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

Non-Governmental Records - East and West Jersey Proprietors

The General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey dissolved in 1998, at which time its records were transferred to the State Archives.

The Council of West Jersey Proprietors still exists today as a corporation, but placed their original records on deposit with the State Archives in December 2005.

See also the Secretary of State series referenced below for early proprietary land records.

Consult the guide to Using the Records of the East and West Jersey Proprietors for further information.

See also:
Secretary of State - Genealogical and Colonial Records (including state censuses)


Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Minutes, 1685-1998
Control #:
PEASJ001
Format:
3.75 c.f. (5.5 vols. and 2 boxes); 4 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Deeds and Wills, 1665-1951
Control #:
PEASJ002
Format:
10 c.f. (22.5 vols. and 5 boxes); 13 reels (35-mm)
Notes:
Deed Book AB-1 is bound together with Minute Book [1]. Wills are also recorded in Miscellaneous Books D, E & F.
Deed Book C apparently not filmed.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Surveys and Warrants, 1675-1997
Control #:
PEASJ003
Format:
68.25 c.f. (36 vols. and 144 boxes); 51 reels (35-mm)
Notes:
Also includes patents, certificates of mislocation, and related materials.
Extracts of Surveys Book No. 1, Black, available on film only.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Road Book, ca. 1740-1902
Control #:
PEASJ004
Format:
0.25 c.f. (1 vol.)
Notes:
Includes courses of roads from surveys, etc.
Restrictions:
Access restricted pending conservation.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Quit-Rent Records, 1667-1703
Control #:
PEASJ005
Format:
0.75 c.f. (1 vol. and 10 booklets); 1 reel (35-mm)
Finding aid: Click here!

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Romopock Patent Records, 1680s-1800
Control #:
PEASJ006
Format:
0.7 c.f. (1 vol. and 2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)
Notes:
Romopock records appear to date from ca. 1734-1800; also includes correspondence on miscellaneous subjects, ca. 1680s-1790s.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Extracts of Proprietary Rights and Title, 1660s-1849
Control #:
PEASJ007
Format:
2 c.f. (2 vols. and 2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Dividend Records, 1797-1934
Control #:
PEASJ008
Format:
0.25 c.f. (2 vols. and loose papers)

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Miscellaneous Recorded Documents, 1740s-1998
Control #:
PEASJ009
Format:
1.75 c.f. (4 vols. and 1 box); 2 reels (35-mm)
Notes:
Includes wills, releases, etc.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Miscellaneous Records, 1680s-ca. 1950
Control #:
PEASJ010
Format:
13 c.f. (21 boxes and 1 large parchment case)

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Maps, 1700s-ca. 1950
Control #:
PEASJ011
Format:
20 c.f. (14 map boxes, 5 rolls, 2 folder)
Notes:
Preliminary list available.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Proprietary House Construction Records, 1761-1775
Control #:
PEASJ012
Format:
0.5 c.f. (91 manuscripts, 3 facsimiles)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Includes accounts, receipts and descriptions of material used. Related accounts can be found in the Miscellaneous Records series.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
Account Book, 1771-1843
Control #:
PEASJ013
Format:
0.33 reel (35-mm)
Notes:
Microfilm of original held by the Library of Congress. Most of the accounts relate to James Parker and Theophylact Bache.

Series:
General Board of Proprietors of the Eastern Division of New Jersey
General Instructions by the Surveyor General to Deputy Surveyors, 1747
Control #:
PEASJ014
Format:
0.33 reel (35-mm)

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
The Concessions and Agreements of the Proprietors, Freeholders and Inhabitants of West New Jersey, 1677
Control #:
PWESJ001
Format:
0.2 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
NA
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Minutes, 1688-1951
Control #:
PWESJ002
Format:
1.6 c.f. (14 vols.); 3.3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Notes:
Original records on deposit continue to 1909; microfilm continues to 1951. Index was filmed with Account Books series.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Account Books, ca. 1676-1951
Control #:
PWESJ003
Format:
0.5 c.f. (3 books); 0.3 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
various
Notes:
Items 3-5 on film.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Surveys and Warrants, ca. 1680-1952
Control #:
PWESJ004
Format:
26 c.f. (31 vols., 19 boxes); 8.3 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
various
Notes:
Original records continue only to 1909. Book A includes records of the Corporation of New England, ca. 1654-1666.
Item 32 was microfilmed with Account Books series.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Rules and Regulations, 1688-1865
Control #:
PWESJ005
Format:
0.05 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
chronological
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Surveyor General's Calculation Book, ca. 1688-1791
Control #:
PWESJ006
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.)
Arrangement:
includes various sections
Notes:
Includes surveying instructions, accounts of Thomas Sharp, and survey plottings from the second land distribution commencing 1688.
Restrictions:
This volume is closed pending conservation treatment.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Lawrence Division Line Journal and Notes, 1743-1751 & ca. 1777
Control #:
PWESJ007
Format:
0.1 c.f. (1 vol.)
Notes:
The back of the volume includes what appear to be Revolutionary War-era maps.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Fee Books, 1764-1815
Control #:
PWESJ008
Format:
0.4 c.f. (6 vols. in 2 boxes); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Maps and Drawings, 1780s-1980s
Control #:
PWESJ009
Format:
40 c.f. (various)
Notes:
Includes non-proprietary maps which will be identified when the collection is processed; a draft inventory is available.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!

Series:
Council of Proprietors of West New Jersey
Loose Parchments and Miscellaneous Records, 1664-1815
Control #:
PWESJ010
Format:
1.9 c.f. (11 parchments, 1 box)
Arrangement:
various
Notes:
Draft inventory is available.
Restrictions:
Access to original documents is subject to deposit agreement.
Finding Aid:
Click here!


Related records:


Series:
Governor Robert Barclay (1648-1690; served as East Jersey Governor, 1682-1690)
Record Book, 1664-1688
Control #:
S0004001
Format:
0.8 c.f. (1 vol. and 5 maps)
Arrangement:
By item number
Notes:
Include London minutes of the Proprietors of East Jersey, 1682-84. Maps were removed from bound volume prior to Archives' acquisition.
Restrictions:
Closed pending conservation; some sections available in facsimile.

Series:
Governor and Council of East New Jersey
Journals, 1674-1703
Control #:
SEA00001
Format:
0.5 c.f. (2 vols.); 1 reel (35-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological

Series:
New Jersey State Archives
Deeds and Miscellaneous Land Records, 1669-1947
Control #:
SNJSA001
Format:
15 c.f. (28 boxes and 7 map drawers)
Arrangement:
Chronological or by accession number

Series:
Department of State
Secretary of State's Office
Deeds, Surveys and Commissions, ca. 1650-1856
Control #:
SSTSE023
Format:
100 c.f. (141 vols., 38 boxes, 1 mss. folder); 69 reels (60 35-mm, 9 16-mm)
Arrangement:
Chronological within sub-series
Notes:
Commissions are indexed by card file in Manuscript Reading Room; deeds are indexed by "Colonial Conveyances of New Jersey."

Series:
Department of State
Secretary of State's Office
Wills and Inventories, ca. 1670-1900
Control #:
SSTSE033
Format:
680 c.f. (208 vols. & 1,206 boxes); 1536 reels (35-mm)
Arrangement:
By will packet number
Notes:
Published indexes available in Microfilm Reading Room. Vol. 20 [unit 44] includes minutes of the Council of New Jersey, 1773-1775.


~ The collections listed on this page represent 988.35 c.f. of paper records and 1692.56 reels of microfilm ~

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:


West Jersey Proprietors, c/o Robert Haines, Clerk, P.O. Box 158, 230 High Street, Burlington, NJ 08106


This page last updated 05/31/2006