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Essex County, New Jersey
Genealogy, History & Facts
County Vital Records ∣ County Census Records ∣ County Courthouse and Government Records ∣
County Societies, Family History Resources and County Genealogy Links
Essex County, New Jersey Facts
When was Essex County, NJ Created?
Essex County was established on March 1, 1683 as one of four original counties created in East Jersey.
What is the County Seat of Essex County, NJ?
The County Seat is located in Newark plus the county government website is www.essex-countynj.org/
What counties are adjacent to Essex County, NJ?
Bordering Counties are Passaic County, Bergen County, Hudson County, Union County, Morris County.
Essex County, NJ Vital Records
Where can find Essex County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Essex County vital records can be found at the New Jersey Department of Health has copies of Birth, Marriage and Death records from 1878 to the present. There is a fee for each copy requested. Please refer to the information to the Statewide Vital Records in New Jerseyi for current fees and application process.
You can also order Order Electronically Online or You can download an application for New Jersey Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Divorce Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.
Essex County, NJ Census Records
What Essex County, NJ census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Essex County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1790-1890, 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Essex Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Essex Co. Industry and Agriculture is available for 1850, 1860, 1870 and 1880. Essex Co. Union Veterans Schedules is available for 1890. You can get free down-loadable not to mention printable census forms that can help with your research. See Also New Jersey Census Records Research Guide
Essex County, NJ Courthouse and Government Records
Essex County CourthouseWhat genealogical records can I find in the Essex County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Essex County court, probate, and land records data as a useful resource of ancestry and genealogy information. Buried away in New Jersey courthouses and archives everywhere are the ambitions and frustrations of countless New Jersey residents.
The possibilities are excellent that your forefathers have left a comprehensive document of at least a number of facets of their lives in the Essex County court records. Even if your forebears is not referred to in a Court case, contemplate all of the other procedures that could have lead to him or her to appear in court records. See Also New Jersey Courthouse Records Research Guide.
- Essex County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 465 Martin Luther King Blvd, Rm #247, PO Box 690 Newark, NJ 07102
- Essex County Clerk
- Phone: 973-621-4921
- Land Records: 1783 mortgages /1728 deeds
- Marriage Records: 1683
- Essex County Surrogate Court / Orphan’s Court
- Phone: 973-621-4900
- Probate Records: 1783 orphans’ court minutes /1804 surrogates’ records
- Essex County, New Jersey Quaker Records
- New Jersey, Abstract of Wills, 1670-1817
- Patents and Deeds and Other Early Records of New Jersey 1664-1703
- New Jersey, Published Archives Series, 1631-1782
- BLM Land Records
Essex County, NJ Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Essex County, NJ?
A list of Essex County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide New Jersey Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Montclair Historical Society, 108 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ 07042; (973) 744-1796
- Essex County Hall of Records, 465 Martin Luther King Blvd, Rm #405, Newark, NJ 07102
- Millburn-short Hills Historical Society, P.O. Box 243, Short Hills 07078
- Montclair Historical Society, 108 Orange Road, Montclair, NJ 07042; (973) 744-1796
- Nutley Historical Society, 65 Church Street, Nutley NJ 07110; 973-667-1528
- Roseland Historical Society, 126 Eagle Rock Avenue, Roseland
- Verona Historical Society, P.O. Box 191, Verona 07044
- Department of State Division of Archives and Records Management ; Bureau of Archives and Records Preservation State Library Bldg, 185 West State Street, CN-307, Trenton, NJ 08625-0307
- New Jersey State Library, State Library Building, 185 West State Street, CN-520, Trenton, NJ 08625-0520
- New Jersey Historical Society, 52 Park Pl., Newark, NJ 07102; 973-596-8500 ext 248 or 249
- Genealogical Society of New Jersey, PO Box 1476, Trenton NJ 08607-1476
Where can I connect with other Essex County, NJ Researchers through message boards and forums?
- https://www.archives.gov/research/census
- New Jersey State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Essex County, New Jersey Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Essex County
- Essex County, New Jersey Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
What other genealogical resources are available in Essex County, NJ?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Essex County. A majority of these genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Business Sites, Private Sites or Organization Sites. Some have free access some have to have a payment. This is just a directory which has been gathered or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another.
Essex Co. NJ Books, Newspapers & Publications
- New Jersey Newspapers Books & Publications Research Guide
- New Jersey historical newspaper archives online (newspapers.com)
- Historical Newspapers from New Jersey (1777 – 1972) (genealogybank.com)
- Essex County, New Jersey Books (amazon.com)
- Search New Jersey Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
Essex Co. NJ Cemeteries & Church Records
- New Jersey Cemetery Research Guide
- Bloomfield and Montclair cemetery inscriptions before 1800 (search.ancestry.com)
- Tombstone inscriptions, Essex County, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Clinton Cemetery, Irvington, New Jersey, 1842-1971 (search.ancestry.com)
- Glen Ridge cemetery (search.ancestry.com)
- Essex Co., New Jersey Graves (findagrave.com)
- Essex County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Essex Co., New Jersey Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Essex Co., New Jersey Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- New Jersey Church & Bible Research Guide
- Essex County, New Jersey Quaker Records (search.ancestry.com)
- Register of baptisms, births, marriages, membership, etc. in the Dutch Reformed Church, Stone House Plains (search.ancestry.com)
- Register of baptisms, births, marriages, membership of the Dutch Reformed Church at Second River, New Jersey, 1794-1848 (search.ancestry.com)
- Pine Brook Methodist Church records : typescript, (search.ancestry.com)
- Inventory of the church archives of New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Topographic Church List and Map for Essex County, New Jersey
- Essex County, New Jersey Church Books (amazon.com)
Essex Co. NJ Family Websites, Pictures & Histories
- Create a Free Family Tree (ancestry.com)
- New Jersey Family Group Sheet Project (fgs-project.com)
- Nichols and Related Families (nicholsgenealogy.com)
Essex Co. NJ General and History Websites
- See Also State History for New Jersey
- Essex County, New Jersey Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- The Municipalities of Essex County, New Jersey, 1666-1924 (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Essex and Hudson counties, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Biographical and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Biography and genealogical history of the city of Newark and Essex County, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- The Jewish community blue book of Newark (search.ancestry.com)
- Essex County, New Jersey Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Essex Co. NJ Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Essex County, New Jersey (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – New Jersey – Counties – Essex (cyndislist.com)
- Essex County New Jersey (genealogytrails.com)
- Essex Co. NJGenweb (rootsweb.ancestry.com)
- Essex County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Essex Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Essex Co. NJ Immigration & Naturalization
Essex Co. NJ Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Statewide Maps and Atlas Links for New Jersey
- Essex County NJ D.O.T. Map
- 1895 Essex County Map (livgenmi.com)
Essex Co. NJ Military Records
- New Jersey Military Records Research Guide
- Official list of names of residents of the city of Newark, N.J., who served with the military forces (search.ancestry.com)
- New Jersey Military Records (Fold3.com) will provide easy access to military records, stories, photos, and personal documents belonging to the New Jersey individuals who served. Excellent for Essex County genealogists, researchers, historians and a lot more.
Essex Co. NJ Schools & Directories
- Boyd’s business directory of Essex, Hudson, & Union Counties, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)
- Holbrook’s Essex County, New Jersey business directory including Harrison and Kearny, Hudson County, 1897 (search.ancestry.com)
- Newark, New Jersey Directory, 1890-91 (search.ancestry.com)
- Orange, New Jersey Directories, 1887-90 (search.ancestry.com)
- Essex, Union, Hudson Counties New Jersey 1859 Directory (search.ancestry.com)
- Baldwin’s directory of Bloomfield, Montclair, Belleville, Franklin, Caldwell and Verona (search.ancestry.com)
- Boyd’s business directory, of Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)