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Cape May County - Clerk's Office, Courts & Miscellaneous

The court in Cape May was established in the Province of West Jersey in 1685; the county's boundaries were established 12 November 1692.

County clerks were required by law to file copies of deeds beginning in 1785 and mortgages beginning in 1766. Cape May County also filed earlier deeds beginning in 1692. See the Secretary of State page linked below for additional colonial land records.

The State Archives' holdings vary from county to county. Consult the Collecting Policy for additional information about our accessioning guidelines. Consult the Organizational Chart for Pre-1948 Court System for information on court jurisdictions.


See also: Secretary of State - Genealogical and Colonial Records (including state censuses)

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Deeds, 1692-1901 and Indexes, 1692-1926
Control #:
CCPCL001
Format:
102 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Ancient Deeds, 1759-1888
Control #:
CCPCL002
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Returns of Special Election to Determine the Location of the County Seat and Courthouse, 1848
Control #:
CCPCL003
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
By township

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Justice of the Peace Dockets, 1786-1913
Control #:
CCPCL004
Format:
9 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By JP in order of first docket date
Notes:
Guide provides alphabetical list of justices. Docket of G. Reeves includes Coroner's death certificates, 1910-1911.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Marriage Records, 1795-1878
Control #:
CCPCL005
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Mortgages, 1692-1862 and Indexes, 1692-1926
Control #:
CCPCL006
Format:
13 reels (35-mm)
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Miscellaneous Records, 1692-1895
Control #:
CCPCL007
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Notes:
Volume A marked: "Mortgages, Ear Marks, Miscellaneous Records, A"
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Election Records, 1913-1982
Control #:
CCPCL008
Format:
5.5 c.f. (8 boxes, 14 map folders)
Arrangement:
By year, then type, then municipality
Notes:
Includes statements of canvas, tally sheets and election returns for primary and general elections.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Circuit Court Executions, 1839-1903
Control #:
CCPCL009
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Circuit Court Clerk's Book, 1838-1854
Control #:
CCPCL010
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Circuit Court Minutes, 1813-1903
Control #:
CCPCL011
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
The volume covering 1813-1835 is misidentified on the film as a clerk's book.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery Minutes, 1813-1925
Control #:
CCPCL012
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
On same reel as Court of Oyer and Terminer Judgments.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Court of Oyer and Terminer and General Jail Delivery Judgments, Volume 1, 1852-1906
Control #:
CCPCL013
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Circuit Court Judgments, 1839-1911
Control #:
CCPCL014
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Clerk's Office
Supreme Court Docket of Judgments in the Circuit Court and Court of Common Pleas, No. 1, 1859-1964
Control #:
CCPCL015
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Court of Common Pleas/Court of Quarter Sessions
Minutes, 1790-1903
Control #:
CCPCP001
Format:
4 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Court of Common Pleas/Court of Quarter Sessions
Judgments, 1799-1924
Control #:
CCPCP002
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Court of Common Pleas
Judgments from the Court of Small Causes, No. 1, 1853-1906
Control #:
CCPCP003
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Spine label reads "Judgments of Justices Court Recorded in Common Pleas No. 1"
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Court of Common Pleas/Court of Quarter Sessions
Executions, 1793-1902
Control #:
CCPCP004
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Court of Common Pleas
Naturalization Records, 1805-1929
Control #:
CCPCP005
Format:
11 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By record type, then chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Cape May County
Coroner's Office
Inquests, 1795-1881
Control #:
CCPCR001
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!


~ The collections listed on this page represent 5.6 c.f. of paper records and 160 reels of microfilm ~

To contact the New Jersey State Archives about research, reference services, records transfers or donations, please email us at njarchives@sos.nj.gov

For additional and/or more recent records relating to this topic, contact:


Cape May County Clerk's Office, 7 North Main Street, PO Box 5000 - DN 109, Cape May Court House, NJ 08210-0500, tel. 609-465-1010, website: www.capemaycountygov.net/Cit-e-Access/webpage.cfm?TID=5&TPID=417


This page last updated 04/22/2013