Boyd's
Marriage Index, begun by Percival Boyd in the 1920s and covering the period 1538 to
1837, was compiled from English parish registers, bishops'
transcripts, and marriage licenses in sixteen counties. Since only
about one third of the parishes are represented, however, this
compilation it is incomplete, having less than sixteen percent of
all English marriages for that period. The microfilm publication
consists of three parts: Boyd's Marriage Index (microfiche 94/2144),
arranged by county with records of brides and grooms; Boyd's
Marriage Index, 1538-1837, Second Series (microfiche 94/2143), and
Boyd's Marriage Index, 1538-1837, 3rd Series (microfiche 94/2147),
both arranged by bride and groom. The second and third series are
sometimes referred to as the miscellaneous series. These indexes are
useful in determining the date and place of a marriage as well as
the particular parish in which it occurred. They may also help in
estimating the frequency of a surname in a particular geographical
area, or to identify the place of origin of someone who married in
England
before emigrating to
North America
or elsewhere.
The
microfiche at the Library of Congress was reproduced from a copy at
the Family History Library in
Salt Lake City
which, in turn, was made from the original Boyd's Marriage Index at
the Society of Genealogists in
London. Several editions of A List of Parishes in Boyd's Marriage Index
have been published by the Society, so it is well to consult the
Library of Congress computer catalog to determine the most recent
one. These Lists also provide some detailed and useful information about the Index.
(This
description is borrowed from the Local History & Genealogy
Reading Room – a website of the Library of Congress.)