Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy
Monmouth County, New Jersey ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Guide to genealogy, history, and courthouse sources including birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, wills, deeds and land records, Civil War records, Revolutionary War records, family histories, cemeteries, churches, tax records, newspapers, and obituaries.
| Monmouth County, New Jersey | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of New Jersey, United States Genealogy | |
 Location of New Jersey in the U.S. | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | , 1675 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Freehold |
| Courthouse | |
 | |
| Address | Monmouth County Courthouse Main St Hall of Records PO Box 1251 Freehold, NJ 07728 Phone: (732) 431-7324 Monmouth County Website |
County Information[edit | edit source]
Description[edit | edit source]
Monmouth County is located in the central region of the state. It was created in 1675. Freehold is the county seat. The county was named for the historic county of Monmouthshire in Wales .[1]
Monmouth County, New Jersey Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1901 | 1795 | 1901 | 1785 | 1667 | 1785 | 1830 |
Monmouth County, New Jersey Historical Facts[edit | edit source]
| ||||||
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1675: part of East Jersey
1 March 1683: Created from the Colonial lands. [3]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
1710: boundary changed
1822: water boundary established
1844: part from Middlesex County
1850: Ocean County created from Monmouth and boundary clarified in 1851. [4]
1866: water boundary further clarified
1906: coastal boundary established
1928: part of Howell twp. to Ocean County
1939: part of Middlesex gained.
For animated maps illustrating New Jersey county boundary changes, visit "Rotating Formation New Jersey County Boundary Maps" (1683-1928) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy Resources[edit | edit source]
Bible[edit | edit source]
- Monmouth County Historical Association Library, Carol Fisher Megill and Beverly Seward Yackel [5]
Biography[edit | edit source]
See also: Genealogy, History
- Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of the Third congressional district of New Jersey: comprising Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties, together with historical sketch of each county, 1896, Samuel T. Wiley [6] [7]
- Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of the Third congressional district of New Jersey: comprising Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties, together with historical sketch of each county, 1896, Samuel T. Wiley (FamilySearch Catalog Fiche 6046405)
- Book of the dead of Monmouth, (1915-1917) FamilySearch Digital Library, (FamilySearch Catalog Info)
- Early courts and lawyers of Monmouth County : beginning at its first settlement, and down to the last half century, 1911 (FamilySearch Catalog Film 1697650 Item 3)
- History of Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1885 (FamilySearch Catalog Fiche 6046349) (FamilySearch Catalog Book 974.946 H2e 1974)
- History of Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1664-1920 (FamilySearch Catalog Book 974.946 H2h V.1-2)
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| NJGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| NJGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| NJTombstone Project | ||
| NJInterment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See New Jersey Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Please refer to Populated Places for cemeteries within their localities.
- Book of the dead of Monmouth, (1915-1917) (FamilySearch Catalog Info) Digital version at FamilySearch Digital Library
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 16,918 | — |
| 1800 | 19,872 | 17.5% |
| 1810 | 22,150 | 11.5% |
| 1820 | 25,038 | 13.0% |
| 1830 | 29,233 | 16.8% |
| 1840 | 32,909 | 12.6% |
| 1850 | 30,313 | −7.9% |
| 1860 | 39,346 | 29.8% |
| 1870 | 46,195 | 17.4% |
| 1880 | 55,538 | 20.2% |
| 1890 | 69,128 | 24.5% |
| 1900 | 82,057 | 18.7% |
| 1910 | 94,734 | 15.4% |
| 1920 | 104,925 | 10.8% |
| 1930 | 147,209 | 40.3% |
| 1940 | 161,238 | 9.5% |
| 1950 | 225,327 | 39.7% |
| 1960 | 334,401 | 48.4% |
| 1970 | 461,849 | 38.1% |
| 1980 | 503,173 | 8.9% |
| 1990 | 553,124 | 9.9% |
| 2000 | 615,301 | 11.2% |
| 2010 | 630,380 | 2.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1855 New Jersey, State Census, 1855 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1865 New Jersey, State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1895 New Jersey, State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1915 New Jersey State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Church Records[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about denominations, view the New Jersey Church Records wiki page. Existing churches in Monmouth County, New Jersey
- 1675-1970 - New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1708-1985 - Pennsylvania, Church and Town Records, 1708-1985 at Historical Society of Pennsylvania – $, free to members of the society; Also available at Ancestry.com – $; 7,542,774 entries. This database is incomplete for all counties.
- Contains the church records of:
- Long Branch: Simpson Memorial Methodist Episcopal Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
- Guardianship
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1906-1942 - New York Book Indexes to Passenger Lists, 1906-1942 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Ethnic, Political, or Religious Groups[edit | edit source]
African Americans
Black Birth Book of Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1804-1848. Office of the Monmouth County Clerk. FHL Book 974.946 V28m
McKay, Lenora Walker. The Blacks of Monmouth County : a Bicentennial tribute - [S.I]: Monmouth County Business and Professional Women's Council, 1978-F142.M7 M28
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
See also: Biography, History
History[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for New Jersey counties. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories see the wiki page section New Jersey Local Histories.
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See New Jersey Land and Property for information about New Jersey Proprietary land records. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
Maps[edit | edit source]
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration[edit | edit source]
Military[edit | edit source]
Civil War Regiments. Service men in Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy:
- - 48th Regiment, New York Infantry, Company H.
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1796-1991 - New Jersey Naturalization Records, 1796-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
- 1804-1906 - Naturalization Record Search 1804-1906 - The Monmouth County Archives Web site has an online searchable database of naturalizations.
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Places Search).
Red Bank Register
The Red Bank Register is a free online historical newspaper, covering Red Bank, New Jersey and surrounding areas in Monmouth County. The following is from their website explaining publication dates and the Digitization Project.
"The Red Bank Register is captured on microfilm covering 1878 to 1964 as the Red Bank Register and 1964 to 1991 as the Daily Register. The Digitization Project was a collaborative effort between Middletown Township Public Library and the Red Bank Public Library. Because of the size of the collection, the digitization of all the microfilm was broken down into two phases. The first phase covers June 27, 1878, to December 26, 1923. The second phase covers January 2, 1924, to November 13, 1991, the final issue of the Red Bank Register."
The Independent: 1972-2000 Courtesy of the Matawan - Aberdeen Public Library
Matawan Journal
The Matawan Journal offers online access to its back issues printed from 1869 through 1973. Provided by the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library.
The Independent
The Independent offers online access to its back issues printed from March 1972 through March 2000. Provided by the Matawan Aberdeen Public Library.
Occupations[edit | edit source]
Periodicals[edit | edit source]
Poorhouse, Almshouse[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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:[8]
| Cities | ||
| Boroughs | ||
| Villages | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Probate records created after 1852 are held by the Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy Probate Court. From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas. Most counties transferred all records to the Probate Court, but in some circumstances, Court of Common Pleas records should be searched for records prior to 1852. Most records are housed at the Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy Courthouse. Some records are on microfilm at the Ohio Genealogical Society and the Family History Library. For more complete information about the location of county probate records see:
See the wiki page New Jersey Probate Records for information about how to use probate records.
Content: Probate Records may give the decedent's date of death, names of his or her spouse, children, parents, siblings, in-laws, neighbors, associates, relatives, and their place of residence.
Record types: Wills, estates, guardianships, naturalizations, marriage, adoption, and birth and death records (1867-1908 only).
Obtaining Copies of County Probate Records [edit | edit source]
Copies of recorded probate records and the estate files can be obtained from the surrogate's offices for a fee. Addresses of surrogate's offices are found in:
- Eichholz, Alice, Editor. Ancestry's Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources. Revised Edition. Salt Lake City, Utah: Ancestry, 1992. (Family History Library book 973 D27rb 1992.) Explains state-by-state history, vital records, census, background sources, periodicals, archives, libraries, societies, maps, land, probate, court, tax, cemetery, church, and military records. Includes county boundary map and table which shows when each county was created and the parent counties.
In addition, copies of the original wills, administrations, inventories, and guardianships sent to Trenton since 1901 can be ordered from:
Clerk of the Superior Court
Records Information Center
P.O. Box 967
Trenton, NJ 08625-0967
Phone: (609) 292-4978
Fax: (609) 777-0094
A wiki article describing an online collection is found at:
New Jersey, Middlesex County Probate Records - FamilySearch Historical Records
- Indexes
- Administrators Bond
- Applications for Probate
- Inestates
- Inventories (guardianship)
- Inventories (Estates)
- Letters of Administration
- Minutes
- Partitions of Real Estate
- Petitions for Administration
- Real Estate bonds
- Receipts and Discharges
- Records of Wills
- Recorded Wills
- Sale of Real Estate
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 New Jersey Probate Records 1678-1980 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
Repositories[edit | edit source]
Archives[edit | edit source]
Courthouse[edit | edit source]
County Clerk has marriage records 1795-1892 and land records from 1667. County Surrogate has probate records. [9]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
- FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- Middletown Township Public Library - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Atlantic Highlands - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Colts Neck - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Eastern - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Hazlet - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Holmdel - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Marlboro - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Ocean Township - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Oceanport - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - Wall Township - an affiliate library
- Monmouth County Library - West Long Branch - an affiliate library
Libraries[edit | edit source]
Museums[edit | edit source]
Societies[edit | edit source]
Monmouth County Historical Association
70 Court St.
Freehold, NJ 07728
Telephone: 732-462-1466
Website
Website
Monmouth County Historical Commission
Hall of Records, Rm 201
Freehold, NJ 07728
Telephone: 732-431-7413
Fax: 732-409-4820
E-mail:John.Fabiano@co.monmouth.nj.us
Website
Howell Historical Society
427 Lakewood-Farmingdale Road
Howell
Telephone: 732-938-2212
Website
Keyport Historical Society
Broad Street
Keyport, NJ 07735
Telephone: 732-739-6390
Website
Matawan Historical Society
94 Main St
Matawan, NJ 07747
Telephone: 732-566-5605
Website
Middletown Township Historical Society
900 Leonardville Rd
Leonardo, NJ 07737
Telephone: 732-615-2260
Website
Neptune Township Historical Society
25 Neptune Blvd.
Neptune NJ
Website
Old Wall Historical Society
1701 New Bedford Rd
Belmar, NJ 07719
Telephone: 732-974-1430
Website
Spring Lake Historical Society
5th and Warren Avenue
Spring Lake 07762
Telephone: 732-449-0772
Website
Shrewsbury Historical Society
419 Sycamore Ave.
Shrewsbury
Website
Spring Lake Historical Society
5th and Warren Avenue
Spring Lake 07762
Telephone: 732-449-0772
Squan Village Historical Society
105 South Street
Manasquan, NJ 08736
Telephone: 732-223-6770
Website
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Schools[edit | edit source]
Taxation[edit | edit source]
New Jersey tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page New Jersey Taxation.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the New Jersey Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. Original marriage records are usually held at the county Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1901-1903, New Jersey, Reclaim the Records, New Jersey Birth Index, 1901-1903 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
Marriage[edit | edit source]
Online Marriage Indexes and Records
1606-1981 - New Jersey, United States Marriages at Findmypast — index $
- 1670-1980 - New Jersey, Marriages, 1670-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1930-1938 - New Jersey, Bride Index, 1930-1938 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1901-1903 - New Jersey, Death Index, 1901-1903 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection
- 1901-2017 New Jersey, U.S., Death Index, 1901-2017 at Ancestry - index ($)
Monmouth County, New Jersey Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Monmouth County Historical Association
- The Monmouth County NJGenWeb Project, a member of The NJGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- Monmouth County, New Jersey History, Records, Facts and Genealogy (Familytree101)
- Monmouth County NJ Genealogy
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Monmouth County.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Monmouth County. (Backup site)
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Monmouth County
Monmouth County, New Jersey Neighboring Counties[edit | edit source]
Monmouth County, New Jersey Genealogy References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monmouth County, New Jersey" in Wikipedia : the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monmouth_County,_New_Jersey accessed 23 September 2018.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Monmouth County, New Jersey . Page 464-465 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 460.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ "FamilySearch Catalog Book 974.946 D2me v. 1-2" (Freehold, New Jersey : Monmouth County Historical Association, c1990-2004).
- ↑ "FamilySearch Catalog Film 1425604 Item 1" (Salt Lake City, Utah : Filmed by the GSU, 1985).
- ↑ Biographical and portrait cyclopedia of the Third congressional district of New Jersey, comprising Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset counties, together with an historical sketch of each county (Philadelphia: Biographical Pub. Co., 1896), [FamilySearch Catalog Film 1425604 Item 1 and Fiche 6046405 ].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Monmouth County, New Jersey," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monmouth_County,_New_Jersey#Communities accessed 15 March 2020.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Monmouth County, New Jersey page 464, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
