The Ancestor Hunt regularly adds and updates new collection links, as well as searches for and fixes broken links.
(This page's most recent update is January 2025)
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Institutional records are another class of collections that should be part of one’s genealogy research repertoire. Although most of your ancestors may not have spent time in an institution, I’ll bet that almost every family tree has several that have. So they are worth your effort to research.
Here are a few good primers for searching institutional records:
- FamilySearch – Institution and School Records
- Finding Your Ancestors in Poor House or Poor Farm Records
- Researching Ancestors in Asylums
What kind of institutions and types of records can we discover?
- Poorhouse
- Poor Farm
- Orphanage
- Orphan Train
- Mental Hospital
- Workhouse
- Almshouse
- Institutional School
- Sanitarium
- Asylums
- Correctional institutions
Acquiring records from each of these types of institutions may be difficult because of privacy concerns, but they are worth the effort.
Below you will find free online institutional records you can use to help you discover more about your relatives who have spent time in an institution.
Note: Some links listed take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. Near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections’ images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. To take full advantage make sure that you are logged in to FamilySearch. The results may be different if you are signed in, rather than not.
New Jersey Free Online Institutional Records
- Atlantic County, Almshouse Cemetery
- Atlantic County, Minutes of Orphans’ Court, 1837-1922
- Bergen County, Potter’s Field
- Burlington County Potters Field
- Burlington County, New Lisbon Developmental Center Cemetery AKA Burlington County Colony Training School
- Camden County, Alms House Cemetery
- Camden County, Ancora Psychiatric Hospital Cemetery
- Cumberland County, New Hope Cemetery AKA Vineland Developmental Center Cemetery
- Cumberland County, Training School at Vineland Cemetery
- Essex County, Essex County Jail 1880 Index of Prisoners
- Gloucester County, Alms House Cemetery
- Greenwich Township, Overseer of the Poor Accounts Ledger 1749-c.1790
- Hudson County, Alms House 1860 Census
- Hudson County, Burial Ground (Defunct) AKA Seacaucus Potter’s Field
- Hudson County, Christian Home of Orphan Children Records
- Hudson County, Poor House Data
- Hunterdon County, Cemetery New Jersey Sanatorium
- Kearny, Sacred Heart Orphanage, Parish Registers, 1902-1932
- Mercer County, New Jersey State Hospital Cemetery
- Mercer County, New Jersey State Prison Cemetery
- Mercer County, Saint Michael Orphanage Chapel
- Middlesex County, Commitments and Jail Accounts, 1783-1887
- Middlesex, Perth Amboy Hospital Records, 1802-1881
- Monmouth County, Overseers of the Poor
- Monmouth County, State Hospital Cemetery
- Morris County, 1860 Census – Boonton Poor House
- Morris County, Abstracts from Poor Records 1769-1779 from Pequanock Town Book I
- Morris County, Little Lost Cemetery
- Morris County, Poor House in 1880
- Morris County, Poor House in the 1850 Census
- Morris County, Poor House in the 1860 Census
- Morris County, Poor House in the 1870 Census
- Morris County, Poor House in the 1880 Census
- New Jersey, World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, Prisoners, Insane, In Hospitals, 1917-1918
- Ocean County, Little Egg Harbor Township Hospital Records, 1823-1891
- Passaic County, Orphans Court Records, 1837-1900
- Salem County, Almshouse Cemetery AKA County Home Cemetery
- Somerset County, Orphan’s Court Accounts
- Somerset County, Record of Lunacies 1845-1945
- Sussex County, Alms House Potter’s Field
- Sussex County, Welfare Home Cemetery
- Union County, Alms House Cemetery
- Union County, Union County Jail 1900 Index of Prisoners
- Warren County, County Home Cemetery
- Warrens County, Orphans’ Court Minutes, 1825-1901
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!