The Knox County marriage index includes names taken from marriage licenses and marriage bonds/applications held by Knox County Archives from 1901–1950.
In Knox County, Tennessee, between 1792–1929, the intended groom was required to post a $1250 marriage bond. The marriage bond affirmed that there was no moral or legal reason why the couple could not be married. The bondsman, or surety, was often a father, brother, uncle, or friend of the bride or groom, someone willing to vouch for the groom and accept the $1250 liability. In 1929, the marriage bond system was changed to the application system that we are familiar with today.