New Jersey, State Census, 1915 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection is a name index from the state census of New Jersey taken in 1915. The census is a printed form that was filled in by hand by the enumerator.

The state of New Jersey took a state census every 10 years beginning in 1855 and continuing through 1915. The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress.

The 1915 New Jersey state census can be a highly valuable source of information. For example, the 1915 New Jersey census took place during an era of heavy immigration between the 1910 and 1920 federal censuses

The information is generally reliable. However use the information with some caution, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
Information found in the 1915 New Jersey State Census may include:
 * Name
 * Color
 * Sex
 * Birthdate
 * Age
 * Marital status
 * Place of birth
 * Birthplace of parents
 * Family number
 * Number of years in the U.S.
 * Whether naturalized
 * Occupation, trade, or profession
 * If they can read, write, and speak English
 * If child is attending school and name of school
 * If they own or rent the property and whether a house or farm
 * Whether in city
 * Number of dwelling

Not all of the above information has been transcribed for this collection. If possible, trace the record to an original image in order to obtain all possible information about an individual.

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The age or approximate birth year of your ancestor
 * The residence of your ancestor
 * The names of family members and their relationships

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors.

I Found the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Use the names and residence to search the 1910 and 1920 federal censuses
 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date
 * If they are foreign born, look for immigration and naturalization records
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names
 * Look for a different index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby localities
 * There is also the possibility that a family was missed in the census

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.


 * Collection Citation:

"New Jersey State Census, 1915." Database with images. FamilySearch. http://FamilySearch.org : 14 June 2016. New Jersey State Library, Trenton.

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