New Jersey, State Census, 1855

What is in This Collection?

This census covers the residents of New Jersey in 1855. It lists name of head of household and gives number of males and females in each household by category: white, colored, native, foreign and children ages 5 to 16. The returns for Pequanac Township in Morris County also list the names of the wife and children in each household.

The census is a printed form that was filled in by hand by the enumerator. It is arranged by county and by township within each county. It was acquired from the National Archives and Records Administration.

The state of New Jersey took a state census every 10 years beginning in 1855 and continuing through 1915. However, the 1885 census is the first to survive in its entirety. The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress.

The information is generally reliable. However use the information with some caution, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

To Browse This Collection

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

What Can These Records Tell Me?

The following information may be found in these records:

Census

• Name of head of household
• Number of males and females in household by category
• Nationality
• Race
• Number of children in household ages 5 to 16

Collection Content

Sample Image

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  1855 Census Record