On Saturday, 25 July 1942, Floyd Treat signed a bond for a marriage license, with Ray J. Warren as security, “authorizing the solemnization of the rite of matrimony” between Floyd Treat and Modean Jackson. The bond was attested by J. Frank Watts, county clerk.

Mister Watts, in his role as clerk, completed the entire form. In the Marriage License portion, he filled in the details of the groom: “Mr. Floyd Treat of Imo in the County of Searcy and State of Arkansas aged 22 years.” He did the same for the bride: “Miss Madean Bohannon…” Whoah, wait a second! Did the clerk record the wrong name?

Yes, he did. In the bond portion of the form, Mister Watts recorded “Madean Jackson,” yet in the license portion he recorded “Madean Bohannon.”

As a result of J. Frank Watts’ error so long ago, this record was eventually indexed under “Madean Bohannon” by FamilySearch. Ancestry.com references the record the same way, since they use FamilySearch’s index.

familysearch
Record indexed at FamilySearch. (Click for larger image.)

 

Ancestry
Record indexed at Ancestry.com. (Click for larger image.)

 

Treat Jackson Marriage
Scan of marriage record from FamilySearch. (Click for larger image.)

 

Sources

“Arkansas, County Marriages, 1837-1957,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NM2M-3ZP : accessed 5 January 2015), Floyd Treat and Madean Bohannon, 25 Jul 1942; citing , Searcy, Arkansas, United States, county offices, Arkansas; FHL microfilm 2,048,298.

Ancestry.com. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.