This work embraces as complete a collection of early New York marriage licenses as could be put together from official sources. With its various supplements, it comprises records of about one-fourth of all marriages that took place in New York prior to 1784, when the practice of issuing marriage licenses fell into disuse. In brief, it contains approximately 25,000 entries arranged alphabetically under the names of both brides and grooms, each giving the date of the license and a reference to the precise location of the original record.

Describes the vast l collections of New York City's official government archives.