Searching New York City Marriage Records for Barnes – 1914

I’ve finally had luck searching for the marriage application of Ernest Howard Barnes to Ellen Barnes, for February 1914. There are new records online for New York City births, deaths, and marriages from a group called Reclaim the Records.

We knew that Ernest and Ellen, or Helen as she was later called, married on 22 February 1914, from a family bible. It didn’t state where the marriage was held, but since both were living in Manhattan at the time, that was the place I first searched. There are at least two websites with excellent NYC records, one –  http://www.italiangen.org/ and the other –  http://www.germangenealogygroup.com/.  They both have great search engines, but I couldn’t find the record.

When I searched Reclaim the Records, I quickly found the correct marriage application. This group has posted records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. Both the bride and the groom were listed in a logical order for February of 1914. It took me only minutes to find the record. The marriage application was dated 17 February 1914. The number on the certificate is 4831.

New York City Marriage Records – Manhattan – 1914 – Grooms

New York City Marriage Records – Manhattan – 1914 – Brides

Ernest Howard Barnes was born in 1885 in Wayne County, North Carolina and Ellen Barnes was born in 1881 in County Kings, Ireland, now called County Offaly. Here’s a photo taken on their wedding day.

Ernest Howard Barnes and Ellen Barnes, February 1914. Photo curtesy of Betsy Coleman.

I sent this week to the New York City Municipal Archives for the actual marriage application and recorded license. http://www.nyc.gov/html/records/html/archives/genealogy.shtml

One of our Barnes family members has done an actual painting from this wedding photograph. She is very talented! Take a look at her artistic rendition of the photo above at Fine Art America. https://fineartamerica.com/featured/ernest-and-helen-barnes-phyllis-andrews.html

Happy Saturday! Good luck searching for your family records!

Copyright 2017 by Maryann Barnes