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.
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County Information
Description
Mercer County was created 22 Feb 1838[1] and was named after Continental Army General Hugh Mercer, who died as a result of wounds received at the Battle of Princeton on January 3, 1777. Its county seat is Trenton. It is located in the west-central area of the state.[2]
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.[3]
Mercer County, New Jersey Record Dates
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1901 | 1901 | 1901 | 1838 | 1838 | 1838 | 1830 |
Record Loss
|
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
|
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:[7]
| Cities | ||
| Boroughs | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
- 1839, more parts from Hunterdon County added.
- 1844, Hopewell twp. returned to Hunterdon County and then returned in 1845.
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Census Records
For tips on accessing census records online, see: New Jersey Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 21,502 | — |
| 1850 | 27,992 | 30.2% |
| 1860 | 37,419 | 33.7% |
| 1870 | 46,386 | 24.0% |
| 1880 | 58,061 | 25.2% |
| 1890 | 79,978 | 37.7% |
| 1900 | 95,365 | 19.2% |
| 1910 | 125,657 | 31.8% |
| 1920 | 159,881 | 27.2% |
| 1930 | 187,143 | 17.1% |
| 1940 | 197,318 | 5.4% |
| 1950 | 229,781 | 16.5% |
| 1960 | 266,392 | 15.9% |
| 1970 | 304,116 | 14.2% |
| 1980 | 307,863 | 1.2% |
| 1990 | 325,824 | 5.8% |
| 2000 | 350,761 | 7.7% |
| 2010 | 366,513 | 4.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1855 New Jersey State Census, 1855 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1865 New Jersey State Census, 1865 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1895 New Jersey State Census, 1895 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1915 New Jersey State Census, 1915 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Church Records
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.
- 1675-1970 New Jersey, Church Records, 1675-1970 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records
Directories
- 1919 Trenton County, New Jersey, County Directory, 1919 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
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
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a specific 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.
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Your relatives may be included in biographies, in church, school and government history, or in military events and lists. For more information, see New Jersey History and scroll to Local Histories.
Maps and Gazetteers
for more resources
- 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:[8]
- 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&R Canal.
Military Records
- ca. 1770-ca.1979 New Jersey, Mercer County, Veteran's Service Office, Grave Registration Records, ca. 1770-ca.1979 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1796-1991 New Jersey Naturalization Records, 1796-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905-1944 United States, New Jersey, Naturalization records from various counties, 1905-1944 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers
- 1800s-Current New Jersey, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- New Jersey Digitized Historic Newspapers at New Jersey State Library - lists Mercer County newspapers and links to the newspaper
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
From 1797 or the creation of the county, probate records were held by the Court of Common Pleas and may have earlier records. In 1852, most of those records were transferred to the Mercer County Probate Court. For more complete information and for online and other resources, see New Jersey Probate Records.
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1656-1999 New Jersey Wills and Probate Records 1656-1999 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1670-1760 Calendar of New Jersey Wills 1670-1760 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1670-1817 New Jersey Abstract of Wills 1670-1817 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1678-1980 New Jersey Probate Records, 1678-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; images only; Use the Surrogate's Docket Index 1700-1972 to obtain the Docket Number for the name. Then, use the Docket Number to locate the correct Estate file.
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
New Jersey tax records complement land records and can be used in place of censuses before 1820 or to supplement the years between censuses. Because only persons who owned taxable property were listed, many residents were not included in tax lists. There may also be gaps of several years in the tax records of some counties. For more information see the wiki page New Jersey Taxation.
Vital Records
Vital Records consist of births, adoptions, marriages, divorces, and deaths recorded on registers, certificates, and documents. United States Vital Records has additional research guidance on researching and using vital records. A copy or an extract of most original records can be purchased from the New Jersey Vital Records State Department of Health or the County Clerk's office of the county where the event occurred. Original marriage records are usually held at the county Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Birth
- 1600-1990 New Jersey Vital Records, Historical Society of Pennsylvania at Findmypast — index & images ($)
- 1660-1980 New Jersey Births and Christenings, 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 New Jersey, Reclaim the Records, New Jersey Birth Index, 1901-1903 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index
- 1901-1929 New Jersey, Reclaim the Records, Geographic Birth Index, 1901-1929 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index; Also at: MyHeritage ($)
Marriage
- 1600s-1900s US Marriages, New Jersey at Findmypast — index($)
- 1670-1965 New Jersey Marriage Records, 1670-1965 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 1670-1980 New Jersey Marriages, 1670-1980 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1678-1985 New Jersey Marriages, 1678-1985 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1683-1802 New Jersey Marriage Records, 1683-1802 at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- 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 New Jersey Death Index, 1901-1903; 1916-1929 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
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
FamilySearch Centers
FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- FamilySearch 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 FamilySearch center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
- East Brunswick New Jersey FamilySearch Center
- Morrisville Pennsylvania FamilySearch 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
Libraries
Museums
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
- FamilySearch Catalog – 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.
Research Guides
References
- ↑ New Jersey: Individual Chronologies, New Jersey Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, https://digital.newberry.org/ahcb/documents/NJ_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mercer County, New Jersey," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mercer_County%2C_New_Jersey (accessed July 6, 2024).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mercer County, New Jersey page 464, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Mercer County, New Jersey . Page 464-465 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library 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), 464. At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002).At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Mercer County, New Jersey," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercer_County,_New_Jersey#Communities accessed 8 March 2020.
- ↑ Handybook, 847-61.