriage books in the 1840s, her labor has yielded for the interested public a large quantity of information not previously available. This book sets forth, alphabetically first by groom and then by bride, the 1636 marriages Mrs. Kilgore has offered us. Not all the data she obtained is included; only the names of the principals plus date of license and, in parentheses, date of execution. Her worksheets, showing names of bondsmen, ministers and justices of the peace, are on file at the Tennessee State Library and Archives in Nashville. Alphabetical lists of those who officiated at marriages are included in the back of the book. The auathor used a combination of the earliest marriage books and loose bonds & licenses. Approximately 1,600 marriages arranged alphabetically by grooms and brides.
