Author Archives: Regina Fitzpatrick

About Regina Fitzpatrick

I'm the Genealogy Librarian here at the State Library. I love researching New Jersey Family History, and am always happy to help researchers delve further into their ancestries. Please feel free to stop by and say hello!

Get to Know Your Local Historical Society: Montclair History Center

The New Jersey State Library is proud to present the second installment of the “Get to Know Your Local Historical Society” Project!

The purpose of this project is to create a central repository of informational videos to promote the use of New Jersey historical societies to a wide audience.  Many genealogical resources, especially those focused on a specific region or locale, are located at historical societies; yet many of those collections are unknown to researchers or librarians.  By creating a library of informational videos of historical societies throughout the state, we aim to promote local collections, increase the visibility of the state’s historical societies, and provide a central repository for researchers, genealogists, and other librarians to get a high-level description of the collections and services available.

The Montclair History Center was founded in 1965.  As the stewards of three historic homes, their goal is to promote the preservation of and study of Montclair history.  MHC offers a research library, extensive digital collections available free to researchers, as well as community activities such as tours and programs both on their campus and in and around Montclair.

How researchers use collections:

Sanborn Map showing Montclair
  • Historic House Research
  • Family History Research
  • Photograph Research
  • Montclair History

Available Collections:

Services:

  • Digital Collections (Lantern Slides, Postcards, Maps, Photographs, and City Directories)
  • Finding Aids to non-digitized collections
  • Remote Reference Assistance
  • History at Home webinar series (link is to playlist page, look for “History at Home”)

Contact Montclair History Center at mail@montclairhistory.org or (973) 744-1796.


Do you want to nominate your local historical society to be featured in the Get to Know Your Local Historical Society Project?  Apply through our registration page.

Slavery and Emancipation Laws in 19th Century New Jersey

Slavery and Emancipation Laws in 19th Century New Jersey is a class offered by Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick.  Originally presented to celebrate Juneteenth in 2018, the links and information have been updated in 2024.

I wanted to pass along some useful online and print resources used to prepare this lecture, in addition to some general Juneteenth resources.  The updated slide deck from the lecture is available on the Genealogy Research Guide.  Please note that some collections referenced in this presentation have not been digitized.  These are available to be researched via the New Jersey State Archives.

Links for Slavery and Emancipation Laws in 19th Century New Jersey

Print Resources at the New Jersey State Library

Juneteenth Links

Meet the New Jersey State Library

Research Library Spotlight“I didn’t know you offered that,” is a common reaction from patrons who hear about the programs and services offered by the New Jersey State Library.  We are committed to providing top quality information services to state employees, Thomas Edison State University (TESU) students and staff, and members of the public.  Highlighted below are some of the State Library’s most popular resources, just in time for the New Year!

Our friendly staff at the Circulation Desk are happy to sign you up for a library card  

Get a Library Card:

A New Jersey State Library card gives all users the ability to access our public computers and check out materials from circulating collections.  Users may also access the library catalog and place holds or renew library materials from home.  State employees may request that holds are delivered to their offices.  State employees and Thomas Edison State University staff and students may also use their library cards to access electronic databases remotely and use the eBook collection.  The NJSL Library Card is free for state employees, TESU students and staff, and New Jersey residents.  Please see our Library Card policy page for more information.

Borrow Materials:

From other libraries via ILLiad.  Need a copy of an article or book that is not in the State Library’s collection?  State employees, TESU staff and TESU students may use ILLiad, the State Library’s interlibrary loan system to request these materials.

Conduct research using electronic databases:

The State Library has over 200 research databases available for use, covering a variety of topics, including law, health, science, medicine, government, and business.  Anyone may come to the State Library to access these resources on our public computers.  State employees and TESU staff and students may access certain resources remotely with their library cards.  Not sure which database to search?  Utilize the Start Your Research box on the library’s home page.

New Jersey residents and students also have access to Jersey Clicks, a series of academic databases accessible remotely with your local public library card. 

Our Test Book Collection is on the 4th Floor near the Reference Desk

Prepare for a New Jersey Civil Service exam with our test books:

The State Library maintains a collection of over 1200 National Learning Corporation exam prep guides.  While the test books are not specific to New Jersey Civil Service titles, they are an excellent tool to help prepare for many exams issued by the Civil Service Commission.

Many Test Books are also now available in eBook format via eLibraryNJ.   You may access eBooks from eLibraryNJ either from your desktop or on your mobile device using the Libby app.

Enjoy reading eBooks on your phone or computer:

State employees and TESU staff may borrow eBooks and audiobooks through a variety of services, including eLibraryNJ and EBSCO eBooks.  Over 13,000 popular fiction and non-fiction titles are available via eLibraryNJ and over 15,000 non-fiction titles are available via EBSCO eBooks.  See our eBooks and Audiobooks page for a complete listing of services.

Learn something new with free webinars:

Author Talk Webinar, presented November 28, 2023

The State Library offers webinar programming on a variety of subjects through our NJSL Presents and Author Talk series.   These programs are free and open to anyone.

Keep up with the latest scheduled events via the Upcoming Events calendar on the Library’s homepage.  Most presentations are recorded and posted to the State Library’s YouTube Channel.

 

Do you have a reference or research question?

The Reference Department and Law Library are happy to help in person or remotely!  Please contact us to help with your question, or to learn more about the State Library’s collections and resources.  We look forward to hearing from you!

Recap of Genealogy Research Stories: Benjamin Flinn and Oliver Cromwell

Thank you for attending the recent Genealogy Research Stories Class on Benjamin Flinn and Oliver Cromwell.  For information about researching NJ Revolutionary War Soldiers (including information on accessing the digitized Rev War pensions), please see this post: https://www.njstatelib.org/recap-researching-revolutionary-and-civil-war-service-records-for-nj-residents/

Benjamin Flinn

Benjamin Flinn and Hezekiah Broadbury both appear on this muster roll, compiled in 1784 for those part of a 1781 company under Captain Asher FitzRandolph. Company is described as part of State Troops (NJ State Archives Revolutionary War Military Service Records MSS 3849 p.2)

Benjamin Flinn volunteered as a Minute Man in 1781 and served until 1783.  After the War, he eventually moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, where he spent the rest of his life.  In his later years, he attempted to get a pension starting in 1828, but did not receive one until January 1834. 

In his first application, and in subsequent attempts until late 1833, Benjamin claimed that he enlisted in 1781 and was part of the New Jersey Line (NJ soldiers serving in the Continental Army).  This was to take advantage of laws or resolutions passed in 1778, 1818, and 1828 which entitled members of the Continental Army to certain pay or pension benefits.  When officials from the Pension Office attempted to verify this information, they could not locate a Benjamin Flinn serving in the New Jersey Line.  This is documented in correspondence found in Benjamin’s pension file.  Once Benjamin correctly identified himself as a volunteer and Minute Man in 1833, his application was successful.

Part of Benjamin’s story told in his pension application is his continued military service after the Revolution in both the Northwest Territory Wars and the War of 1812.  Below are some of the links with additional context for the information provided in his pension:

Oliver Cromwell

Oliver Cromwell, who proudly served in the Revolutionary War 1777-1783 and had a discharge paper signed by

Oliver Cromwell’s Discharge Papers dated June 5, 1783, part of his federal pension file

General Washington, lived to be 99 years old.  He was a life-long resident of Burlington County, and spent the last years of his life in Burlington, NJ.  Unlike Benjamin Flinn, Oliver was quickly rewarded a pension in April of 1818.

He was interviewed by a local newspaper who shared related his service experience in their article “I Am 100 Years Old To-Day!”.  Oliver died and was buried in an unmarked grave, and efforts were made over the years to either mark his burial place or put up a monument honoring his service.  Oliver Cromwell’s service and patriotism was remembered, and although a monument in his honor was not successful until 169 years after his death, he was held as an example of excellence up to the present day.  In April 2022, DAR put up an official plaque and held a celebration on his behalf in Burlington.

There are several articles in the Trenton Times relating to his memory and service.   Here are some that I think are important reads:

  • August 4, 1976 article “Checking In from a Willingboro Garage to the First Museum Dedicated to Back Americans’ Achievements”. Oliver Cromwell is featured in a Traveling Bicentennial Exhibit by the Merabash Museum.
  • March 28, 1971 article “They Had a Dream” about Oliver Cromwell.
  • January 2, 1966 Henry Bisbee article “County Residents Split in ’76 War”, Oliver is featured significantly.
  • December 26, 1965, another article by Henry Bisbee “What About the Negro Patriots of 1776?” mentions him as one of four soldiers of color serving in the New Jersey Line, Second Regiment.
  • May 25, 1914 article “Princeton Colored Women Seek Money For Memorial to Famous Negro Soldier”, about efforts to raise a monument to Oliver Cromwell.
  • April 11, 1905 article “Wants Negroes to Have War Credit”, article which significantly features Oliver Cromwell and efforts to remember him. This article mentions that 1852 archives of the Burlington Gazette are missing and the re-publishing of the “I am 100 Years Old To-Day!” article in the New Jersey State Gazette.

Visitors to the New Jersey State Library can access the Historic Trenton Times archives via our NewsBank database (available for use onsite to members of the public).

Get to Know Your Local Historical Society: Historical Society of Princeton

The New Jersey State Library is proud to launch the “Get to Know Your Local Historical Society” Project!

 

The purpose of this project is to create a central repository of informational videos to promote the use of New Jersey historical societies to a wide audience.  Many genealogical resources, especially those focused on a specific region or locale, are located at historical societies; yet many of those collections are unknown to researchers or librarians.  By creating a library of informational videos of historical societies throughout the state, we aim to promote local collections, increase the visibility of the state’s historical societies, and provide a central repository for researchers, genealogists, and other librarians to get a high-level description of the collections and services available.

Our first informational video features the Historical Society of Princeton.

How researchers use collections:

First page of a letter, part of the Olden Family Papers
  • Family History Research
  • Author Research
  • House history Research

Available Collections:

  • Stockton Family Papers
  • Olden Family Papers
  • 1981 Historic Architectural Survey of Princeton
  • Princeton City Directories
  • Princeton Newspapers
  • Yearbooks
  • Albert Einstein furniture and artifacts
  • Historic Photographs
Albert Einstein’s Pipe

Services:

  • Subject bibliographies/resource lists
  • Remote reference assistance
  • Digital Collections and Online Catalog
  • Local Walking Tours, both virtual and in person

Contact Historical Society of Princeton at research@princetonhistory.org.

 

Do you want to nominate your local historical society to be featured in the Get to Know Your Local Historical Society Project?  Please contact Andrew Dauphinee or Regina Fitzpatrick.

Recap: Researching Revolutionary and Civil War Service Records for NJ Residents

Thank you to those who attended today’s webinar on Researching New Jersey Revolutionary and Civil War Records. Here’s what we discussed:

Revolutionary War Records at the New Jersey State Archives:

Check William Stryker’s Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War for your soldier. This is a basic listing of soldier’s names and where they served. If you don’t find your soldier, it’s still worth checking the records. You can order records remotely from the State Archives.  Remember, Stryker’s will largely not identify soldiers by race, and New Jersey had integrated service units during the Revolution.

Indexed alphabetically by soldier’s last name. Two parts:

  1. Compiled Service Card: Contains an overall summary of a soldier’s service (may also include somebiographical information taken from pension abstract. Remember, Archives will not send pension details because the records are owned by the National Archives).  If you don’t find your soldier here, still check the Slips.
  2. Rev War Slips: Abstracts of an individual document where a soldier is mentioned. The Slip will cite the document for full access. A soldier can have several of these (especially if an officer) or very few. The Slips are the key to finding documents relevant to your soldier’s service.

 Rev War military documents are mostly pay records and muster rolls. For biographical info, see Pensions

Federal Revolutionary War Pension Files:

Owned by the National Archives and available on HeritageQuest (NJ Residents can get access with public library card via Jersey Clicks.)

Contain personal information, which might include: age, birth date and place, spouse name and marriage date, and current place of residence.

Other Revolutionary War Records we did not discuss:

 Loyalist Muster Rolls and Records, Confiscated Loyalist Estate records, and Revolutionary War Damage Claims are available from the State Archives. To request items from these collections, please e-mail the New Jersey State Archives at njarchives@sos.nj.gov.

Collections of the David Library of the American Revolution have been transferred to the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. These records are now know as the David Center for the American Revolution.

Civil War Records at the New Jersey State Archives:

Remember that the records referenced below refer to NJ-raised regiments, and these were segregated.  Those who served in United States Colored Troops (USCT) are discussed separately.  Organized by regiment. William Stryker’s Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Civil War serves as an index, providing Regiment and Company for each soldier.

The Archives’ Civil War database searches a transcribed version of Stryker for your soldier. You may order a soldier’s military records remotely from this database.

Again, very little biographical information, mostly pay and muster rolls.

Muster Rolls by Congressional District (if your soldier enlisted in late 1863 through April 11, 1865), Civil War Treasury Vouchers (if your soldier enlisted before late 1863), Bound Muster Rolls (if nothing is found in the Regimental Records), and Civil War Cartes de Visite will also be searched as part of your Civil War research request.

Federal Civil War Pension Records:

 Owned by the National Archives and available on Fold3.com (subscription site).

Detailed personal information and possible supporting documentation, much more specific than Rev War Pensions. Will also include great detail about service and any injuries or illnesses sustained during service.

Civil War soldier much more likely to have a pension than Rev War soldier, so definitely check this collection!  Right now, Ancestry and Fold3 are working to digitize the Widow’s Pensions.  As of today, the collection is 22% complete.  Any pension file not yet digitized can be requested from the National Archives.

United States Colored Troops (USCT):

Records for USCT members from New Jersey can be ordered from the State Archives. Please e-mail staff at

Company E 4th USCT ca. 1864

njarchives@sos.nj.gov for more information.  Records available include:

USCT Service Files

Volunteer Certificates, 1864 (check this collection if your soldier served in 43rd or 45th Regiments!)

Muster Rolls

Rosters of Soldiers

The National Archives has additional records and information on USCT soldiers. Wikipedia and Family Search Wiki both have fantastic articles on USCT.   If your soldier was of Asian or Native descent, it’s worth checking USCT for their service records!

New Jersey State Archives Van Wickle Slave Ring Free Digital Collection

On June 20th, the State Library presented our annual Juneteenth Celebration Lecture with Kristal Langford and Toni Hendrix of the Lost Souls Memorial Project.  This non-profit organization is dedicated to preserving the memory and resilience of the victims of the Van Wickle human trafficking ring, which operated out of Middlesex County, and was exposed to great public outrage in 1818.  Jacob Van Wickle, Judge of the Court of Common Pleas, signed off on the transportation of enslaved persons by his brother-in-law Charles Morgan to Louisiana.  At least 137 people were transported.  Ms. Langford detailed the events and highlighted the stories of those transported, many of them young mothers and children.

The New Jersey State Archives has created the Van Wickle Slave Ring Digital Collection, a free, online collection of historical documents related to the Van Wickle human trafficking operation.  These documents come from a variety of the State Archives’ collections and validate the existence of these tragic events in New Jersey history. The digital collection includes:  court documents, newspaper articles, petitions, and relevant laws from several different collections at the State Archives.

The original manuscripts within the digital collection are available for viewing at the New Jersey State Archives.  Please visit the State Archives website to make a research appointment.

Vivian Thiele, Archivist and curator of the digital collection, sat down with NJSL Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick to highlight the collection items and offer advice and insights on how to further research the 1818 events.

Some useful resources mentioned in the discussion but not part of the digital collection:

  1. Digitized Historic New Jersey Newspapers Research Guide – find where select New Jersey newspapers have been digitized. Please note that the State Library does not subscribe to some of the services mentioned.
  2. New Jersey Supreme Court Case Files – researchers can select ethnicity or search by name to find court case documents related to enslaved persons.
  3. Middlesex County Manumissions Book (vol. XI in collection) – mixed in with manumissions are transportation agreements, including those “agreeing” to be transported to Louisiana by Charles Morgan and related parties. This resource is available for in person use only on microfilm at the New Jersey State Archives.  The original book is owned by Rutgers University.  (Please see the additional information at the bottom of the post for digital access.)
  4. Middlesex County Court of Common Pleas minute books (see volumes XXII and XXIII for 1818) -minute books provide a timeline of events for court cases passing through the Court, possibly including the ruling or outcome of the case. Again, this resource is available for in-person microfilm use at the State Archives, and the original records are owned by Rutgers University.  If you are not able to visit the State Archives, please contact Rutgers.
  5. Norman’s Chart of the Lower Mississippi River (1858) – shows Charles Morgan’s plantation in Louisiana named Morganzia. A portion of this map is shown during the discussion video.  This is where many of the victims of the 1818 trafficking operation were bound.  Other property owners of note include: S. Van Wickle and J.C. Van Wickle.
  6. NJ Department of Transportation’s January 2008 issue of Cultural Digest, featuring information on the Morgan Pottery. The publication includes genealogical information on the Van Wickle and Morgan families.

If you have any questions regarding the Van Wickle Slave Ring Digital Collection, or the associated documents, please contact njarchives@sos.nj.gov or (609) 292-6260.

Happy Juneteenth, everyone!

Update:

Jesse Bayker, Digital Archivist at the Scarlet and Black Research Center at Rutgers University, has kindly provided the following information regarding Rutgers’ digital collections with information on the Van Wickle Human Trafficking ring:

I wanted to let you know that our team at the Scarlet and Black Research Center has digitized the records from the Middlesex County book, and we have indexed all manumission and removal certificates for the county. All names from the book can be searched on our website now.  Here are some links that may be useful:

To browse the manumission records, patrons can go to our Events browse page and select “Manumission” from the Event Type drop-down menu.

Blog Recap: Introduction to Italian Citizenship via Descent (Jure Sanguinis)

We were thrilled to welcome former New Jersey State Library Reference Librarian Benjamin Saracco to talk about his experience getting Italian Citizenship through his great grandfather.

What is Jure Sanguinis?

Jure Sanguinis is a right of citizenship through descent from an Italian citizen.  More information about Jure Sanguinis is available from the Italian Consulate of Philadelphia.

Some things that were reviewed in class

  • Who is eligible to apply for Italian citizenship through descent?
  • What kind of documentation do you need?
  • Family History research tips and tricks to prove your eligibility
  • What to do when you have all of your documentation gathered

If you need advice or assistance with research to find your Italian citizen ancestor, you may want to hire a local professional genealogist to help you navigate the process.

Research Library Spotlight: Genealogy Charts and Family Trees

Family History Chart B

For years, researchers have kindly donated their family history compilations to the State Library.  Most of these items are published family histories or research notes, which are included in our Genealogy Collection.  Included in donations were large family trees, either filled with family details or left blank as a guide to help other researchers create a visualization of their own line of descent.

The collection of Family History Charts consists of roughly 165 family trees stored in 18 folders.  The charts generally show a single line of descent from a notable individual.  Subjects in the collection include:  King George IV of England, General George Washington, David Brearley, and Mayflower passengers.  There are also blank charts, great for using to chart your own line of descent!

Currently, there is a summary table for the family history charts that has a main family surname, plus drawer and folder number where you can find the relevant tree.  The does not include every surname that appears on each chart, just the main line of descent.  Check out the Family History Charts Quick Guide!

It’s wonderful to see so many visual representations of someone’s family history research!  Even if your family is not represented in the collection, please feel free to use the compiled charts as inspiration to create your own family tree.  Looking for some free digital charts?  Check out these options from the National Archives!

For questions about this collection, please contact Genealogy Librarian Regina Fitzpatrick at rfitzpatrick@njstatelib.org.

Family Photos and Ancestor Authors

This guest blog post was contributed by Ed Davenport, Associate Director for MIS at Thomas Edison State University.

Joseph Percy (G.G. Grandfather) and Lillian Crayon (G. Grandmother).

Many years ago, I was helping my dad clean out his uncle’s attic, and I found old cameras and negatives in the attic.

I was able to print these negatives in my college’s dark room and sat with my grandmother, who was able to help identify the people and places in the pictures.  Many of the images showed events in her family’s neighborhood.  The local school had a fire in the bell tower and there

Leroy and Johanna Davenport (Ed’s grandparents, who were neighbors growing up.  Ed’s grandfather had just returned from France)

were pictures of that.  And more importantly, there were pictures of my grandparents as children, who actually grew up a few doors down from each other.

There were also pictures of my great, great grandfather.  I learned that he was a schoolteacher, a photographer, and as it turned out an author.  He published a book titled The Rockaway Records.

But life, as it does for so many, moved on and the pictures were once again stored.  I got married and started my own family and moved several times.   The cameras and the negatives always moved with me.  Finding the cameras and negatives did start a lifelong passion for photography with me, but I never really kept up with all the family history during this

time.  From time to time, I would find things of interest.  Dad and I discovered a photo album in his brother’s possession that held pictures of his father and mother as well as his brother and sister.

Ed’s grandmother Johanna, and Dad E. Louis Davenport. Dad had just returned from Korea.

Fast forward to 2018, my dad had recently passed away and my mom gave me a plastic tub that was the ‘family history’.  There were family tree drawings and some pictures I hadn’t seen before that my dad had collected over the years.  In the tub was the book the Rockaway Records.  I had known that my great, great, grandfather was a civil war veteran and that he was part of Battery D, 4th NJ Light Artillery.  I knew where they served during the war, but from reading through his book, I found stories of his time during the war!

My future goal is to take all the family photos from past generations and digitize them and to record all the family stories to share with our current and future generations much as my great great grandfather did for us.

 

 

 

 

The Rockaway Records, written by Ed’s ancestor J. Percy Crayon, is available at the New Jersey State Library!  The book, published in 1902, describes history and families of Rockaway, Morris County, New Jersey.  You can also find digitized versions online!

 

About Ed: I am the Associate Director for MIS at Thomas Edison State University.  I have been with the University for 17 years.  I am an avid photographer, and enjoy reading about history.  Contact: edavenport@tesu.edu.

Blog recap of Webinar: Death Records: The Linchpin of Genealogy Research

Thanks everyone for joining us for yesterday’s class on death records.  As I mentioned in class, when most of you write to me, you’re looking for information that can be found on an individual’s death record (even though your question may have nothing to do with the person’s death).  This is because the information provided on the record often includes the following:

  • Name
  • Birthdate
  • Marital Status
  • Parents’ Names
  • Place of Birth
  • Information on Illness and Death
  • Undertaker and Place of Burial

During class, we reviewed information on New Jersey Deaths May 1848-Present (the vital records era) and New Jersey deaths outside of the vital records era, as well as non-New Jersey deaths.  Remember, for New Jersey deaths, the records themselves are not digitized.  However, indexes to NJ Death Records through 2016 are available online.

Note: Order NJ Death Records May 1848-December 1930 from New Jersey State Archives.  Order 1931-2016 records from NJ Department of Health Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.

Here are some of the great resources to help you research deaths:

If you have any further questions about death records and why they are so useful to your research, please let me know!

Webinar: Introduction to New Jersey Genealogy (Naturalizations) Program Recap

Thanks so much to everyone who attended yesterday’s updated Introduction to New Jersey Genealogy class.  I hope that even if you’ve attended this class before, you enjoyed learning something new!  Please see the bottom of the post for the class recording and a copy of the slides.  Remember, the slides are highly detailed on purpose so that you can use them for future reference!  Please feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

What We Covered

  1.   Genealogy Basics-defined what genealogy is and its basic mission: to locate a birth, marriage, and death record for each generation, starting with the researcher and working backward.
  2. Primary Documents (records) and Secondary Resources (books).  Most NJ Genealogy primary documents are at the New Jersey State Archives.  Many secondary resources are part of the New Jersey State Library’s Genealogy Collection.
  3. Learned about NJ Vital Records (Birth, Marriage, and Death) 1848-present and NJ County Naturalization Records (late 18th century-mid 20th Century).
  4. Learned about resources from the State library’s Genealogy Collection and what was accessible from home.

Slides: Introduction to NJ Genealogy (Naturalizations)