Nelson’s New Jersey Marriage Records is perhaps the most frequently consulted book in New Jersey genealogy. It was originally published in 1900 as Vol. XXII of the Archives of the State of New Jersey, and it remains today the principal authority on early New Jersey marriages. All told it contains approximately 30,000 entries (15,000 marriages), giving place of residence and date of marriage. The bulk of the work derives from marriage bonds and licenses formerly located in the Secretary of State’s office but now on file in the New Jersey State Library. The balance–perhaps an additional 5,000 entries–were extracted from the marriage records of churches and counties in New Jersey. For the sake of simplicity the marriages are arranged in two alphabets, male and female.