USA > New Jersey > Church records in New Jersey : notices of the character, extent, and condition of the original records of about one hundred and fifty of the older churches and Friends' meetings ; with other data > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2016
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Church Records
New Jersey
BY WILLIAM NELSON
PATERSON HISTORY CLUB PATERSON. V. J.
Church Records
in
New Jersey
Notices of the character, extent, and condition of the original records of about one hundred and fifty of the older Churches and Friends' Meetings ; with other data.
BY WILLIAM NELSON
PATERSON HISTORY CLUB PATERSON, N. J. 1904
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1686832
ONE HUNDRED COPIES
Reprinted from Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society, March and June, 1904.
FRANKLIN PRINTING CO. PHILADELPHIA
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CHURCH RECORDS IN NEW JERSEY.
BY WILLIAM NELSON.
The study of history of late years has been directed so largely to an examination of the social aspects of the development of communities and states that whatever throws light on this phase of the growth of society is gladly welcomed by students.
In the earliest days of our country provision was made by local laws and ordinances for the preservation of records of births. marriages, and deaths. These records were not kept accurately nor fully, and probably in a majority of cases they have not been preserved. In many, if not in most of the early churches, it was enjoined upon the clergy or on the parish clerks to keep similar records, but there was much laxity in observing the rule. Hence the obvious importance of taking stock of such records as still exist, and of listing those that have been printed. as a guide to persons desiring the help such material affords, to the historian, the sociologist, or the gene- alogist.
In seeking material for a volume or more of Marriage Recorde, to be published in the series known as the New Jersey Archives, the writer made extensive inquiries regarding the existence and condition of church records in New Jersey, particularly in the northern part of the State. Some of the information thus acquired has been embodied in Volume XXII of the Archives, published in 1903, which contains 678 pages of marriage records from various sources. As the subject may have a
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CHURCH RECORDS IN NEW JERSEY.
wider interest to many who are not at present concerned in the records of marriages, it may be worth while to present herewith an account of some of the early church records in the State.
The early Dutch churches as a rule were scrupulously careful to keep and preserve in the church archives registers of bap- tisms and marriages. The churches of other denominations not only were not so particular, but when the records were made they were often regarded as the private property of the pastors, and were carried away by them on their removal to other charges.
The first Reformed (Dutch) church in New Jersey was that at Bergen, dating back to 1662. It- records of baptisms, mar- riages, deaths, and members, from: 1664-1666 to date are remarkably complete. This was in 1800 the only church within the present Hudson County.
Bergen County had a number of churches in 1800, as fol- lows: Hackensack, established in 1886; its records of baptisms, marriages (lacking 1753-1789), communicants, elders, and dea. cons are well kept. beginning with the original parchment- bound volume. Schraalenburgh. 1724; similar recor ts. Ponds (originally te Words, "'at the North." now Oakland), 1710; records destroyed about 1565, by fire. Paramus. 1725; no marriage records have been preserved before 1790. The bap- tismal records extend back to about 1710. They were kept in a peculiar fashion-the names of the children baptized were arranged neither chronologically nor by families, but in the alphabetical order of their Christian names; that is, all the Abrahams, Aarons, Andrews. etc., are grouped together, fol- lowed by the Benjamins, the Davids, the Edwards, etc. The system is the despair of the genealogist, who must look over every page, regardless of dates, to be sure he has not over- looked a name he seeks. This custom was followed in other Dutch churches in the eighteenth century. English Neighbor- hood (now Ridgefield), 1770 ; no records prior to 1812. Saddle River Reformed (Dutch), at Pascack. about 1784, under one consistory until 1789 with the Paramus Church, and with the same ministry until 1814 ; no early records preserved. Ramapo
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(Mahwah) Reformed (Dutch), 1785. New Prospect Methodist Episcopal, about 1795 ; no early records.
In Essex County there were these churches previous to 1800, in the chronological order given : First Presbyterian, of Newark, 1667; Reformed (Dutch) at Second River ( Belleville), 1700; Orange Presbyterian, about 1719; Reformed (Dutch) at Fair- field, 1720; Trinity (Episcopal), of Newark, about 1743; Christ ( Episcopal), Belleville, about 1755: Lyons Farms Bap- tist. 1769; Caldwell Presbyterian, about 1780; Northfield Baptist, 1788; Bloomfield Presbyterian, 1798. The writer has been unable to discover any early baptismal or marriage records of any of these churches except the incomplete registers of the Belleville Reformed Church (menibers, 1726-1766; marriages, 1730-1774, 1794 to date; baptisms, 1727 to date; consistories, 1726 to date) ; and those of the Lyons Farms Baptist Church. All the records of the First Presbyterian Church existing at the time of the Revolution are understood to have been lost or destroyed in that troublous period, and the writer has been informed that the church possesses no baptismal or marriage registers carlier than 1850. The Rev. Dr. Alexander Mac- whorter was pastor of the church, 1759-1807 ; his day-book for the years 1796 to 1807, which came into the possession of the New Jersey Historical Society in 1903, contains brief memo- randa of marriages celebrated by him in those years. The records of the Fairfield Church are believed to have been destroved in the fire which consumed the parsonage about 1875. The records of Trinity Church in the eighteenth cen- tury were examined some years since by the writer, who found them to be very fragmentary, with no baptismal or marriage registers among them. The session records of the First Presby- terian Church of Orange are understood to have been destroyed by fire in 1802. Those in existence begin January 30, 1803.
In what is now Passaic County, there were only three churches in 1800 : The Acquackanonk Reformed Dutch (now First Reformed, Passaic), formed in 1693; records of baptisms, marriages, and members from 1726; consistories from 1694. About 1875 there came to light in an old attic a small hair-trunk full of old papers, all in Dutch, relating to the church, among
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them a small book, made by stitching a quire or two of paper together, setting forth the collections taken up in the church at successive services, beginning in 1693. Until that discovery the organization of the church had been dated from 1694. Totowa Reformed Dutch (now First Reformed, Paterson ), 1754; baptismal records from 1755; marriages and members, from 1827. Macopin (now Echo Lake) Roman Catholic, about 1760 (the first Roman Catholic church in New Jersey or New York) ; no early records known to exist, the church being served by missionary priests from Philadelphia.
The present Union County had churches in 1800 as follows : First Presbyterian. Elizabeth, dating from about 1605; its records were destroyed during the Revolution. but the sexton's register of burials. from about 1768, is extant. St. John's Episcopal Church. Elizabeth, about 1706; records very incom- plete. Scotch Plains (or Fanwood) Baptist. 1742; the early records are quite imperfect; marriage records, 1758-1761. Rahway Presbyterian, about 1741-2; records prior to 1795 lost. Rahway Friends' Meeting, 1686, records well preserved. West- field Presbyterian, about 1727 ; records from 1759 quite com- plete. Connecticut Farms (now Union) Presbyterian, about 1725-30 : records destroyed when the church was burned by the British in 1780. New Providence (originally Turkey Christian) Presbyterian, 1787; few early records. Springfield Presbyterian, 1745; early records destroyed when the church was burned by the British. in 1780. First Methodist Episcopal, Plainfield, about 1786. Plainfield Friends' Meeting, crected in 178S. First Methodist Episcopal, Rahway, about 1790; min- utes from 1798. New Providence Methodist Episcopal, 1798 ; minutes from 1801.
In Middlesex County, there were quite a number of religious organizations in 1800, the following being an approximately complete list : First Presbyterian, Woodbridge, 1669 ; church erected between 1674-16S1 ; considerable early records. Trinity Protestant Episcopal, Woodbridge, organized 1711; church erected shortly after, although not completed until 1717. Friends' Monthly Meeting, 1686, begun at Amboy and con- tinued at Woodbridge after 1689. Piscataway Baptist Church
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organized 1689. Piscataway Seventh Day Baptist, organized 1705, when the records begin ; quite imperfect. St. James's Protestant Episcopal Church, Piscataway, organized 1714, or earlier ; church built between 1714 and 1724. Samptown (now New Brooklyn) Baptist Church. 1792, St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church, Perth Amboy, 1699; church built about the same time by the East Jersey Proprietors ; considerable early records of minutes, etc. First Reformed, New Brunswick, about 1703; early consistorial records; quite imperfect. First Pres- byterian Church, New Brunswick, 1726 or earlier ; records for the first half century supposed to have been lost in the Revolu- tion. Christ Church (Protestant Episcopal), New Brunswick, about 1741-1742 ; church erected 1744. Shiloh Baptist Church. charter 1790 ; church erected in 1511. St. Peter's Protestant Episcopal Church. Spotswood, erected 1757-1759. Friends' Weekly Meeting, Raritan Township, 1725; removed 1787 to Plainfield. Metuchen Presbyterian Church. organized about 1763, as the Second Presbyterian Church of Woodbridge ; records begin in 1784. Cranbury First Presbyterian Church, organized 1735 or 1739 ; church erected 1740 ; records only from 1790, from which time they are quite full.
Monmouth County was settled at an early date by Presby- terians, Baptists, and Friends, and in 1800 had the following religious organizations within its present limits : St. Peter's Episcopal Church, Frechold, originally at Topanemus, organ- ized about 1702; church erected in 1736, or carlier; no early records preserved. Upper Freehold Baptist Church, organized 1765. Methodist Episcopal Church at Blue Ball. near Frec- hold, about 1780. Middletown Baptist, organized 1668; the church possesses the manuscript sermons and the library of the Rev. Abel Morgan, pastor of the church, 1738-1785. Christ Protestant Episcopal Church of Middletown, formed before 1735. Presbyterian Church at Middletown, before 1706. Friends' Meeting, Shrewsbury, 1672-1673 ; now Shrewsbury Monthly Meeting. Christ Church, Shrewsbury, formed 1702-1703; un- der the same government as Christ Church, Middletown, down to 1854; church built about 1715 ; records before 1733 are lost. Presbyterian Church, Shrewsbury, organized about 1705, or
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earlier. Christ Church, Allentown, about 1780; records lost during the Revolution; congregation much scattered for many ycars. Allentown Presbyterian Church, about 1722. Notting- ham Presbyterian Church, in 1778, under one session with Allentown ; records understood to have been carried away by a former pastor, and to have been destroyed at the burning of his house in New Brunswick about 1796-1797. Upper Free- hold Baptist Church, 1766; known as Crosswicks Baptist Church for several years. Robins' Friends' Meeting House, built 1738; in 1776 known as Upper Freehold Preparative
Meeting. Jacobstown Baptist Church. 1785. Imlay's Hill Methodist Episcopal Church, 1790; church erected same year. Bethesda Methodist Episcopal Church, at Blue Ball, formed about 1780; scanty early records. First Presbyterian Church of Millstone, begun about 1785, but not organized until about forty years later. Old Tennent Presbyterian Church, at Ten- nent, erected in 1692, having organized somewhat before that date. Marlboro Reformed Dutch Church, formed in 1709, originally " Freehold and Middletown " United Church ; sepa- rated in 1825 ; records well preserved. Holindel Baptist Church, 1668, in connection with the Middletown Baptist Church ; originally known as the Baptisttown or Upper Meeting House, or Upper Congregation ; some early records of church meetings. Reformed Church of Holmdel; originally part of the Brick Church of Marlboro, from which it was separated in 1825. Matawan Presbyterian Church (originally Middletown Point), united with Shrewsbury in calling a pastor in 1766. Shark River Village Presbyterian Church, erected before 1784; aban- doned soon after 1803. Branchburg Methodist Episcopal Church, about 1790; church erected about that time. Branchburg In- dependent Methodist Church, about 1790.
Somerset County had these churches in 1800: First Reformed Church of Raritan (Somerville), 1699. Bound Brook Presby- terian Church, organized about 1725. St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church at Germantown, organized about 1742; some records from 1749. Presbyterian Church at Lamington, organ- ized about 1740; church built 1743. Bedminster Reformed Dutch Church, 1758; church built 1759 or 1760; registers from
CHURCH RECORDS IN NEW JERSEY.
1801. Presbyterian Church of Basking Ridge, 1720 to 1725 ; few records. Neshanic Reformed Dutch Church, 1752. Hills- boro (originally New Millstone) Reformed Dutch Church, 1766; Baptismal register begins in 1767. Six-Mile-Run Reformed Dutch Church, 1717 ; register of Baptisms begins in 1787; Min- utes of the Consistory, with the first register, were burned in the house of the Clerk of the Consistory in 1796. Presbyterian Church at Kingston, formed in 1732 or earlier. Reformed Church of Harlingen, formed in 1727; first known as the "Church oyer the Millstone " until 1766; for many years known as the Sour- land Church; changed in 1801 to Harlingen. The Coetus erected a church at the same place in 1749; the records of both churches have been well preserved. Baptist Church at Mt. Bethel, 1757 ; minutes have been fairly well preserved from that date.
The following is an approximately full statement of religious organizations in Hunterdon County in 1800: Presbyterian Church, Flemington, organized in 1791; records fairly well preserved. Amwell First Presbyterian Church, at Reaville, organized between 1715 and 1783; some fragmentary records from 1776. Flemington Baptist Church, organized about 1765 ; church erected 1766. United First Church of Amwell, at Fast Amwell, organized about 1745 : church built 1749; established as " The High Dutch Colvinistical or Presbeiterian Church"; changed in 1800 to " German Presbyterian Church of Amwell "; in 1809 to " Amwell Dutch Reformed Church ", and in 1810 to "United First Church of Amwell " ; formerly united (until 1511) with the Amwell First Presbyterian Church ; records from 1763 to 1823 lost about the latter date; few of the earliest records preserved. Baptist Church of Kingwood, at Locktown, 1715 ; church built 1750. Baptist Church near Baptisttown, organized about 1738; church erected 1741. Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, formerly known as Mt. Bethel Presbyterian Church, organized before 1745. St. Thomas's Church of Alexandria, about 1725; " but few of the early records can now be found." Friends' Meeting at Quakertown, organized before 1733 ; records more or less complete from 1744. Spruce Run Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1744 or 1745; " the only (early) record left
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is that of baptisms." Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in New Germantown, 1745 or earlier ; "the earliest records go back no further than 1767." First Presbyterian Church of Fair- mount, originally called the " Fox Hill " Church, formed before 1746 ; a German Reformed Church at first, but with preaching by pastors of the Lutheran Churches in the vicinity ; in 1813 became connected with the Presbytery of New Brunswick. Reformed Dutch Church of Readington; church built 1719- 1720. Reformed Dutch Church of Rockaway, Readington township, organized 1792; originally called the "Potterstown " Church. Presbyterian Church at BethIchem, about 1730. Lebanon Reformed Dutch Church, about 1740; originally German Reformed ; in 1312 became Reformed Dutch.
In Morris County there were the following churches in 1800: the dates of organization are appended in each case. First Presbyterian Church, Morristown (formerly West Hanover), 1738 to 1740. Morristown Baptist Church, 1752; few early records. Flanders Methodist Episcopal Church, about 1786. Mt. Olive Baptist. 1758. Succasunna Presbyterian, about 1745 ; the records prior to 1817 are lost. Evangelical Lutheran Church, German Valley, about 1747; united with the Zion Church at Germantown. Hunterdon County. Presbyterian Church at Madison (formerly Bottle Hill), 1747 ; minutes of annual meet- ings of the congregation preserved from 1757; other records were lost in 1795. Congregational Church at Chester. Presby- terian Church (formerly Black River) at Chester. Presbyterian Church at Mendham; minutes of trustees, from 1766. Presby- terian Church at Parsippany, 1760. Presbyterian Church at Hanover.
Sussex County was settled later than the foregoing counties, but had quite a number of churches in 1800, as follows : Christ Protestant Episcopal Church at Newton, 1769. Presbyterian Church at Newton, 1787. Papakating Presbyterian Church, organized about 1740. at " Beemer Meeting House"; afterwards Congregational ; united in 1844 with the Second Presbyterian Church of Wantage, at Beemerville; set off in 1952 as the Papakating Presbyterian Church. First Presbyterian Church of Wantage, 1787, organized as a Reformed Dutch Church,
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known as " Clove Church " ; merged in the First Presbyterian Church of Wantage, 1817. Minisink Reformed Dutch Church at Montague, 1737; minutes of Consistory and register of baptisms from 1737. Shapanack Reformed Dutch Church at- Walpack, built about 1770; united with Hardwick (Newton) Presbyterian Church, 1786. Papakating Baptist, about 1770. Presbyterian Church at Stillwater, built in 1771, by German Lutherans and German Calvinists; Reformed Dutch, 1816- 1822; Presbyterian Church from 1822. Frankford Plains Methodist Episcopal Church, about 1780. Baptist Church of Augusta, about 1790 ; long since abandoned. First Presbyterian Church in Hardyston, 1786; no records before 1805. First Baptist Church of Wantage, "Papakating Meeting House ", organized 1777 as the " Baptist Church of Wantage, Hardyston, and Newton "; present title since 1782. North Presbyterian Church of Hardyston, originally known as "Cary's Meeting House ", believed to have been formed before the Revolution, though not formally constituted till later; under one session with the First Church of Hardyston until 1819.
In Warren County there were the following churches in 1800: Mansfield-Woodhouse Presbyterian Church, now in Washington Borough, about 1739; in 1822 known as the Mansfield Presby- terian Church, now the First Presbyterian Church of Wash- ington ; minutes from 1787. First Presbyterian Church of Independence, Hackettstown, organized before 1764, when it received a deed for its property ; earliest records lost; min- utes preserved from 1785. First Presbyterian Church at Greenwich, organized about 1739; church erected between 1740 and 1744; Session records from 1803. St. James's Evangelical Lutheran Church, organized about 1750; records of communicants from about 1760. Presbyterian Church at Oxford, about 1740-1745. St. James's Protestant Episcopal Church, Knowlton, erected in 1784. Knowlton Presbyterian Church; taken under care of Presbytery in 1775; the church was originally organized under the title of the "First English and German Congregation in Knowlton." Yellow Frame Presbyterian Church, organized about 1763; in 1732 became the Hardwick Presbyterian Church; incorporated in 1841 as
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the First Presbyterian Church of Hardwick; changed in 1869 to the Yellow Frame Presbyterian Church ; the church records previous to 1823 were destroyed by fire. Asbury Methodist Episcopal Church, organized about 1783; no records of its organization or later progress known to exist; church erected in 1800.
It is a monotonous history of disaster to church records thus enumerated-" destroyed by fire," and emphasizes the import- ance of printing such records, which multiplies and so preserves them beyond the chance of destruction.
In this connection the work of the Holland Society of New New York, and of the Genealogical Society of Pennsylvania, is worthy of commendation. The former has published all the records of the Hackensack and Schraalenburgh churches to 1800. It is expected that others will follow. The latter Society, organized so late as 1892, has procured copies of the records of most of the Friends' Meetings and of several churches of various denominations in the southern part of New Jersey. and has them bound in stout quarto volumes, well indexed. which are preserved in the fireproof rooms of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia.
The following is a partial list of records of New Jersey churches and Friends' meetings, and also of some other records. with notes of such as have been published : 1
Acquackanonk Reformed ( Dutch ) Church. See Passaic.
Alexandria. Parish Register of the German Reformed Church of Alex- andria, Hunterdon County, New Jersey, 1763-1802, by Henry Race, M. D .. Flemington, 1000. Svo, pp. 17. History of the Church, Parish Register, 1703-1801, pp. 1, 2; confirmations, 1769-1782, p. 2; marriages (five), 1796-1801, p. 2; baptismal records, in tabular form, accurately trans-
' In the compilation of these data special acknowledginents are due to Mr. O. B. Leonard, of Plainfield, for assistance in procuring information as to the Baptist churches : and to Dr. John R. Stevenson, of Haddon- field, who placed at the writer's disposal his voluminous material relat- ing particularly to Friends' records. Thanks should be given, also, to that overworked class of men, the pastors of the various churches, who have so readily responded to the writer's requests for information. Additions to and corrections of these data will be gladly received by the author.
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cribed from the original records, with date of birth, date of baptism, name of child, names of parents, names of witnesses, 1763-1801, pp. 3-17. Reprinted from The Jammen, Flemington, Vol. III, pp. 37-53. Copy of the records also in Genealogieal society of Pennsylvania.
Alexandria. St. Thomas's Church. See Amwell.
Allentown. Christ Protestant Episcopal. Baptisms, 1806 to date ; marriages, 1967 to date : deaths, 1806 to date; communicants, 1883 to date : no records of the vestry or trasteez. Old records lost.
Allentown. Presbyterian Church. Baptismis, 1774-1778 (in private hands?) ; the church has other records of later date.
Amboy. Friendy' records. Sce Rahway.
Autrell, Kingwood. Ringoes, and Museonetcong ( Church of England). " Reverend William Frazer : Marriage Record, 1768-1795; Baptismal Record, 1768-1772." -Praaglania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. XII, p. 212.
Dobles I'd.e. Presbyterian .. Minutes of Trustees, 1769-1815, and later records to date : early Session Records missing ; Members, 1804 to date ; Baptisms and Marriages, 1751-1757, kept in the pastor's private day-book ; later records in possession of the Church.
Belleville. Reformed (Dutch). Baptisms, Birthe, Marriages. and Membership, 1794-1-27 .- Peneredings Voc Jersey Historieand Society, Third Series, Vol. I, pp. 175-196; Vol. II, pp. 65-72, 131-144, 177-185. Mar- ringe -. 1700-1774, 1794-1800 .--- Nom Jeragt Larchives, Vol. XXII, pp. 005-019. A copy of the original records : Members, 1726-1786; Mar- riages, 1730-1774 : Baptisms, 1727-1794; Consistories, 1726-1793. is in the Bolland society of New York.
Bellville. Tombstone Inscriptions, MS. 1847. Pp. 16. In New Jersey Historical Society.
Bergen Coumy Clerk's Marriage Records, 1795-1800 .- New Jersey Ar- choices, Vol. XXII, pp. 553-35-4.
Bergen. Reformed : Dutch). Marriages, Baptisms, Deathe. 1665-1850. In Winfield's Land Tales of Hudson Conta, New York, 1872, Vol. I, pp. 329-419. Merely gives names and dates. Marriages, 1664-1801 .- New Jersey Archives, Vol. XXII, pp. 555-581. In the latter publication the -ull entry is given as in the orginal record, describing the place of origin or residence of the parties, whether bachelor or spinster, or widowed, etc.
Bethlehem. See Lamington.
Boonton. Reformed (Dutch). See Montville.
Bound Brook. Presbyterian. Very few of the earliest records pre- served ; those from 1748 to 1793 also lost.
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