Wilson County’s marriage records did not begin until 1802. From then until 1841, when a register was started, the marriage bonds and licenses were stored in loose bundles in the county courthouse. Mrs. Whitley’s abstracts derive from the original bonds and licenses and the earliest marriage register.

The 8,000 marriage records in this work are arranged chronologically under the name of the groom, the rest of each entry being the name of the bride, the issue date of the marriage license or bond, the marriage date (if given), and the name of a bondsman (usually a relative), and the name of the officiating clergyman or J.P. About 20,000 persons-brides, grooms, and bondsmen are listed in the index.