This is the most complete collection of early Massachusetts marriages ever published, containing over 20,000 entries for the period 1643-1800. The marriages derive from records kept by the various county, city, and court clerks in compliance with Massachusetts law and give the full name of the bride and groom and date and place of marriage. The book is divided into four sections, and each section of the book is separately paginated and indexed, except for the last, which is arranged in chronological order.