Union County, New Jersey Genealogy
Guide to Union 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
Union County was created 19 Mar 1857[1] and was named after the Union threatened by slavery dispute during this period, which would erupt into civil war in 1861. Its county seat is Elizabeth. It is located in the northeastern area of the state.[2]
County Courthouse
Union County Courthouse
2 Broad Street
Elizabeth, NJ 07207-2204
Phone: 908-787-1650
Union County Courthouse
County Clerk has land records from 1857 and military discharge records from 1941.
Clerk Superior Court has divorce records from 1848 and court records.
County Surrogate has probate records from 1857.
Town Clerks have birth and death records. [3]
Union County, New Jersey Record Dates
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1901 | 1857 | 1901 | 1857 | 1857 | 1857 | 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 | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Townships | ||
History Timeline
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. | %± |
| 1860 | 27,780 | — |
| 1870 | 41,859 | 50.7% |
| 1880 | 55,571 | 32.8% |
| 1890 | 72,467 | 30.4% |
| 1900 | 99,353 | 37.1% |
| 1910 | 140,197 | 41.1% |
| 1920 | 200,157 | 42.8% |
| 1930 | 305,209 | 52.5% |
| 1940 | 328,344 | 7.6% |
| 1950 | 398,138 | 21.3% |
| 1960 | 504,255 | 26.7% |
| 1970 | 543,116 | 7.7% |
| 1980 | 504,094 | −7.2% |
| 1990 | 493,819 | −2.0% |
| 2000 | 522,541 | 5.8% |
| 2010 | 536,499 | 2.7% |
| 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
- 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
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
Military Records
- Goodwin, Aaron. "The Elizabeth-Town Associates: Signatures on the Original Answer, 1751," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 138, No. 3 (Jul. 2007):189-198. Digital version at New York Family History ($); FS Library Book 974.7 B2n v. 138.
Civil War
Regiments. Civil War service men from Union County served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Union County.
- - 83rd Regiment, New York Infantry, Company K
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1796-1991 New Jersey Naturalization Records, 1796-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1905-1944 United States, New Jersey, Naturalization records from various counties, 1905-1944 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers
- Courier News Obituary Index: mid-1920s-mid-1980s at Plainfield Public Library
- 1800s-Current New Jersey, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
- New Jersey Digitized Historic Newspapers at New Jersey State Library - lists Union 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 Union 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
- Maplewood New Jersey FamilySearch Center
- Morristown New Jersey FamilySearch Center
- Newark New Jersey FamilySearch Center
- Scotch Plains New Jersey FamilySearch Center
- Bloomfield Public Library - an affiliate library
- Morristown & Morris Township Library - an affiliate library
- New Providence Memorial Public Library - an affiliate library
- Plainfield New Jersey Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Plainfield Public Library
800 Park Avenue
Plainfield, NJ 07060
Telephone: 908-757-1111
The Local History, Genealogy & Special Collections Department offers newspapers, city directories, local histories, church records, biographies, and more.Website
Museums
Societies
Union County Historical Society
116 E. Fourth Ave.
Roselle, NJ 07203
Telephone: 908-245-9010
Website
Cranford Historical Society
38 Springfield Avenue
Cranford, NJ 07016
Telephone: 908-276-0082
Email:info@unioncountyhistoricalsocietynj.org
Website
Hillside Historical Society
111 Conant St
Hillside, NJ 07205
Telephone: 908-353-8828
Website
New Providence Historical Society
1350 Springfield Ave.
New Providence 07974
Plainfield, Historical Society
602 West Front Street
Plainfield NJ
Website
Rahway Historical Society
1632 St. Georges Ave.
Rahway
Website
Springfield Historical Society
126 Morris Ave
Springfield, NJ.
Telephone: 973-912-4464
Facebook
Summit Historical Society
90 Butler Parkway
Summit, NJ 07901
Telephone: 908-277-1747
Westfield, Genealogical Society Of
550 East Broad Street
Westfield
Website
Websites
- Union County NJGenWeb Project, a member of The NJGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- Union 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, "Union County, New Jersey," Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_County%2C_New_Jersey (accessed July 7, 2024).
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Union County, New Jersey page 465, At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Union 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), 181. [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, "Union County, New Jersey," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_County,_New_Jersey#Communities, accessed 20 March 2020.