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NJ State Archives
P.O. Box 307
Trenton, NJ 08625-0307

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

Contact Information

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Records relating to Slaves and Children of Slaves


County clerks were required by law to record slave manumissions (freedom papers) beginning in 1786. The "Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery" in 1804 required the recording of births of children of slave mothers.

The State Archives' holdings of slave-related filings vary depending on the county. Additional records may be available in county clerks' offices.


Series:
Bergen County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1804-1846
Control #:
CBECL004
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Bergen County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves, 1804-1841
Control #:
CBECL009
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1804-1826
Control #:
CBUCL001
Format:
0.1 c.f. (15 items)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves - Book B, 1820-1853
Control #:
CBUCL002
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
An index to the slaves' names is included at the end of the volume.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Clerk's Office
Deeds, 1785-1901 and Indexes, 1785-1921 & 1948
Control #:
CBUCL007
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.); 198 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Notes:
Deed Book A (1785-1788) contains numerous slave manumissions.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Burlington County
Court of Common Pleas
Case Papers, ca. 1756-1935
Control #:
CBUCP007
Format:
21 c.f. (42 boxes, 1 oversized map folder)
Arrangement:
By case name or by year
Notes:
Also includes some Court of General Quarter Sessions papers. Early papers filed by case name. Box 42 contains slave case papers.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Essex County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves - Book A, 1804-1817, and Deed of Sale, 1787
Control #:
CESCL001
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.); 0.33 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Contains a loose deed of sale of a slave named Harry by John [Mange?] to Aaron Crane.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Essex County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1804-1843
Control #:
CESCL002
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.); 0.33 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Essex County
Clerk's Office
Slave Receipts, ca. 1787-1805
Control #:
CESCL013
Format:
0.33 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological by filing date
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Gloucester County
Clerk's Office
Slave Records, 1738-1826
Control #:
CGLCL013
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By record type, then by year
Notes:
Includes birth certificates, 1805-1825; manumissions, 1788-1826 and slave court cases (minutes), 1738 & 1833-1836.

Series:
Hunterdon County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves, 1788-1836
Control #:
CHNCL003
Format:
0.25 c.f. (57 files)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
The guide includes three indices: slaves by surname, slaves by given name, and slaveowners/fellowbondsman/witnesses.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Hunterdon County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1804-1835
Control #:
CHNCL004
Format:
1.75 c.f. (4 boxes)
Arrangement:
Alpha. by slave owner's name
Notes:
Guide includes various name indexes including by given name of child, surname of child, given name of mother, etc.

Series:
Middlesex County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves, 1800-1825
Control #:
CMICL009
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Middlesex County
Clerk's Office
Record of Slave Births, 1804-1844
Control #:
CMICL010
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Salem County
Clerk's Office
Slave Manumissions and Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1800-1841
Control #:
CSACL007
Format:
1 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Somerset County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1805-1830
Control #:
CSOCL003
Format:
0.05 c.f. (5 items); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
Somerset County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves, 1823-1862
Control #:
CSOCL017
Format:
0.5 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Sussex County
Clerk's Office
Birth Certificates of Children of Slaves, 1801-1835
Control #:
CSUCL003
Format:
0.15 c.f. (15 items); 0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alphabetical by slave owner
Notes:
Original records cover 1806-1821; film covers 1801-1835.

Series:
Sussex County
Clerk's Office
Manumissions of Slaves, 1802-1838
Control #:
CSUCL004
Format:
0.05 c.f. (5 items); 0.5 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Alph. by slave owner's name
Notes:
Original records cover 1814-1823; film covers 1802-1838.


~ The collections listed on this page represent 23.75 c.f. of paper records and 206.49 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


This page last updated 02/26/2007