Camden County Genealogy Lookup

Camden County sits in southern New Jersey across the Delaware River from Philadelphia. It was formed from Gloucester County in 1844. The county seat is Camden City. Researchers searching for genealogy records in Camden County can find land records, marriage files, probate documents, and more through local offices. The Historical Society holds one of the most complete collections of local records in the region. This guide walks you through every major source for Camden County genealogy research.

Camden County Clerk Genealogy Office

Pamela Lampitt serves as Camden County Clerk. The Camden County Clerk's Office maintains land records and marriage records from 1844 when the county was formed from Gloucester County. The Registry Division offers E-Recording, online property record searches, a Customer Agent Portal, and a Realty Transfer Fee Calculator.

The office also handles notary public applications, passport processing, trade name registration, and veteran services. Online tools include Vote by Mail applications, appointment scheduling, and electronic recording. For genealogy researchers, the online property records search is the fastest way to trace land ownership in Camden County without visiting the office. If your ancestors owned land, ran a shop, or filed a deed in Camden County after 1844, the Clerk's records will have a trace of it.

Before 1844, records for the Camden County area were kept by Gloucester County. If you are looking for land or marriage records before that date, check the Gloucester County Clerk's Office or the New Jersey State Archives.

Camden County Probate Genealogy

Michelle Gentek-Mayer serves as Camden County Surrogate. The Camden County Surrogate's Court has its main office at Gloucester Township Forrest Hall, 509 Lakeland Road, Blackwood, NJ 08012. A satellite location is at Camden City Hall of Justice, 101 South 5th Street, Camden, NJ 08103. Phone for both is (856) 225-7282.

The court handles probate of wills, estate administration, guardianships, trusts, adoptions, management of minors' funds, records, and wedding services. Three ways to submit business exist: mail to 509 Lakeland Road, a purple drop box at the same address, or in person by appointment only. No walk-ins are accepted. Payment is due at time of service by cash, money order, or check. Documents issued at the Camden City satellite are sent by mail and not handed out on the same day.

An E-Filing feature is available for members of the Bar. This software allows filing for probate of will, administration, or guardianship of minor. Account approval is needed first. For emergent matters, contact Deputy Surrogate Adam K. Rosen at Adam.Rosen@camdencounty.com. An Estate Information Sheet must be filled out no matter which method you use to process your filing in Camden County.

Note: The Camden County Surrogate's main office is in Blackwood, not in Camden City, so plan your trip based on which location you need.

Camden County Historical Society Records

The Camden County Historical Society runs the Richard H. Hineline Research Library. This is one of the richest genealogy resources in southern New Jersey. The library holds nearly 100,000 resource materials. These include 20,000 books, 1,100 manuscripts, 20,000 photos, 2,350 maps, diaries, scrapbooks, postcards, and letters, plus 3,500 deeds, church records, newspapers, yearbooks, WPA cards, and genealogies. The mailing address is PO Box 378, Collingswood, NJ 08108. Email admin@cchsnj.org.

Cemetery records cover the majority of local burial sites. These include Evergreen Cemetery from 1851 to 2000, New Camden Cemetery from 1887 to 1969, Old Camden Cemetery, Cedar Grove Cemetery from 1852 to 1963, and Lakeland from the 1920s to the 1990s. The newspaper collection is the most complete set of historical Camden County papers on microfilm. It includes the Camden County Courier from 1880 to 1893, the Camden Daily Courier from 1882 to 1925, the Camden Evening Courier from 1925 to 1949, and the Camden Courier Post from 1949 to the present.

City directories for Camden run from 1839 to 1947. Philadelphia directories from 1819 to 1860 and 1889 to 1930 are also on hand. These help trace people who moved between Camden County and Philadelphia. Census and tax records include the US Federal Census from 1830 to 1950, New Jersey State Census for Camden County in 1885, 1895, and 1905, Gloucester County Tax Ratables from 1778 to 1822, and Camden City Tax Ledgers from 1850 to 1938.

Research hours are Wednesdays and Fridays by appointment from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Members get in free. Non-members pay $5. Seniors and students pay $4. Copies cost $0.50 per page. Research services are $25 per hour with a 3 to 6 week wait time.

Vital Records in Camden County

The Camden County Historical Society does not hold vital records such as birth, marriage, or death certificates. These are available from the New Jersey State Archives or the New Jersey Department of Health. The State Archives at 225 West State Street in Trenton has birth records on microfilm from 1848 to 1923, marriage records from 1848 to 1948, and death records from 1848 to 1963. These are free to view in the search room.

For more recent vital records, the Department of Health at 140 East Front Street in Trenton handles births from 1925, marriages from 1951, and deaths from 1951 onward. The cost is $25 for the first copy and $2 for each extra copy of the same record ordered at once. Under N.J. Rev. Stat. 26:8-24, the State registrar maintains a full index of all vital records arranged by name, which supports searches for Camden County files at both offices.

Note: New Jersey vital records are not public records and cannot be searched online, so you must request them by mail or in person.

Camden County Library Genealogy Tools

The Camden County Library System provides several genealogy databases. Ancestry Library Edition is available at all branches. Heritage Quest Online is open to all cardholders. US census records, some with surname indexes, are on hand. City directories for various cities and years help fill gaps between census counts.

The library notes that it does not specialize in genealogy materials. For in-depth research, the staff recommends the Camden County Historical Society or the Gloucester County Historical Society. Still, the online resources page lists guides for census records, vital records, and obituary resources that can help start your Camden County genealogy search from home.

Search Camden County Records Online

Ancestry.com holds New Jersey vital records from 1660, census data through 1950, and wills and probate files from 1656 to 1999. Many Camden County library branches offer Ancestry Library Edition for free use on their computers.

Other online resources for Camden County genealogy include:

• FamilySearch with free New Jersey births from 1660 to 1980 and probate records from 1678 to 1980
• The Reclaim the Records project with 445,000 free vital record indices on the Internet Archive
• The NJ GenWeb Project with free cemetery records and query boards for Camden County
• The Genealogical Society of New Jersey with quarterly journals and cemetery transcriptions
• The New Jersey Digital Highway with digital collections from local museums and archives

The State Archives also has searchable online databases for colonial marriages from 1666 to 1799 and death records from 1848 to 1900. These free tools let you search for Camden County ancestors before making a trip to any office.

Cities in Camden County

Camden County has 37 municipalities. Camden City, Cherry Hill, and Gloucester Township are the largest. All genealogy records for these towns are filed through Camden County offices.

Other municipalities in Camden County include Pennsauken, Winslow, Voorhees, Collingswood, Haddonfield, and Bellmawr. All file genealogy records through the Camden County offices.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Camden County. Since Camden County was carved from Gloucester County in 1844, pre-1844 records may be in the Gloucester County system. Always check dates and borders when searching for genealogy records near county lines.