Hi Holmes Co List, Ohio didn't require a marriage license for the time period you are requesting. The following is from GENEALOGICAL RESEARCH: Methods and Sources, Vol 2. Ohio Chapter II page 22. "Marriage records dating from the organization of each county are in the custody of the (county) Probate Court. . . . . . Until 1951 marriage was legal in Ohio without a county license if banns were announced in the church. Ministers were required to send the records to the County Probate Court, but they were often careless about this. It was about 1900 when the ages of the parties, names of the parents and other detailed information were required." It does not state this was a marriage license, but Indiana introduced marriage applications in 1905 with detailed info and Illinois required a marriage license in 1877. A search of the FHLC only had marriage records for Holmes County and no indication there were marriage licenses. I have several Holmes Co. marriages from 1842 to 1865 and have not found any information on marriages licenses. How to find the parents names!! The best option you have is to look in the 1850 Ohio Census. The marriage record will give the surnames of the bride and groom. Look in the 1850 Ohio Index for all the people in Holmes County. Then find them in the census. Look for a family with a 16 to 2? year old daughter (you would have a better idea of her age in 1850) with the same given name of the bride on the marriage record. Don't stop at the first one!! Keep going especially if the name is Mary, Margaret, Elizabeth, etc.!! The other option is to find the bride and groom in all the censuses until their death. Locate their death certificate and maybe there parents names are on it. Another choice is to find the bride and groom in the 1880 or later census and see what state they say their parents were born in. this is another clue to narrow duplicates from the 1850 census suggestion. Also you may find a parent living with them years later. Another option is to locate the groom or his children in a bcounty iography. Hopefully, the wife's parents are given! Biographies are especially useful in Midwest research and very informatiove, but not everyone had a biography :-( These are some of the best and easist thing to do to find parents..... I hope this helps you and other on the list. Best regards, Richard -- Richard Given, Accredited Genealogist and professional researcher. Specializing in Ohio, Midwest and United State research. Visit our Web Site http://www.ancestorgallery.com e-mail: [email protected] [email protected] wrote: > could you tell me if Ohio reguired people to have a marriage license before > they were married i have a copy of the marriage but am trying to find out > Ggmothers parents names. they were married in Holmes county Jan 22,1852 who > would i write to get this do you have an address. Thank you Loretta Barchus