Contact the NJ State Archives
Mailing Address:
NJ State Archives
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307

Office Address:
225 West State Street - 2nd Floor
Trenton, NJ

Contact Information

Email: Feedback@sos.nj.gov

Chancery Court of New Jersey


The Chancery Court had pre-1948 jurisdiction over equity cases (chiefly), including property disputes. This court also held statutory jurisdiction over divorce cases and delegated jurisdiction over lunacy proceedings.

Under the 1947 State Constitution, the Chancery Court was replaced by the Chancery Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey.

For Chancery and Superior Court records post-dating the collections listed on this page, contact the Superior Court Records Management Center at 171 Jersey Street, PO Box 967, Trenton, NJ 08625-0967, tel. 609-421-6100.

Consult the Organizational Chart for Pre-1948 Court System for further information on court jurisdictions.


Series:
Chancery Court
Case Files, 1743-1845
Control #:
SCH00001
Format:
60 c.f. (148 boxes); 103 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Roughly chronological
Notes:
Most cases are pre-1825.

Series:
Chancery Court
Case Files, 1825-ca. 1886
Control #:
SCH00002
Format:
989 c.f. (989 boxes); 305 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By decree book and page
Notes:
Includes Decrees A - S28, 318; Decrees Y4, 636 - Z4, 199 are missing.
Microfilm includes records through circa 1850 only.

Series:
Chancery Court
Case Files, 1825-1855
Control #:
SCH00003
Format:
2.5 c.f. (5 boxes)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by plaintiff
Notes:
The majority of these files are single subpoenas.

Series:
Chancery Court
Calendar of Causes, 1803-1877
Control #:
SCH00004
Format:
1.5 c.f. (3 boxes)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Chancery Court
Elizabethtown Bill in Chancery, 1745
Control #:
SCH00005
Format:
5.25 c.f. (3 vols.); 0.1 reel (35-mm)
Notes:
Includes original bill, related "Index to Records at Perth Amboy, 1665-1743" and 1747 printed copy.

Series:
Chancery Court
Naturalization and Declarations of Intention, 1832-1862
Control #:
SCH00006
Format:
0.5 c.f. (4 vols.); 1 reel (35-mm)
Notes:
Name index available in the Manuscript Reading Room.

Series:
Chancery Court
Roll of Solicitors, 1939-1948
Control #:
SCH00007
Format:
0.5 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Volume includes a name index.

Series:
Chancery Court
Record of Sundry Inquisitions, 1869-1894
Control #:
SCH00008
Format:
0.5 c.f. (1 vol.); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Chancery Court
Lists and Oaths of Masters and Examiners, 1813-1935
Control #:
SCH00009
Format:
4 c.f. (8 vols.)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Each volume includes a name index. Volume 6 was missing at the time of accession.

Series:
Chancery Court
Index to Delaware River Bridge Accounts, ca. 1922-1924
Control #:
SCH00010
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.)

Series:
Chancery Court
Dockets and Case Indexes, 1768-1900
Control #:
SCH00011
Format:
18 c.f. (17 vols.); 22 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Various
Notes:
Originals date from 1768-1888; The index to cases provides a docket book citation; the dockets provide the actual case numbers.
Microfilm dates from 1831-1900; some docketing activity to 1965.

Series:
Chancery Court
Divorce Docket, 1925-1947
Control #:
SCH00012
Format:
0.25 c.f. (1 vol.)

Series:
Chancery Court
Common Rule Books, 1817-1948
Control #:
SCH00013
Format:
1.5 c.f. (6 vols.); 2 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Book No. 3 (covering 1843-1868) was missing at the time of accession.

Series:
Chancery Court
Executions, 1810-1900
Control #:
SCH00014
Format:
74 c.f. (129 vols.); 84 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Notes:
Original records date from 1810-1886; microfilm continues to 1900. Each volume includes an index.

Series:
Chancery Court
Registers, 1781-1869
Control #:
SCH00015
Format:
6 c.f. (19 vols.); 10 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Chancery Court
Enrolled Decrees and Indexes, 1799-1937
Control #:
SCH00016
Format:
32 c.f. (67 vols.); 15 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Roughly chronological
Notes:
These are recorded copies of loose cases filed by enrolled decree number; indexes are superceded by general case indexes.

Series:
Chancery Court
Miscellaneous Records, 1763-1863 & 1894-1898
Control #:
SCH00017
Format:
0.5 c.f. (1 box); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Chancery Court
Ticklers, 1858-1919
Control #:
SCH00018
Format:
3 reels (35-mm)
Notes:
Includes volumes 1 through 5.

Series:
Chancery Court
Indexes to Opinions, 1865-1940s
Control #:
SCH00019
Format:
1 c.f. (3 vols.)
Arrangement:
By litigants/topic
Notes:
First volumes cover 1865-1893 (by case name); second volume indexes opinions of William F. Sooy and Vincent S. Haneman, 1920s-1940s.

Series:
Chancery Court
Lunacy Case Files, 1796-1912
Control #:
SCH00020
Format:
47 c.f. (94 boxes)
Notes:
Also called "Lunacy Bundles." Most date prior to 1907.
Restrictions:
Some records may be confidential per NJSA 30:4-24.3

Series:
Chancery Court
Record of Mortgages Held in Trust [Schedule 4] and Insurance Companies [Schedule 4A], 1888-1933
Control #:
SCH00021
Format:
0.5 c.f. (1 vol.)

Series:
Chancery Court
Trust Fund Ledgers, 1850-1876
Control #:
SCH00022
Format:
1 c.f. (3 vols.)

Series:
Chancery Court
Miscellaneous Records [Unprocessed], ca. 1807-1914
Control #:
SCH00023
Format:
11 c.f. (11 boxes)
Notes:
Includes loose opinions, testimonies, exhibits and evidence.

Series:
Chancery Court
Clerk's Office
Enrollment Account, ca. 1926-1946
Control #:
SCHCL001
Format:
0.1 c.f. (2 accounts)
Notes:
Lists litigants, docket reference and type of order or decree.

Series:
Chancery Court
Clerk's Office
Account Statements, 1921-1926
Control #:
SCHCL002
Format:
1 c.f. (2 boxes)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Judiciary
Maps and Plans, 1850s-1890s
Control #:
SJU00001
Format:
19 c.f. (13 map boxes and 5 flat boxes)
Arrangement:
Various
Notes:
Includes maps filed with the Supreme Court, Chancery Court, and probably Prerogative Court.
Finding Aid:
Click here!


Related records:


Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Chancery Court Case Papers, 1879-1904
Control #:
CBUCL010
Format:
0.25 c.f. (1 box)
Arrangement:
By year

Series:
Hudson County
Clerk's Office
Chancery Court Case Files, 1842-1908
Control #:
CHDCL005
Format:
3 c.f. (3 boxes)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date

Series:
Hunterdon County
Clerk's Office
Chancery Court Inquisitions, 1855-1917
Control #:
CHNCL024
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Notes:
Includes primarily lunacies and habitual drunkeness cases.
Restrictions:
Some records may be confidential as per NJSA 30:4-24.3

Series:
Passaic County
Clerk's Office
Circuit Court in Equity Registers, 1852-1904
Control #:
CPACL027
Format:
3.5 c.f. (7 vols. 1 box)

Series:
Salem County
Clerk's Office
Records relating to Chancery Court, Court of Oyer and Terminer, and Supreme Court Cases, 1779-1877
Control #:
CSACL003
Format:
1 c.f. (2 boxes)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical
Notes:
Court of Chancery and Court of Oyer and Terminer Records are sparse.

Series:
Salem County
Clerk's Office
Cost Dockets of Enoch S. Fogg, 1870-1899
Control #:
CSACL017
Format:
0.5 c.f. (2 vols.)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Fogg was a Special Master and Examiner in Chancery and a Supreme Court Commissioner; filed with the clerk's office 15 June 1927.

Series:
Union County
Clerk's Office
Chancery Court Case Papers, 1873-1912
Control #:
CUNCL004
Format:
1 c.f. (1 box)

Series:
Morris Canal and Banking Company
Transcripts of Testimony in Chancery, Morris Canal and Banking Co. v. North Jersey District Water Supply Comm., 1920
Control #:
PMORS029
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.); 0.33 reel (part of 1 reel, 35-mm)


~ The collections listed on this page represent 1286.05 c.f. of paper records and 548.43 reels of microfilm ~


To contact New Jersey State Archives:


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


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


Superior Court Records Management Center, 171 Jersey Street, PO Box 967, Trenton, NJ 08625-0967, tel. 609-777-0092


This page last updated 12/8/2006