Livingston County African American Marriages 1872

Marriages for white couples and African American couples were recorded in separate volumes in western Kentucky.  The first African American marriages were recorded in 1866 and are found in  Freedmen's Declarations of Marriage of Negroes and Mulattoes. This book is where couples who had lived together as man and wife before Emancipation had their unions recorded. Marriages of couples who married in 1866 or later were recorded in the Marriage Register for Freedmen or in the Marriage Bond Books or both.

How long African American and white marriages were recorded in separate books depends on the county. In Livingston County, separate books were used through 1916. In Caldwell County, marriages were recorded separately through June 1968. An African American marriage bond often has less personal information than what is found on a white marriage bond.

The following African American marriage records for 1872 can be found in Livingston County Marriage Register for Freedmen 1866-1896 and Bond Book 1A. Several abbreviations were used in the entries below. B: is the person (bondsman) who signed the marriage bond with the bridegroom.  Wit: refers to the witnesses to the marriage ceremony. The abbreviations and numbers at the end of each entry refer to the source and page number. For example, Reg: 32-33 refers to Register pages 32 -33 and BB1A:155 refers to Bond Book 1A, page 155.

Luther Crawford and Maria Champion married 14 Mar 1872 at Guss Champion's. Wit: Daniel Craford [sic], Ben Champion. [signed] C. Ogilby, B.M. (bond 13 Mar 1872)  B: John Threlkeld. [Reg:32-33, BB1A:155]

Green Thompson and Clarissa Woods married 16 Mar 1872 by Wm. B. Presnell, JP at Jas. Ellis'. Wit: H.M. Coffer, Chas. E. Presnell. (bond 16 Mar 1872) B: Andrew Robinson. [Reg:32-33, BB1A:157]

Anderson Webb and Martha Powell married 28 Jun 1872 by P.R. Anderson at the Methodist Church. Wit: Henry Green, Viney Ferguson. (bond 23 Jun 1872) B: Tobe Pippin. [Reg:32-33, BB1A:159]

Richard Stanley and Elvira Johnson married 4 Aug 1872 by Wm. B. Presnell, JP at bride's mother's residence. Wit: Charles M. Powell, John J. Dupriest. (bond 3 Aug 1872) B: William E. Ironmonger. [Reg:32-33, BB1A:161]

Christopher Fowler and Louisa Dorrah married 24 Oct 1872 by L.B. Davison, minister, at Smithland. Wit: Frank Sanders, Lizzie Sanders. (bond 23 Oct 1872) B:Frank Sanders. [Reg:34-35, BB1A:163]

Green Pringle and Jane Pippin married 19 Dec 1872 by Reg. Wm. Jones at "colored church in the presence of Salem joining the Pringle farm." Wit: Dempsey Parker, George Mays. (bond 18 Dec 1872) B: Robert Fleming. [Reg:34-35, BB1A:165]

Wm. E. Ironmonger and Mary Gray married 22 Dec 1872 by John Davis, M.G. at Ruben Holland's. Wit: F.M. Jones, W.H. Lucas. (bond 21 Dec 1872) B: James Wilson. [Reg:34-35, BB1A:167]

Nathaniel Pippin and Kate/Cathrine Woods married 26 Dec 1872 by Rev. Wm. Jones at Esq. Champion's in presence of Salem, Livingston Kentucky. Wit: Green Pringle, C. Crofferd. (bond 24 Dec 1872) B: James Pippin. [Reg:34-35, BB1A:169]

Published 19 Sep 2019, Western Kentucky Genealogy Blog,  http://wkygenealogy.blogspot.com/