Hunting and Fishing Licensees, 1909-1924
RECORD GROUP: County Clerk
SERIES #: 14200
SERIES: Fish and Game Licensees
DATES: 1909-1924
VOLUME: 31 ledgers, and 1 manuscript box
The New Jersey State Fish and Game Commission issued numerous books of 25 blank licenses, each with two stubs, along with hundreds of hunting law pamphlets, to the County Clerks, for them to distribute to the town clerks. Town clerks were to keep one license stub, and forward the second stub to the County Clerk annually.
Out of state residents could also buy a license through a New Jersey Fish & Game Protector. The first salaried Fish & Game Protector in New Jersey was hired in 1892. Sometime after 1920, the title was changed to Game Warden, then changed again to the current term of Conservation Officer. James M. Stratton of Long Branch was a Protector 1903-1932.
The fee for an annual fishing and hunting license in 1909 was $1.00. Licensees are predominantly male, but at least one woman, Helen L. Terhune, of Matawan, paid the dollar for a license in her name on November 8, 1909 (p134).
Currently, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish and Wildlife, issues annual New Jersey Resident Firearm Hunting licenses for $27.50; a fresh water fishing license is $22.50.
The handwritten ledgers are yearly, and for fishing or hunting, or both, for residents and for non-residents. As town clerks submitted their reports, the county clerk recorded them into the ledgers. The ledgers include licensee names, residences, including out-of-county residences, dates issued, amounts collected, amounts forwarded, license numbers issued and stubs unused and returned. For some years, there are separate ledgers for licenses issued to Monmouth County residents, and licenses issued to non-resident (alien) persons. Each yearly ledger contains more than 3,000 licensee names. Some licensee names include titles such as Doctor or Reverend and occasionally race is noted.
Some consecutive listings have the same surname, indicating a family connection. Most licensees purchased their license in the town they resided, but it seems that was not required. Many of the reports from the town clerks show licenses being granted to out-of-town residents.
These ledgers document thousands of Monmouth County hunting and fishing licensees, their residences, dates they paid for their license, and their sporting interests. The ledgers can be useful to locate missing ancestors, to prove their existence or residence, to narrow the date of death time frame and other genealogical research issues.
An interesting side benefit of this series is that the names of the town clerks are provided. Also, the clerks recorded the licensee’s residences as neighborhoods, such as Holmeson, Wickatunk, Chapel Hill, Freneau, Phalanx, Harmony, and others.
Loose papers
There is one manuscript box of correspondence between the County Clerk and the New Jersey State Treasurer, and also yearly account summaries, receipts showing remittances, and miscellaneous issues such as the problem of town clerks being lax in submitting their reports on time.
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