Find your ancestors in Bailiwick Of Guernsey, Civil Marriages

Guernsey’s civil marriage records offer a poignant window into the lives of your ancestors, capturing the moment when two people’s paths crossed, and their futures became intertwined. Could a marriage record uncover how your ancestors first came to Guernsey, perhaps even shedding light on your own ties to the island? Introduced in 1840, civil marriage records hold far more than just names and dates.

Preserved in the Greffe, the Royal Court House of Guernsey, and carefully digitised, these records invite you to discover the stories that bind your family to the island’s rich history. We created transcripts with the vital facts found in the original records. In each transcript you will find a combination of the following facts:


  • Name
  • Age
  • Birth year
  • Residence
  • Occupation
  • Marriage date
  • Marriage place
  • Spouse’s name
  • Spouse’s age
  • Spouse’s birth year
  • Spouse’s residence
  • Spouse’s occupation
  • Father’s name
  • Spouse’s father’s name

The original record will always offer even more insight into your ancestors’ wedding day including the names of witnesses and your ancestors’ signatures. Earlier registers recorded where the marriage took place and often the denomination.

Discover more about these records

Guernsey’s civil marriage records provide a fascinating insight into the unions that have shaped your family’s history. Civil marriages have been registered since 1840, with all marriages required to be recorded at the Greffe from 1920 onwards. However, Church of England marriages were not registered until 1920, meaning that records before this time may be incomplete. If you cannot find a civil marriage before 1920, try searching the parish marriages. The records are available with a cut-off at 84 years, preserving a balance between history and privacy. While French was used in many legal proceedings until the 20th century, these marriage registers are recorded in English.