Guide to Genealogy Research at Monmouth County Archives
The Monmouth County Archives, a division of the County Clerk’s Office, is an excellent place to research your county ancestors. Do you know where they lived, who they married, if they owned a tavern, volunteered for the fire department, or served in the military? Monmouth County’s online databases, digitized documents, and other records available only by visiting the Archives, can help you learn about your county ancestors.
Start your search online:
Monmouth County Archives offers hundreds of pages of online information that can be used to research your Monmouth County ancestors. Our online Finding Aids explain what is available in each record series. Our online Searchable Databases offer the opportunity to search specific record series for information about your ancestors. When you find a record you want, you can select it online and have a digital scanned copy emailed to you, no charge. Other digitized records are searchable and available on Monmouth County’s Monmouth County’s Open Public Records Search (OPRS).
Online Searchable databases:
- Coroner’s Inquests, 1768-1915
- Exempt Firemen Certificates, 1871-2017
- Illegitimate Children, 1734-1897
- Insolvent Debtors, 1755-1898
- Marriage Returns, 1790-1892
- Name Changes, 1881-1991
- Naturalizations, 1809-1991
- Overseers of the Poor, 1754-1911
- Tavern Applications, 1736-1919
Other scanned document resources:
- American Revolution Pension Requests, 1777-1856
- American Revolution Inquisitions, 1777-1786
- American Revolution Confiscations, 1779-1781
- Civil War Muster Lists, 1861-1866
- Civil War Bounty Payments, 1861-1866
- Common Pleas Court Records, 1723-1850
- Early Deed Books (Books A, B, C), 1665-1696
- Miscellaneous Book B, 1777-1856
- Paymaster Bonds, 1814-1869
- Slave Births, 1804-1851
- Slave Manumissions, 1787-1844
Other resources not at the Monmouth County Archives:
- Monmouth County Surrogate’s Office for Last Wills & Testament and other probate records.
- New Jersey State Archives, for birth, marriage, and death records.
- Monmouth County Historical Association, for family bible records and cemetery transcripts.
- Rutgers University Special Collections for records of the Genealogical Society of New Jersey.
For questions or an appointment to do research on-site at the Archives, email mary.hussey@co.monmouth.nj.us or call (732) 308-3771 x 2.