Trace your ancestors in Newark, NJ, with this genealogy guide to the city.
Newark—New Jersey’s largest city and the seat of Essex County—has a long history as a vibrant industrial hub that attracted our ancestors through the centuries. While many have departed the Gateway City for points farther west, genealogical riches remain. Treasure-filled records document residents from the earliest Puritan settlers to 20th-century immigrants—and we’ll help you find them.
Puritans from Connecticut founded Newark in 1666, initially calling it the New Plantation of New Ark. Newark received township status in 1693 and a royal charter in 1713. The New Jersey legislature incorporated Newark as a township in 1798 and a city April 11, 1836.