GSNJ Collections, Indexes, and Finding Aids
GSNJ’s Collections focus primarily on the 1680s through the 1850s and are an invaluable aid to those researching New Jersey individuals and families.
NOTICE: The GSNJ collections are housed in the Alexander Library Special Collections and University Archives on the Rutgers University campus. Until further notice, Special Collections and University Archives is closed due to construction. At this time, all research requests except for the Bible and Family Records & the Cemetery Records and Transcriptions collections are on hold. A notice will be posted here and on GSNJ’s Facebook when this service resumes. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
NOTICE: Instructions for accessing the Bible and Family Records & the Cemetery Records and Transcriptions collections at the New Jersey State Archive can be found by clicking here.
GSNJ Collections Research
Researchers may use the GSNJ collections, free of charge, by visiting the Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA) at Rutgers University during regular operating hours.
Special Collections and University Archives
Alexander Library, Rutgers University, 169 College Avenue, New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1163
Phone: 848-932-7006
The Special Collections and University Archives (SC/UA) at Rutgers University contains a vast amount of historical and genealogical materials, maps, photographs, publications about New Jersey history, and manuscript materials. Please note that all researchers must check bags, coats, and other materials as requested in the lockers provided at the facility. Non-flash photography is with permission. Scanning equipment is not allowed. Photocopies are available for a small fee. See the SC/UA Rutgers website for complete rules and regulations.
GSNJ cannot complete research requests for materials outside of our collection. We encourage you to visit the SC/UA Rutgers in-person and explore this wonderful resource for New Jersey genealogy and history.
New Jersey Cemetery Records and Transcriptions
One of the earliest activities of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey, when it was formed in the early 1920s, was the copying of tombstone inscriptions in cemeteries throughout the state. Over the years, endangered cemeteries have been given top priority for copying. A procedure was developed in which the inscriptions were copied by teams, checked by others, compiled in a style devised by the Society and filed in its holdings. Publication of copied transcriptions then regularly took place in the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey (GMNJ) in order to make the information more readily available to researchers.
The cemeteries listed below are those in New Jersey for which the inscriptions have been published, either by the Genealogical Society of New Jersey or another entity. The arrangement is alphabetical by county and then alphabetical by name of the cemetery. Keep in mind that some cemeteries have more than one name. Alternate names are given in the comment column. Although publication information is provided, the inscriptions may also be accessed by requesting the records (by county and cemetery name) at the reference desk in Special Collections & University Archives, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.
Records: Transcribed inscriptions from more than 800 New Jersey cemeteries.
Finding Aid: Card index arranged by county and name of cemetery in drawer #1 of cabinet #8 in genealogy area. There are finding aids (revised 2002) on a small table in the genealogy area.
Call Slip Entry: Enter “GSNJ Cemetery Records, [county name], [cemetery name]”
Inventory of GSNJ Files of New Jersey Cemeteries by County Compiled by Dorothy A. Stratford and Janet T. Riemer, GSNJ Trustees [Compilation Date: October 1988; Revised: April 2002]
| Atlantic | Bergen | Burlington | Camden |
| Cape May | Cumberland | Essex | Gloucester |
| Hudson | Hunterdon | Mercer | Middlesex |
| Monmouth | Morris | Ocean | Passaic |
| Salem | Somerset | Sussex | Union |
| Warren |
New Jersey Gravestone Inscriptions Card Catalog
Records: 16 file drawers of cards with transcribed inscriptions and arranged alphabetically by surname. Only selected cemeteries. Collection located in cabinets #8–9 in genealogy area.
Finding Aid: Not needed.
GSNJ Bible and Family Records Collection
For more than 75 years, GSNJ has been processing. collecting, and indexing family Bible entries and other family records and notations submitted by researchers. The collection continues to grow and contains more than 6,100 records, primarily pre-1850, and arranged in accession order.
The majority are copies of original family records, such as those found in the family Bible, but some contain transcribed family information or copies of published lineages. Some non-English records have not been translated.
Most of this collection has been photocopied and the bound photocopies are available on GSNJ’s open shelves, without call slip, at SC/UA Rutgers. Entries not found in the bound books are available by call slip only. In late 2015, a new index was compiled which consolidated the information found across the original bound indexes and published in the Genealogical Magazine of New Jersey. This index contains cross-references to other surnames (some but not all) listed in the same entry—to help researchers better identify family clusters.
Please note that the index compilation is a major initiative and the database will continue to improve and grow with the collection. If you find an error in the indexing, please let us know so that we may correct the index.
If you find a record of interest, copies may be ordered through GSNJ’s Corresponding Secretary. There is no charge for this service but we strongly recommend using the form provided and sending a self-addressed stamped envelope with your query.
Learn more about this collection and search the index >
Family Records
Emigrant Register
Records: Data sheets in 22 binders on New Jersey residents who emigrated from the state in or before the 19th century. Filed alphabetically by surname.
Finding Aid: Not needed.
Call Slip: Enter “GSNJ Emigrant Register, [surname]”
Genealogical Society of New Jersey General Collection
Records: Miscellaneous family notes, compilations, and correspondence regarding primarily New Jersey families.
Finding Aid: Card index arranged by surname. Also includes information arranged by geographic location. Index located in drawer #4 of cabinet #10 in genealogy area.
Call Slip: Enter “GSNJ Coll., [surname]; or GSNJ Geographic File, [location]”
> Helen P. Alleman / Patricia A. Weibezahl Collection
Records: Materials on families in northwestern New Jersey. Note: There are two categories, notebooks and folders.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University. The collections of Patricia Weibezahl (daughter of Helen Alleman) are filed With the Alleman papers. These folders may be copied if desired. These folders are not stamped.
> Father Clement (Harold R.) Bloomfield Papers
Records: Containing information on Bloomfield, Tiffany, Ball, and Whitney families of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and New York states.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Eleanor Bloomfield Papers
Records: Research papers and correspondence of Eleanor Bloomfield.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Virginia A. Brown Papers
Records: The collection is primarily the work of Virginia Alleman Brown, (1914–2015). A librarian by profession, she was also a noted genealogist. She carried on the work of her mother Helen Potter Alleman and some of the items in the collection are those Virginia inherited from Helen. These folders are labeled (HPA). Both Virginia and Helen worked on families in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania. As some families lived on both sides of the Delaware River, there has been no distinction in the files. A letter (p) after a file name on a listing, indicates the presence of one or more photographs in the file.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
Warren P. Coon Collection
Records: More than 20,000 cards on families of Sussex and Warren Counties. Filed alphabetically by surname. Primarily 19th century. Collection located in cabinet #2 in genealogy area.
Finding Aid: Not needed.
John P. Dornan Collection
Records: Materials on individual families (primarily southern New Jersey) and incomplete abstracts of Quaker meeting records.
Finding Aid: Card index arranged by surname or name of Quaker meeting. Index located in drawer #5 of cabinet #10 in genealogy area.
Call Slip: Enter “GSNJ, Dornan Collection, [surname, or meeting name]”
> Robert D. Griffen Papers
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
D. Stanton Hammond Collection of Passaic County Records
Records: Cards, arranged alphabetically by surname, with excerpts primarily from 19th century records: marriage and death notices from Paterson and other newspapers, Passaic County and justice of the peace marriage records, and selected area church and cemetery records. Also card index to Rev. Fisher’s 1824-1832 censuses of Paterson. Collection located in cabinet #3 in genealogy area.
Finding Aid: Not needed.
> Robert E. Hoagland Collection
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> LaRue/Rue and Rue/LaRue Collection
Records: Correspondence and Research Notes—Gift of Mary M. Middleton
Finding Aid: Finding Aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Mead/Dey Papers
Records: Correspondence and research notes.
Finding Aid: Finding Aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Meseroll/Miserol/Meserole and Ellingham Families
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Potter Family Papers
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Rutan Collection
Records: Correspondence and research notes on the Rutan (Ruttan) family in the United States and Canada.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
Call slip: Enter “GSNJ, Rutan Collection, [information from finding aid]”
> Esther Serviss Collection
Records: Materials on central New Jersey (especially Middlesex County) families.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> William Jones Skillman Collection
Records: Correspondence, charts, genealogy, manuscripts, miscellaneous documents, scrapbooks relating to Skillman’s work on the manuscript entitled The Skillman’s of American and their Kin.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Albert L. Stokes Collection
Records: Correspondence on over 50 families, chiefly from Middlesex County area.
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
> Way, Bissett, Fouratt, and Related Families
Finding Aid: Finding aid online or in print at the Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.
Collections on Specific Families
Berrien Family
Records: Contains 14 notebooks in two boxes.
> Drake Family
Finding Aid: In part, cards in metal containers on top of file cabinets #1–2 in genealogy area; access to remainder through finding aid located on the table at the SC/UA Rutgers. View the PDF of the bound finding aid (not including index cards).
Gulick Family
Records: Contains 24 notebooks; one notebook is a name index.
Meeker Family
Finding Aid: Finding aid on index cards located in drawer #5 of cabinet #10 in genealogy area.
Note: There are two categories, notebooks and envelopes.
Selover Family
Records: Contains five notebooks.
Van Duyn Family
Finding Aid: Most in GSNJ General Collection, the balance on cards in drawer #4 of cabinet #3 in genealogy area.
Call Slip: Enter “GSNJ, [collection name], [information from finding aid (if relevant)]”
Please consider supporting the work of the Society, which is nearing 100 years of serving New Jersey family historians and researchers, with a membership or donation. Thank you.
Donating Materials to the GSNJ Collection
The Society invites contributions of family papers or genealogists’ research to its Collections, with prior approval. GSNJ also welcomes contributions of Bible and Family Records (originals or photocopies) for its collection. (Please see the instructions on the GSNJ Bible and Family Records Submissions page for more information.)
If you are interested in making a donation of manuscript material, contact:
Janet T. Riemer
GSNJ Manuscripts Committee Chair
P.O. Box 664
Hopewell, NJ 08525
reference@gsnj.org