Guide to the Woodbridge, New Jersey Records 1668-1875 (Bulk 1688-1708) MG 68
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 1668-1875 (Bulk 1688-1708) MG 68 The New Jersey Historical Society Finding aid encoded by Julia Telonidis. August 2005. Production of the EAD 2002 version of this finding aid was made possible by a grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Finding aid written in English. Historical NoteWoodbridge Township, New Jersey was established on June 1, 1669. The charter, signed by Governor Philip Carteret (1639-1682), James Bollen, Nicolas Varlett, Samuel Edsall, Robert Vanquellen, William Pardon and Robert Bond, indicated that the township was six square miles and was bounded by Rahway, Westfield, and Union County on the north; by the Raritan River on the south; by the Kill Van Kull or Staten Island Sound on the east; and by Raritan Township on the west. Woodbridge Township was named after Reverend John Woodbridge of Newbury, Massachusetts and was settled mostly by puritan descendants from New England. The original township was comprised of sixty families. Return to the Table of Contents Scope and Content NoteThis collection contains a variety of records documenting the inhabitants and town of Woodbridge, New Jersey. These items include town records, marriage records, birth records, surveys, deeds and minutes of the local group of Quakers, dating from 1668-1875. The town records dating from 1668-1708 consist mainly of the initial deeds and surveys taken by Robert Voquillin, one of the signers of the town charter. The initial volume in this collection is likely a handwritten copy of the original deeds and surveys, while the latter two are typescript copies. The deeds and surveys are entered in these volumes in chronological order. The following folder (Folder #4) consists of extracts from another Woodbridge town book, containing lists of the overseers of the highway, deputies, constables, and town clerks from Woodbridge from 1683-1810; a list of the freeholders of Piscataway; and a copy of a letter written by Governor Philip Carteret to the people of Woodbridge, reprimanding them for allowing men who had not patented their lands in Woodbridge to speak at town meetings. There is also a list of marriages (i.e. John Dennis married Sarah Bloomfield, Dec 18 1668) that took place in Woodbridge, New Jersey and notes on specimens of earmarks. The extracts were removed from a bound book and are kept in chronological order The collection also includes oaths of the civil officers (town clerk, constables, overseer of the highways etc.) of Woodbridge, New Jersey (Folder #5), a book of surveys entitled The Freeholders Book-Woodbridge 1707-1774 (Folder #6), and a register of births, marriages, and deaths in Woodbridge and Piscataway from 1670-1790 (Folder #7). This volume is very fragile and is restricted to patrons. There are also oversized birth, marriage and death records from Woodbridge Township dating from 1852-1853, 1860-1862, 1867-1868, and 1875-1876. The birth records have entries for the date of birth, place of birth, name of child, sex of child, names of parents, occupation of father (and in later records occupation of parents), residence of parents and time of record (the date the registration form was completed). The marriage records date from 1860-1862 and 1875-1876 and contain entries for date of marriage, name and age of bride and groom (though no ages are given), previous marital status, residence, occupation, name of parents, marriage officiant, official station, place of marriage, and time of making record (which is blank). The death records date from 1852-1853, 1858-1862 and 1875-1876. These records contain entries for the date of death, name, sex, marital status, age, occupation, place of death, place of birth, names of parents, cause of death and time of making record. In addition, the collection also contains extracts from the minutes of Quaker meetings in which they discuss their rules and mores (Folder #8). Return to the Table of Contents RestrictionsAccess RestrictionsThere are no access restrictions on this collection. Photocopying of materials is limited and no materials may be photocopied without permission from library staff. Use RestrictionsResearchers wishing to publish, reproduce, or reprint materials from this collection must obtain permission. The New Jersey Historical Society complies with the copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code), which governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions and protects unpublished materials as well as published materials. Return to the Table of Contents Return to the Table of Contents Related MaterialManuscript Group 1119, First Presbyterian Church, Woodbridge, NJ. Return to the Table of Contents Administrative InformationCustodial HistoryThis collection was donated in part by Jacob R. Shotwell in 1865. Preferred CitationThis collection should be cited as: Manuscript Group 68, Woodbridge, New Jersey Return to the Table of Contents BibliographyW. Woodford Clayton, History of union and Middlesex Counties, New Jersey, with Biographical Sketches of many of their Pioneers and Prominent Men.Philadelpia, Pa.: Everts and Beck, 1882. 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