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Union 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
Union County, New Jersey Facts
When was Union County, NJ Created?
Union County was established on March 19 1857 from Essex County (becoming effective on April 13, 1857).
What is the County Seat of Union County, NJ?
The County Seat is located in Elizabeth plus the county government website is ucnj.org/
What counties are adjacent to Union County, NJ?
Bordering Counties are Essex County, Hudson County, Richmond County (Staten Island), NY, Middlesex County, Somerset County, Morris County.
Union County, NJ Vital Records
Where can find Union County Birth, marriage, Divorce and Death Records?
Union 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.
Union County, NJ Census Records
What Union County, NJ census records are available?
There are many types of census records for Union County guide you in researching your family tree. Federal Population Schedules are available for 1860, 1870, 1880 (free index), 1890 (fragment), 1900, 1910, 1920, 1930, 1940.
Union Co. Mortality Schedules can be found for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union Co. Industry and Agriculture is available for 1860, 1870 and 1880. Union 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
Union County, NJ Courthouse and Government Records
What genealogical records can I find in the Union County Courthouse?
Researchers frequently overlook the great importance of Union 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 Union 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.
- Union County Courthouse (all departments listed below are located here, unless otherwise noted)
- Address: 2 Broad Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07207
- Union County Clerk
- Phone: 908-527-4787
- Land Records: 1857
- Marriage Records: 1857
- Union County Surrogate Court / Orphan’s Court
- Phone: 908-527-4280 ra
- Probate Records: 1857
- 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
Union County, NJ Societies and Family History Resources
What genealogical and historical societies, archives, museums, associations and libraries are available for Union County, NJ?
A list of Union County Historical and Genealogical Societies, Libraries, Archives. See also list of Statewide New Jersey Archives, Historical & Genealogical Societies.
- Cranford Historical Society, 38 Springfield Avenue, Cranford, NJ 07016; (908) 276-0082
- Union County Historical Society, 116 E. Fourth Ave., Roselle, NJ 07203; 908-245-9010
- Hillside Historical Society, 111 Conant St, Hillside, NJ 07205; Phone: (908) 353-8828
- New Providence Historical Society, 1350 Springfield Ave., New Providence 07974
- Plainfield, Historical Society, 602 West Front Street, Plainfield NJ
- Rahway Historical Society, 1632 St. Georges Ave., Rahway
- Springfield Historical Society, 126 Morris Ave, Springfield, NJ. Tel: 973-912-4464
- Summit Historical Society, 90 Butler Parkway, Summit, NJ 07901; 908-277-1747
- Westfield, Genealogical Society Of, 550 East Broad Street, Westfield
- 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 Union County, NJ Researchers through message boards and forums?
- https://www.archives.gov/research/census
- New Jersey State Genealogy Network (facebook.com)
- Union County, New Jersey Message Boards (boards.ancestry.com) read and post messages about your ancestors in Union County
- Union County, New Jersey Genealogy Forum (genforum.genealogy.com)
What other genealogical resources are available in Union County, NJ?
The following are web links to Genealogy, Records and Resources pertaining to Union 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.
Union 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)
- Union County, New Jersey Books (amazon.com)
- Search New Jersey Obituaries (1985 to current) (genealogybank.com)
Union Co. NJ Cemeteries & Church Records
- New Jersey Cemetery Research Guide
- Inscriptions on tombstones and monuments in the burying grounds of the First Presbyterian Church and St. Johns Church at Elizab (search.ancestry.com)
- Copies and extracts of the old records of the Presbyterian Church at Turkey (now New Providence, Union County, New Jersey) (search.ancestry.com)
- God’s acre : a study of selected gravestones in the Baptist Church cemetery Scotch Plains, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Inscriptions from the cemetery of the Presbyterian Church at Westfield in New Jersey from the year 1740 to the year 1899 (search.ancestry.com)
- The one-hundredth anniversary of the Evergreen cemetery (search.ancestry.com)
- Descriptive sketch of the Rahway Cemetery : its history, location and general features : by-laws and rules and regulations adop (search.ancestry.com)
- The Revolutionary cemetery in Westfield, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Union Co., New Jersey Graves (findagrave.com)
- Union County Tombstone Transcription Project (usgwtombstones.org)
- Union Co., New Jersey Cemeteries (Internment.net)
- Union Co., New Jersey Cemetery Books (amazon.com)
- New Jersey Church & Bible Research Guide
- Outline of annual statements of the various departments of the First Baptist Church, Plainfield, N.J. : with a list of officers (search.ancestry.com)
- The Records of the Baptist Church at the Scotch Plains in East New Jersey in the year of our Lord 1747 : typescript (carbon cop (search.ancestry.com)
- Manual of Lamington Church, Presbytery of Elizabeth, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Records of the First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth (search.ancestry.com)
- Records of Saint Paul’s Episcopal, 414 East Broad Street, Westfield, New Jersey, 07090, 1867-1901 : baptisms, burials, marriag (search.ancestry.com)
- Manual of the First Presbyterian Church, Elizabeth, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)
- Inventory of the church archives of New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- Topographic Church List and Map for Union County, New Jersey
- Union County, New Jersey Church Books (amazon.com)
Union 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)
Union Co. NJ General and History Websites
- See Also State History for New Jersey
- Union County, New Jersey Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
- County of Union, New Jersey History (ucnj.org)
- The Handy pocket guide to the city of Plainfield, New Jersey : containing railroad time tables, distances and fares to all prin (search.ancestry.com)
- Index [to] Philhower, Charles A., History of the town of Westfield, Union County, New Jersey, 1923 (search.ancestry.com)
- Historic tour, Plainfield, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)
- The Union County story (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Union County, New Jersey, 1664-1923 (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Union County, New Jersey (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Elizabeth, New Jersey : including the early history of Union County (search.ancestry.com)
- Commemorative history of Presbyterian Church in Westfield, New Jersey, 1728-1928 (search.ancestry.com)
- History of Hillside, N.J., and vicinity : including Lyons Farms, Salem, Saybrook and early history of Newark and Elizabethtown (search.ancestry.com)
- Union County, New Jersey Wiki (familysearch.org)
- Union Co. NJ Genealogy (kindredtrails.com)
- Family History Library (familysearch.org)
- Union County, New Jersey (linkpendium.com)
- Cyndi’s List – United States – New Jersey – Counties – Union (cyndislist.com)
- Union County New Jersey (genealogytrails.com)
- Union Co. NJGenweb (njuniongenweb.com)
- Union County Genealogy Queries (cousinconnect.com)
- Union Co. Data Collections (search.ancestry.com)
Union Co. NJ Immigration & Naturalization
Union Co. NJ Maps, Atlases & Gazetteers
- See Also Statewide Maps and Atlas Links for New Jersey
- Union County NJ D.O.T. Map
- 1895 Union County Map (livgenmi.com)
Union Co. NJ Military Records
- New Jersey Military Records Research Guide
- Home guard roster (search.ancestry.com)
- The Revolutionary camp ground at Plainfield, New Jersey : an address (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 Union County genealogists, researchers, historians and a lot more.
Union Co. NJ Schools & Directories
- Boyd’s business directory of Essex, Hudson, & Union Counties, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)
- Elizabeth, New Jersey Directories, 1883-91 (search.ancestry.com)
- Essex, Union, Hudson Counties New Jersey 1859 Directory (search.ancestry.com)
- Elizabeth, New Jersey, City directory, 1897 (search.ancestry.com)
- Cook & Hall’s Elizabeth City directory for 1883-84 (search.ancestry.com)
- Drake and Cook’s Elizabeth City directory for 1877 (search.ancestry.com)
- Boyd’s business directory, of Essex, Hudson, and Union counties, N.J. (search.ancestry.com)
- Directory of the city of Plainfield and borough of North Plainfield : containing the fire alarm signals, a street and avenue di (search.ancestry.com)
- Directory of the city of Plainfield, Union County and borough of North Plainfield, Somerset County, N.J. : 1887-88 : containing (search.ancestry.com)