Mercer County, New Jersey Genealogy

Guide to Mercer County, New Jersey ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

Description
Mercer County is in the west-central region of the state. It was created in 1838. Trenton is the county seat. The county was named for Continental Army General Hugh Mercer.

County Courthouse
Mercer County Courthouse 175 South Broad St Trenton, NJ 08650-0068 Phone: 609-571-4200 Mercer County Website

County Surrogate has probate records. County Clerk has court and land records from 1838, judgments, tax maps, and corporation records.

Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit HomeTown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

History Timeline

 * 1839, more parts from Hunterdon County added.
 * 1844, Hopewell twp. returned to Hunterdon County and then returned in 1845.

Census Records

 * 1855 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Church Records

 * 1675-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups African American
 * Smith, Anna Amelia Bustill.Reminiscences of Colored people of Princeton, N.J., 1800-1900. -[Philadelphia P. V. Baugh, c 1913] - 15 p. F144.P9 M6
 * The Princeton & Slavery Project

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Migration
Early migration routes to and from Mercer County for settlers included:
 * Delaware River a pre-historic pathway serving as the border between New Jersey and Pennsylvania rises in Schoharie (NY) and flows by the Lehigh Canal in Pennsylvania, Frenchtown, Trenton where river meets tidewater, and past Bordentown in New Jersey, Philadelphia in Pennsylvania to empty into the North Atlantic Ocean.
 * King's Highway 1673 connected Boston, Massachusetts to Charleston, South Carolina and many coastal cities between including Philadelphia, Trenton, and New York City.
 * Delaware and Raritan Canal 1834 connected New Brunswick, New Jersey on the Raritan River (and NY City) to Bordentown, New Jersey on the Delaware River and parts of Pennsylvania including Philadelphia. A boat traffic carrying feeder canal from near Frenchtown also supplied water to the Trenton part of the D&amp;R Canal.

Military Records

 * ca. 1770-ca.1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1796-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
 * 1656-1999 New Jersey Wills and Probate Records 1656-1999 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1670-1760 Calendar of New Jersey Wills 1670-1760 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1670-1817 New Jersey Abstract of Wills 1670-1817 at Ancestry.com — index and images ($)
 * 1678-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Use the Surrogate's Docket Index 1700-1972 to obtain the Docket Number for the name. Then, use the Docket Number to locate the correct Estate file.

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007

Birth

 * 1600-1990 New Jersey Vital Records, Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Findmypast — index & images, ($)
 * 1660-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images; ''Also at: Ancestry Index ($)
 * 1746-1795 New Jersey Baptisms 1746-1795 at Findmypast — index, ($)
 * 1901-1903 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index

Marriage

 * 1600s-1900s US Marriages, New Jersey at Findmypast — index, ($)
 * 1670-1965 New Jersey Marriage Records, 1670-1965 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1670-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1678-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1683-1802 New Jersey Marriage Records, 1683-1802 at Ancestry — index & images, ($)
 * 1684-1895 New Jersey Compiled Marriage Records, 1684-1895 at Ancestry — index, ($)
 * 1901-1914 New Jersey Marriage License Index, 1901-1914 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * 1901-2016 New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016 at Ancestry — index, ($);
 * 1901-2016 New Jersey Marriage Index, 1901-2016 at Findmypast - Browse index ($)
 * 1915-2016 New Jersey Marriage License Index, 1915-2016 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * For a complete list of all New Jersey Marriage databases

Death

 * 1600-1990 New Jersey Vital Records, Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Findmypast — index & images, ($)
 * 1798-1971 New Jersey Deaths and Burials Index, 1798-1971 at Ancestry — index, ($)
 * 1848-1878 Death Records, May 1848 - May 1878 at New Jersey State Archives - index, $ for photocopies
 * 1878-1900 Death Records, June 1878 - December 1900 at New Jersey Department of State — index, $ for photocopies
 * 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1901-2017 The New Jersey Death Index at New Jersey Death Index — index; Also at: Ancestry index ($)
 * 1920-2017 New Jersey Death Index, 1920-1929, 1949-2017 at MyHeritage — index, ($)
 * For a complete list of all New Jersey Death databases

Family History Centers

 * East Brunswick New Jersey Family History Center
 * Morrisville Pennsylvania Family History Center
 * Monmouth County Library - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Allentown - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Colts Neck - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Holmdel - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Howell - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Marlboro - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Ocean Township - an affiliate library
 * Monmouth County Library - Wall Township - an affiliate library
 * New Jersey State Archives - an affiliate library

Societies
Central Jersey Genealogical Club PO Box 9903 Hamilton, NJ 08650-1903 Website Hamilton Township Historical Society 2200 Kuser Road Trenton, NJ 08650 Telephone: 609-585-1686 [org Website] Hightstown-East Windsor Historical Society 164 North Main Street Hightstown, NJ, 08520 Telephone: 609-371-9580 Website Historical Society of Princeton 158 Nassau St. Princeton, NJ 08542-7006 Telephone: 609-921-6748 Website Hopewell Valley Historical Society PO Box 371 Pennington, NJ 08534 Telephone: 609-737-7751 Websote Mercer County Cultural and Heritage Commission 640 S. Broad St. Trenton, NJ 08650 Telephone: 609-989-6701 Website

Websites

 * Mercer County NJGenWeb Project, a member of The NJGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * Mercer County NJ Genealogy


 * – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.