Tasmania Marriages 1803-1899

Each record includes an original image and transcript. The amount of information listed varies, but the Tasmania Marriages 1803-1899 may include the following information:

• Name of individual

• Sex

• Age

• Birth year

• Name of their spouse

• Spouse’s sex

• Spouse’s age

• Spouse’s birth year

• The groom’s occupation

• Marriage date

• Location where the marriage took place

• Name of clergyman, officiating minister or deputy registrar

• Names of witnesses

• Date of registration

• State and country

The Tasmania Marriages 1803-1899 collection comprises marriage records held by the Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office. Excitingly, this collection includes both transcripts and images of the original birth registers themselves.

Before official registration began in Tasmania in 1838, the only records of births, deaths and marriages were church registers. Many of these church registers are kept at the Registry Office.

In 1838, Tasmania became the first British colony to introduce civil registration, only two years after similar legislation in Britain itself. The Registration Act, passed in August 1838, directed that Tasmania should be divided into registration districts, each with its own appointed deputy registrar to record the births, deaths and marriages that occurred within that particular district.

Ministers of religion were responsible for keeping registers of marriages and recording details of the ceremonies they officiated. Every quarter, deputy registrars and clergy were required to send copies of their registers to the central office in Hobart, where the Registrar would then compile indexes of these registers.

Although the registration process was successful overall, there were a number of issues surrounding civil registration that genealogists may like to keep in mind. For instance, in some cases, authorities such as clergy and on some occasions even deputy registrars failed to comply with the process of registering marriages and other life events. However, the levels of registration improved. It is believed that by the end of the 19th century, registration of births, deaths and marriages would have been virtually complete.

Keep in mind that these records often provide information about not only the people registered but also other family members.

The level of detail recorded on marriage registrations varied widely over time. For example, after 1896, additional information was recorded such as: the birthplace of both the bride and groom; the age of the bride and groom; the address of the bride and groom; and the names of their parents.

In Australia, each state administers its own birth, death and marriage certificates and the process of ordering certificates, as well as the level of detail they may contain, varies widely.

In the state of Tasmania, the Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office is responsible for managing this process for pre-1900 BDMs. For information about certified copies of certificates issued by the Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office please refer to its website at http://search.archives.tas.gov.au/

For post-1900 BDMs please see the website of the Department of Justice http://www.justice.tas.gov.au/bdm/forms

In order to apply for a marriage certificate, you must fill out an application form, pay the prescribed fee and show appropriate identification. Extra fees apply for searches of six years or more. You must provide the given name, last name and a defined search period for the search to be completed for you.

It is important to keep in mind that only marriage certificates dating back over 75 years can be accessed by any member of the public. Marriage certificates that are less than 75 years old are generally only available to the couple in question or their children.

© Tasmanian Archive & Heritage Office.