Listed record inventories
Selected holdings and indexes for Essex County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.
Other records
- Asylum for the Insane [Newark] · Annual Report, 1893 · CESAS0011893
- Essex County Hospital [for the Insane] · Deceased Patient Files [incomplete], 1892 - 1901 · CESHO0011892 - 1901
- Essex County Hospital at Cedar Grove [Overbrook Asylum] · Investigational Department Files, 1931-1949 · CESHO0021931 - 1949
Deeds and land
- Clerk's Office · Manumissions of Slaves - Book A, 1804 - 1817, and Deed of Sale, 1787 · CESCL0011787 - 1817
- Court of Common Pleas · Partitions of Land, 1826 - 1882 · CESCP0081826 - 1882
- Register of Deeds and Mortgages · Deeds, 1728 - 1901 and Indexes, 1688 - 1909 · CESRD0011688 - 1909
- Register of Deeds and Mortgages · Chattel Mortgages [sample], 1887 - 1893 and Indexes, 1880 - 1899 · CESRD0021880 - 1899
- Register of Deeds and Mortgages · Assignments of Mortgages, 1853 - 1861 and Indexes, 1853 - 1922 · CESRD0031853 - 1922
- Register of Deeds and Mortgages · Mortgages, 1777 - 1861 and Indexes, 1765 - 1909 · CESRD0041765 - 1909
- Register of Deeds and Mortgages · Miscellaneous Records, 1859 - 1903 · CESRD0051859 - 1903
- Surrogate's Office · Divisions of Land, 1793 - 1873 · CESSU0031793 - 1873
Marriages, births and deaths
County government
- Clerk's Office · Record of Volunteers in the Civil War, 1861 - 1865 · CESCL0031861 - 1865
- Clerk's Office · Name - Change Papers, 1877 - 1922 and Index, 1881 - 1967 · CESCL0051877 - 1967
- Clerk's Office · Mill Brook Sewer Records, 1880s · CESCL0061880
- Clerk's Office · Circular Letters of the New Jersey Department of Local Government, 1941 - 1966 · CESCL0071941 - 1966
- Clerk's Office · Voter List, 1867 · CESCL0091867
- Clerk's Office · Incorporations of Religious and Non - Profit Organizations, 1802 - 1907 · CESCL0111802 - 1907
- Clerk's Office · Slave Receipts, ca. 1787 - 1805 · CESCL0131787 - 1805
- Clerk's Office · Record of Justice of the Peace Commissions, 1878 - 1920 · CESCL0141878 - 1920
- Clerk's Office · Grand Jury Minutes and Index to Witnesses, 1864 - 1882 · CESCL0161864 - 1882
- Clerk's Office · Lis Pendens, 1876 - 1902 and Indexes, 1876 - 1972 · CESCL0171876 - 1972
- Clerk's Office · Miscellaneous Records, 1802 - 1922 and Index, 1802 - 1980 · CESCL0211802 - 1922
- Clerk's Office · Index of Corporations, 1934 · CESCL0221934
- Clerk's Office · Notarial Protests against Promissory Notes, 1814 - 1861 · CESCL0241814 - 1861
- Clerk's Office · Record of Registered Nurses, 1903 - 1945 · CESCL0311903 - 1945
- Clerk's Office · Medical Certificates, 1829 - 1922 · CESCL0321829 - 1922
- Clerk's Office · Bottle Descriptions [sample], 1869, 1880 & 1883 · CESCL0331869 - 1883
- Clerk's Office · Miscellaneous Oath and Appointment, 1880 & 1883 · CESCL0351880 - 1883
- Clerk's Office · Firemen's Exemption Certificates · CESCL0361881 - 1939
- Clerk's Office · Election Records, 1793 - 1902 · CESCL0371793 - 1902
Census records
- Clerk's Office · 1875 State Census Schedules for Essex County, 1875 · CESCL0081875
- Clerk's Office · 1880 Federal Census Schedules for Essex County · CESCL0231880
- Clerk's Office · 1850 Federal Census Schedules for Essex County · CESCL0251850
- Clerk's Office · 1855 State Census Schedule, City of Newark, 7th Ward · CESCL0261855
- Clerk's Office · 1870 Federal Census Schedule, 10th Ward, City of Newark · CESCL0271870
- Clerk's Office · 1865 State Census Schedules · CESCL0281865
Court records
- Clerk's Office · Minutes of the Court of Oyer and Terminer, 1827 - 1935 · CESCL0101827 - 1935
- Clerk's Office · Justice of the Peace Dockets, 1756 - 1920 · CESCL0121756 - 1920
- Clerk's Office · Miscellaneous Court Indexes, 1839 - 1906 · CESCL0151839 - 1906
- Clerk's Office · Circuit Court Judgments, 1838 - 1905 · CESCL0291838 - 1905
- Clerk's Office · Circuit Court Minutes, 1838 - 1902 · CESCL0301838 - 1902
- Clerk's Office · Circuit Court Loose Records [sample], 1872 & 1881 · CESCL0341872 - 1881
- Court of Common Pleas · Petitions for Tavern Licenses, 1702 and 1891 · CESCP0011702 - 1891
- Court of Common Pleas · Petitions for Peddler's Licenses, 1739 - 1867 · CESCP0021739 - 1867
- Minutes of the Circuit Court, Court of Common Pleas, and Court of General Quarter Session, 1709 - 1907 · CESCP0031709 - 1907
- Court of Common Pleas · Road Books, 1698 - 1930 and Index, 1698 - 1970 · CESCP0041698 - 1970
- Court of Common Pleas · Judgments, 1799 - 1911 · CESCP0071799 - 1911
- Court of Common Pleas · Executions, 1787 - 1905 · CESCP0091787 - 1905
- Court of Common Pleas · Appeal Judgment Indexes, 1873 - 1902 · CESCP0101873 - 1902
- Court of Common Pleas · Index to Insolvent Debtors, 1889 - 1896 · CESCP0111889 - 1896
- Court of Common Pleas · Record of Widows Pensions, 1913 - 1938 · CESCP0121913 - 1938
- Department of Public Safety · Essex County Jail · Jail Statistics, 1917 - 1981 · CESPU0011917 - 1981
- Essex County Jail · Prisoner Records, 1931-1968 · CESPU0021931 - 1968
- Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace · Shopkeepers' Petitions and Licenses, 1781 · CESQU0011781
- Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace · Minutes, 1841 - 1902 · CESQU0021841 - 1902
- Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace · Minutes of Special Sessions, 1868 - 1907 · CESQU0031868 - 1907
- Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace · Index to Judgments on Forfeited Recognizances, 1873 - 1896 · CESQU0041873 - 1896
- Sheriff's Office · Bond Book Indexes, 1879 - ca. 1900 · CESSH0011879 - 1900
- Sheriff's Office · Record of Summons and Warrants, 1804 · CESSH0021804
- Sheriff's Office · Essex County Penitentiary · Record of Prisoners, No. 2, 1887 - 1891 · CESSH0031887 - 1891
- Sheriff's Office · Executions, 1855 - 1914 · CESSH0041855 - 1914
Tax records
Military records
Naturalization records
Wills and estates
- Superintendent of Schools · Correspondence relating to the Emergency Relief Administration, 1933 - 1936 · CESSP0011933 - 1936
- Surrogate's Office · Surrogate's Dockets, 1793 - 1907 and Indexes, 1793 - 1972 · CESSU0011793 - 1972
- Surrogate's Office · Unrecorded Estate Papers, 1793 - 1900 · CESSU0021793 - 1900
- Surrogate's Office · Orphans Court Minutes, 1793 - 1902 · CESSU0041793 - 1902
- Surrogate's Office · Will Books, 1803 - 1903 · CESSU0051803 - 1903
- Surrogate's Office · Administrations and Guardianships, 1804 - 1901 · CESSU0061804 - 1901
- Surrogate's Office · Administrations, 1871 - 1901 · CESSU0071871 - 1901
- Surrogate's Office · Guardianships, 1871 - 1900 · CESSU0081871 - 1900
- Surrogate's Office · Releases, 1816 - 1900 · CESSU0091816 - 1900
- Surrogate's Office · Special Bonds, 1861 - 1894 · CESSU0101861 - 1894
- Surrogate's Office · Guardians' Bonds, 1861 - 1904 · CESSU0111861 - 1904
- Surrogate's Office · Administration Bonds, 1861 - 1901 · CESSU0121861 - 1901
- Surrogate's Office · Renunciations and Requests, 1871 - 1902 · CESSU0131871 - 1902
- Surrogate's Office · Applications for Probate of Wills, 1787 - 1901 · CESSU0141878 - 1901
- Surrogate's Office · Applications for Letters of Administration, 1878 - 1901 · CESSU0151878 - 1901
- Surrogate's Office · Adoptions, 1880 - 1903 · CESSU0161880 - 1903
See the repository's descriptions and search options
Repository access note: Selected county-created series from the New Jersey State Archives current searchable catalog. Dates, series identifiers and creating offices are retained. Statewide records appearing in county searches were excluded. A catalog entry may describe paper or microfilm held on site; consult its format, restrictions and detailed contents before requesting access.
Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.
Where to find the records
- Find Essex County's official website
We haven't checked this county's website yet, so this opens a web search. Look for an address ending in .gov, then find the county clerk and the surrogate.
- The county clerk
Deeds, mortgages and other land records, and naturalizations.
- The surrogate
Wills and estates.
- The New Jersey State Archives
In Trenton: state birth, marriage and death records from 1848, and the original wills and estate papers proved before 1901.
- New Jersey State Archivesfree
The state archives in Trenton, with state vital records from 1848, colonial and state wills, court records and state censuses.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "New Jersey, Essex" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Land not yet in any county
Later formed partly from Essex County: Morris County, Passaic County, Union County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1683, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
New Jersey began statewide registration in 1848, earlier than most states. The State Archives holds those records for the early years and also the wills proved before 1901.