Black Births

Forms part of the repository's County Clerk's Office subgroup. Written notifications (495 items, 1805-1836) to the county clerk by slaveowners announcing the birth of a child; and Black Birth Book A (47 leaves) where each birth was recorded, usually five or six births to a page, spanning the years 1804-1848, at which time records began to be kept by the State of New Jersey. Birth statistics include date, location, name of child and parents, and slaveowner.

Transferred to the repository by Jane G. Clayton, Monmouth County Clerk. Finding aid and computerized indexes in the repository. Published in Black Birth Book of Monmouth County, New Jersey, 1804-1848 / George H. Moss, Jr., editor and Ellen Thorne Morris, compiler (1989).

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

By the Act of February 11, 1804, all births of children of slaves in New Jersey were required to be recorded by the County Clerks in books specifically kept for that purpose.  Additional information regarding the history of these books can be found in the Black Birth Book of Monmouth County, 1804-1848, published in 1989 by the Office of the Monmouth County Clerk. This publication is believed to be a complete compilation of the information found in these records.

SCOPE AND CONTENT

Record Series 1800 consists of two subseries:

495 written notifications (1805 - 1836) to the Monmouth County Clerk by slaveowners announcing the birth of a child. Each birth was recorded in Black Birth Book A and the County Clerk noted the page in Book A on the back of the notification.

Black Birth Book A, 1804-1851, 47 leaves, usually five or six births to a page.

In 2011, 6 additional birth records were found which had never been recorded and were not included in Ellen Morris’ book.

USE

Copies of the original slave owner notifications (except the last two from 1838 and 1848 which were found later and the 6 found in 2011) and Black Birth Book A are available on microfilm (one roll).  The notification documents are arranged chronologically by the County Clerk's filing date, beginning in 1805.  Book A is arranged chronologically by recording date beginning in 1804.

Four computerized indexes to the records are available. An explanation of the use of these indexes is included in the Black Birth Book (1989).

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