Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1886-01-05
Of Interest to Preachers.

Not long ago information was
sought OF the county clerk concern
ing the marriage of certain lady.
A suit was pending in which it was
necessary to establish the date of her
marriage, which took place years ago.
The clerk examined the record book
and found that the license had been
issued but the unfortunate litigant
was confronted by an astounding
fact. The license had neUer been re-
turned. What the effect of this was
we do not know. 1t may be that
living witnesses were obtainable to
make the proof, but this instance
serves to show the serious complica-
tions that are liable TO result from a
failure to comply with the require
ments of the law. A representative
of the Souri, KENTUCKIAN took occa-
sion to look into the records yester-
day and was surprised TO see the
large per cent Of marriages that have
never been recorded. In the record
Of white persons alone for the period
beginning July 1875 and ending Jan.
1885, there are III cases where IL
censcs were issued and never return
ed. In rs there are 3, in rs, 8; in
IT, 4; in rs, 25 in 70, &c; in 80, II;
in 'sl, 5; in 'S2, 81 in 1873, IS and in
81, s. Many of the couples who took
out licenses were married in sight of
the court house and now reside in
the city and yet the ministers who
performed the marriage ceremony
haye never returned the certifi-
Gates. Some of the wealthy and iu-
lluential citizens of the county and
city are included in the list of the
last ten years gwen above and it is
not improbable that trouble may
some day grow out of the negligence
or carelessness of ministers who were
well paid for their services.
1t is likely that even a larger pro-
portion u the marriages of colored
people are unrccorded, though the
colored book was not examined.
The number given includes only
the omissions in one book. There
are many also to be found in older
books dating back to the earliest days
of the county's history. We do not
know what the penalty was in past
years, but the law of the present day
speaks in no uncertain tones. For
the benefit and information of clergy
men and other persons who are au-
thorized to solemnlze the rites Of
matrimony, we copy from the Gener-
al Statutes of Kentucky, Chapter 50,
Sec. IL, which bears upon the subject
"The person solemnizing the mar
riage, or the clerk of the religious So
ciety before whom it was done, shall,
within three months, return the IL
cense to the clerk of the county court
whence it issued, with certificate of
the marriage over his signature, CIV
ing the date and place Of celebration,
the names of some two or more per-
sons present, of whom there shall
never be less than two. For failing
TO make such return he shall be fined
fifty dollars"
This information will doubtless
cause the preachers to ransack their
pockets and search among their old
papers for licenses that have been
long since lost or forgotten. We
withhold the names of those who
have no recorded evidence that they
were ever legally married, but il
would be yell enough for those who
have trusted the matter TO the cler.
gyman who received a fat fee folded
in the license, 10 satisfy themselves
that the minister has complied will
the law and returned the certificate
1t might not be amiss If the court;
would enforce the penalty few
times to impress the Importance Of
the matter upon the minds of minis.
tiers and magist rates. If those who
get married would adopt the plan Of
depositing the five or ten dollar will
lam with the clerk, to be paid ovel
when the preacher returned the GER
tiflcate, itmight prove to be a good
one. The figures show that during
the last four years only about three
per cent of the marriages are yet un'
recorded, but during the two pre-
vious years about one in every ten il
still unreported and in the absence
of living witnesses the marriages
could not be legally proven, if theil
validity should ever be questioned
1t would be good idea for this mat
ter to receive the attention of inter
ested parties in order that the record
may be made in all cases where 1t /
possible to make amends for pas