New Jersey Compiled Genealogies

Most archives, historical societies, and genealogical societies have special collections and indexes of genealogical value. Some of the major manuscripts and published sources for New Jersey are:

Manuscript Collections at the Family History Library
Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Genealogical Collection. This collection includes volumes of Bible transcriptions, as well as cemetery, church, marriage, death, obituary, and will records. The collection is at the New Jersey State Library and at the DAR Library in Washington, D.C. Most of the volumes were microfilmed in 1971 at the DAR Library and are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Author/Title Search under Daughters of the American Revolution (New Jersey).

The volumes are generally arranged by county, and many have individual indexes. Most of the microfilmed volumes are listed in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under NEW JERSEY - GENEALOGYas part of a 106-reel microfilm collection, but a few are listed separately under place and topic such as:

NEW JERSEY - BIBLE RECORDS

NEW JERSEY - CEMETERIES

NEW JERSEY - VITAL RECORDS

Charles Carroll Gardner's Collections. Charles Gardner was recognized as the most accomplished New Jersey genealogist of the first half of this century. His compilations focus on northeastern New Jersey families, particularly those of Essex County.


 * An early work, The Gardner Collection, (on 32 Family History Library films beginning with film 941113) was completed before 1911. This includes 180 folders on pre-Revolutionary War families. A separate section includes about 30,000 cards that index individuals listed in New Jersey records. The original papers are at the New Jersey Historical Society.
 * Gardner's material, collected from 1911 to 1960, is cataloged as Collection of New Jersey Families, 1600-1900; Family Records taken from Civil, Court, Land and Probate Records, etc.(on 25 Family History Library films beginning with 848919). The material was microfilmed in 1970 and contains alphabetically arranged records copied from civil, court, land, probate, and other sources. The original records are in Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University.
 * Collection of Essex County, New Jersey Families, 1600-1900 (on 70 Family History Library films beginning with 849448). The records are alphabetical.

Nicholson Collection: ca 1690-1900. This collection of documented family group records prepared by Anne Lea Nicholson was filmed in 1987 and is at the Gloucester County Historical Society and at the Family History Library (on 22 Family History Library films beginning with 1491818). It is one of the first sources that should be checked for ancestors in Gloucester, Salem, Burlington, Camden, and Cumberland counties and Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania.

 John P. Dornan Collection. This two-part collection includes alphabetically arranged family folders and handwritten family group records of Quakers and other families of South Jersey. It belongs to the Genealogical Society of New Jersey and can be found in Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University. It is also available on microfilm at the Family History Library (on 37 Family History Library films beginning with 851703; and on 33 films beginning with 849558). There is a surname card index on Family History Library film 854115 (A-Kuhl; skips to Personette and continues to Taylor; film 854116, Peter Taylor - Thacker; returns to Lacey and continues to Perry; Tharp-Zimmerman and topics file.) The collection was filmed in 1970-1971.

The Gloucester County Historical Society's Historical and Genealogical Files, 1600s-1900s. This collection of about 3,000 alphabetized family folders was microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1976 (FHL films 1005031-64) and has material about hundreds of South Jersey families. An earlier version of this collection was microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1971 (Family History Library films 850326-29). The earlier version is less comprehensive but has material not found in the more recent filming.

Elias Boudinot Stockton's Collection. The Stockton Collection is alphabetical and has about 75,000 cards and 1,500 file folders for New Jersey and some New York families. It is at the New Jersey Historical Society Library and at the Family History Library (on 44 Family History Library films beginning with 940610). Films 941111-12 have three-by-five-inch cards for individuals in several series for different states. It was filmed in 1973.

Gilbert Cope's Collection of Family Data. This collection, compiled by a prominent Quaker genealogist, is important for Quakers and others who lived in southeastern Pennsylvania and Burlington, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem counties in New Jersey. It was microfilmed by the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1966 (Family History Library films 517003-78).

Genealogical Society of New Jersey's Genealogical Collection. This is an alphabetical collection of newspaper clippings and family histories in Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University (Family History Library films 854126-30 items 1-3). It was filmed in 1971.

Manuscript Collections at Other Libraries
Most libraries and historical societies in New Jersey have valuable genealogical collections. Some of the major ones include:

Emigrant Register File. This is a collection of about 30 binders compiled by the Genealogical Society of New Jersey and housed in Special Collections and University Archives at Rutgers University at http://www.libraries.edu/rul/libs/scua/scua.shtml. It pertains to New Jersey families who migrated to other parts of the country.

Surname Index to Genealogy Manuscript Collections. The Finding Guides link at the New Jersey Historical Society website indexes numerous manuscript collections as well as other records of genealogical value.

Genealogical Vertical Files, Family Files, and Genealogical Charts. The New Jersey Historical Society has over 10,000 folders of Bible records, tombstone inscriptions, and family data; 1,200 family folders; and over 60 genealogical charts.

Irwin, Barbara S., and Elizabeth B. Turner, Guide to the Chart Collection in the New Jersey Historical Society 1983, revised edition, Newark, New Jersey: New Jersey Historical Society, 1985. (Family History Library book 974.9 A1 no. 92.) This pamphlet indexes the above-mentioned genealogical charts.

Published Collections

 * Armstrong, William Clinton. Pioneer Families of Northwestern New Jersey. Lambertville, New Jersey: Hunterdon House, 1979. (Family History Library book 974.97 D2a.)
 * Cooley, Eli F., and William S. Cooley. Genealogy of Early Settlers in Trenton and Ewing. 1883, reprint edition, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1977. (Family History Film 1033630 item 4; film 1533353 item 2.)
 * Littell, John. Family Records or Genealogies of the First Settlers of Passaic Valley. 1852, reprint edition, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1981. (Family History Library book 974.9 D2L; film 176652.) A separate index is Mabel Day Parker, An Index of Littell's Passaic Valley Genealogies (typescript, n.p., n.d.; Family History Library fiche 6052239).
 * Monnette, Orra Eugene. First Settlers of Ye Plantations of Piscataway and Woodbridge Olde East New Jersey, 1664-1714. 7 Volumes. Los Angeles, California: Leroy Carman Press, 1930-1935. (Volumes 1-2, 6, 7 in Family History Library book 974.941 D2m; Volumes 1-2 on film 673270 items 10-11; Volumes 3-4 on 547209; Volume 5 on 982096; Volume 7 and index on 1035762 item 10; all Volumes on fiche 6046407.)
 * Rider, Fremont, Editor. American Genealogical Biographical Index. Volumes 1-186+. Middletown, Connecticut: Godfrey Memorial Library, 1952-. (Family History Library book 973 D22am series 2; on 31 FHL films beginning with 1698167.) This is a continuing series, and now includes surnames A - Walker. An earlier version of 48 volumes was published as The American Genealogical Index, 1942-1951. Over four million brief citations (name, date, and source) to manuscripts, periodicals, and books. The earlier version had reference to 350 sources that have been included in the second version. The second version includes an additional 800 sources.

To help interpret citations and locate the original sources, use the colored pages in some volumes of:


 * Clark, Patricia L. and Dorothy Huntsman, Editors. American Genealogical Biographical Key Title Index. Salt Lake City, Utah: Genealogical Society of Utah, 1990. (Family History Library book 973 D22am index; film 1698167 item 4; fiche 6088377.) Lists the sources that are at the Family History Library and their call numbers.
 * Sinclair, Donald Arleigh, Compiler, A New Jersey Biographical Index: Covering Some 100,000 Biographies and Associated Portraits in 237 New Jersey Cyclopedias, Histories, Yearbooks, Periodicals, and Other Collective Biographical Sources Published to About 1980. Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1993. (Family History Library book 974.9 D32s.)
 * Stillwell, John E. Historical and Genealogical Miscellany: Data Relating to the Settlement and Settlers of New York and New Jersey. Six Volumes. 1903-32, reprint edition, Baltimore, Maryland: Genealogical Publishing Company, 1970. (FHL book 974.D2sa; film 908775 items 1-2, Volumes 1, 3; 397793, Volume 2; 844968 item 2, Volume 4; 908776, Volume 5.) This contains transcripts primarily for Monmouth and Burlington counties and Staten Island, New York. Some volumes also include compiled family genealogies.

Most of these and other important New Jersey genealogical collections can be found in the Family History Library Catalog Locality Search under:

NEW JERSEY - GENEALOGY

NEW JERSEY, [COUNTY] -GENEALOGY