The Sharp-Neal 1849 Marriage

Nothing beats a marriage record for anchoring a family history.  This source was obtained from the Clerk's Office at the Courthouse in Burlington, Boone County, Kentucky in 2001. It is the marriage bond, license, and return for William Sharp and Delia Neal, my maternal great-grandparents.  The return is important because it confirms that their marriage did take place 19 July 1849.
Although, the document does not reveal William's place of residence, the 1840 and 1850 U.S. census records show that he lived across the Ohio River in Rising Sun, Indiana. Also, Delia's place of residence was not given but the 1850 U.S. census indicates her birthplace was Kentucky.

Source:

Boone County, Kentucky, Marriage Book C: 225, William Sharp and Delia Neal, 1849, recorded bond, license and return; County Clerk's Office, Burlington.

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Commentary:

The marriage license, bond, and return are from Boone County, so we can be sure that the wedding took place in Kentucky. At the time, it was the tradition that the wedding day centered around the bride. So it is likely that the wedding took place either at her parent's home or at their church.

Francis Craig, who performed the rites of matrimony, was a Baptist minister associated with the East Bend Baptist Church, about 5 miles south of Rabbit Hash, Kentucky near the southern shore of the Ohio River. (An East Bend Methodist Church is also nearby). His association with this church is revealed in church books for other Baptist churches in Boone County, such as the Burlington Baptist Church where he is referenced as " East Bend F. Craig".

A cemetery  accompanies the East Bend Baptist Church which has a headstone for John and Agnes Neal. It can be viewed at Find A Grave (John, Agnes). Their relationship to Delia is unknown. John, Agnes, Nancy, Rebecca, and William Neal are listed amongst the original members of the church when it was founded in 1819.

For much of its history, Rising Sun has had ferry service to Rabbit Hash, although it is not now running. For much of the year, this made Rising Sun easily accessible from western Boone County, Kentucky, especially to the "East Bend" community.