New Jersey, State Census, 1855 - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This census covers the residents of New Jersey in 1855. It lists name of head of household and gives number of males and females in each household by category: white, colored, native, foreign and children ages 5 to 16. The returns for Pequanac Township in Morris County also list the names of the wife and children in each household.

The census is a printed form that was filled in by hand by the enumerator. It is arranged by county and by township within each county. It was acquired from the National Archives and Records Administration. The state of New Jersey took a state census every 10 years beginning in 1855 and continuing through 1915. However, the 1885 census is the first to survive in its entirety. The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress. 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?
The following information may be found in these records:

Census
 * Name of head of household
 * Number of males and females in household by category
 * Nationality
 * Race
 * Number of children in household ages 5 to 16

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it is helpful to know:
 * Name of the head of the household
 * Identifying information such as place of residence, race or nationality
 * That there may be more than one person in the records with the same name
 * That your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life

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. Print or download a copy of the record, or extract the genealogical information needed.

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

 * Use the place of residence to search other records such as federal censuses, church and land 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
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census
 * You should also be aware that the census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist
 * Be aware that, as with any index, transcription errors may occur

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

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of New Jersey.
 * New Jersey Guided Research
 * New Jersey Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * New Jersey state census records, 1855-1865
 * State census, 1855

FamilySearch Historical Records

 * New Jersey State Census 1865
 * New Jersey State Census 1885
 * New Jersey State Census 1895
 * New Jersey State Census 1905
 * New Jersey State Census 1915

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.

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