The State of New Jersey began collecting marriage records on May 1, 1848. The Secretary of State has now computerized the records for May 1848 through May 31, 1867 and has placed the index online, where it is available to everyone.
Data entry from the 1848-1867 hardcopy indexes for most of the counties has been completed and verified against the original returns. Index data for the following counties is currently being checked and should be considered preliminary and possibly incomplete:
Middlesex
Ocean
Salem
Somerset
Union
Warren
I found the online index to be very easy to use. You can search by the name of the groom and/or bride, county of registration, and/or the year of marriage. I first did a search for my own surname simply by filling in the name in the space for "Groom's Name" and leaving all the other spaces blank. I was soon rewarded with two entries. I then did the same thing by searching for brides of my surname but found that there were no entries.
Here is a typical entry from a groom's search that illustrates the sort of information available:
Groom: Eastman, Franklin Wilson
Bride: Elisabeth Granville
Marriage Place:
Marriage Date: 29 July 1851
Registration: Monmouth County
Reference: Raritan Bk. X : Pg. 38
The Reference entry lists the book and page number at the New Jersey State Archives, where the original record may be found.
My search was simple, specifying only a surname. For more common names you will need to include first names by entering the search as Surname, Given Name. An example would be: Smith, John.
Keep in mind that the online database is only an INDEX and does not contain all the available details. To find all available information, you need to obtain a photocopy of the original record by filling out a Vital Record Search Request form and sending it to the New Jersey State Archives, along with a fee of $10.00. The form is available on the web site and may be printed on your printer.
For more information or to search the online Index to New Jersey Marriage Records, 1848-1867, go to
