Online Catalog - State Archives of Florida - Florida Department of State

State Archives of Florida Online Catalog

The Online Catalog allows searching and browsing of information about the Florida State Archives’ holdings of over 48,000 cubic feet of state and local government records and historical manuscripts. The catalog provides descriptions of over 3,400 collections and lists the contents of containers and folders in many of those collections. For assistance with accessing and using State Archives collections, call our Reference Staff at 850.245.6719 or email us at archives@dos.myflorida.com.

Details Page
Click on for detailed listing.

	Record Group Number:	800000
	Series/Collection Number:	.L 174
	Creator:	Florida. Circuit Court (16th Circuit : Monroe County)
	Title, Dates:	Marriage records, 1826-1945.
	Amount:	41.00 microfilm reel 35 mm.
	Medium Included:
	Organization/Arrangement:	By record type, then chronological.
	Restrictions:
	Terms Governing Use:
	Biographical/Historical:	Monroe County was formed from part of Saint Johns County on July 3, 1823 by an act of the Legislative Council. At that time, Monroe County consisted of most of the territory of Florida south of Lake Okeechobee. The exact location of the original (1823-1859) northwest boundary of Monroe County is uncertain. Some maps put it at the Caloosahatchee River, others farther north near the present day northern boundary of Charlotte County. The boundaries of Monroe County changed several times until 1887. In 1836, Dade County was created from the eastern portion of Monroe County (Ch. 937, Territorial Laws). In 1855, Manatee County was formed in part from areas of northern Monroe County (Ch. 628, Laws). In the 1860s and 1870s, the boundary between Monroe and Dade County was redefined several times, including the annexation of the Florida Keys by Monroe County in 1866 (Ch. 1592, Laws). In 1887, Lee County was formed from the northern portion of Monroe County (Ch. 3769, Laws), leaving Monroe with its present day boundaries (extreme southwest Florida and the Keys). The Clerk of the Circuit Court in each county serves as the official custodian of deed, marriage, and probate records.
	Summary:	This series consists of a microfilm copy of the marriage records of Monroe County, Florida, from 1826 to 1945. The series contains marriage licenses (1826-1945); marriage record books (1876-1931); loose affidavits, consents, licenses, and bonds(1829-1866); loose marriage licenses (1867-1927); loose marriage affidavits (1875-1927); and miscellaneous marriage records (1872-1876). Marriage licenses are printed documents which the couple took to the individual who performed the wedding ceremony. That person filled out the portion of the license certifying that the marriage took place, and the license was returned to the clerk of the court. Marriage record books document when the couple applied for the marriage license, when they were married, and who performed the ceremony. They are the recorded copy of the marriage license. Affidavits for marriage licenses state the couple's ages at the time of application. If either of the couple were underage, the affidavits contains a parent's or guardian's consent for the marriage to take place. Affidavits can either be a part of the application for marriage license or a separate document. The miscellaneous marriage records consist of an index to a marriage book which is neither identified nor a part of this series; marriage licenses as recorded (1872-1876); and an index to these licenses. Also included are election returns from 1870. Additional records of marriage licenses dating from 1826 to 1876 are located in the deed record books of series L173. The indexes to those marriage licenses are contained in this series. These indexes are accessible by the surnames of both brides and grooms.
	Finding Aids:	Microfilm listing available.
	Additional Physical Form:
	Reproduction Note:	Microfilm.
	Location of Originals/Duplicates:	Circuit Court, Sixteenth Judicial Circuit, Monroe County. Office of the Clerk. Key West, Florida.
	Associated Materials:
	Language Notes:
	Ownership/Custodial History:
	Publication Note:
	General Note:
	Electronic Records Access:
	Subject Access Fields:	Monroe County (Fla.). County Court Marriage records Florida --Monroe County Marriage records. aat Election returns. aat Monroe County (Fla.)
	Added Entries