Somerset County's Churches
Also
See Churchscape
for Somerset Co NJ
Photographs of many of the churches can be found on this web
site
about Dutch Reformed Churches.
As
to what records
of the very old churches in Somerset County
still exist--in order to put the information sought in print
the former coordinator corresponded with pastors with the following
result. There were, besides the 11 churches enumerated,
some others existing in the 18th century, the records
of which, with some fragmentary exceptions, have disappeared.
For example:
- the Raritan-in-the-Hills
Church, near Pluckemin (German Lutheran), organized
about 1715 and suspended about 1756;
- the Church
on the Millstone (German Lutheran) certainly existing in
1724, though probably without a church building; certain baptisms
were published in the 1903 Year Book of the Holland Society of
New York City.
- St.
Pauls Church, Pluckemin
(German Lutheran) organized 1757 and suspended about 1809;
- and a
(probable) Presbyterian organization at Peapack
of 1738 or earlier.
- Basking
Ridge
- Presbyterian
Church
-- organized 1717 (Whippany Presby Church was organized 1719,
and they made reference in their records to BR being organized
2 years before. BR has no records of their organization date).
In general: 1795-1894 records are good. After 1895 they
have excellent records a formal register of baptisms,
marriages, deaths.
- Records:
Baptisms, Marriages, Deaths and Session records from 1795; Membership
very incomplete, from 1765.-1795. from Trustee Pew Rent
Records; Brief and irregular Trustees records from 1764-1795;
John Xeoaa 1732-1741; Charles McKnight 1742-1744; Joseph Lamb
1744-1749; Samuel Kennedy, 1751-1787; Robert Finley, 1795-1817;
Willliam C. Brownlee, 1818-1825; John Coe Van Dervoort 1826-1834;
Oscar Harris 1838-1851; John C. Rankin, 1851-1895; Edgar C. Mason
1895-1899; John T. Reeve 1900-1912; Lauren Gates Bennett. 1913-1944;
J. Merion Kadyk 1944-1951; William H. Felmeth 1951;
Contact
Info: 1 E. Oak St, Basking Ridge 908-766-1616;
Contact the church
at: http://brpc.org/
ALL of their records have been put on a computer FTM
software. You can also call or write them and they will get back
to you with the info; Church Cemetery Inscriptions taken
1909 - Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol 1 - 1912
- Bedminster
- Bedminster
Reformed Church
-- Organized 1758.
- Records:
Baptisms - from 1841, Marriages - from 1841, Deaths from
1840, Membership - from 1802, Consistorial records from
1840; The Names of "Members of Consistory 1758-1886 were
published in Thompsons "Historical Sketch of the Bedminster
Church", 1887; Rev. Charles G. Mallery.
- Pluckemin
"The Presbyterian Church of Pluckemin, 1851-1951"
- Records.
(they apparently wrote a 100 year book) formerly Saint Pauls
Lutheran Church-built 1756.
- Cemetery
Old Pluckemin Burying Ground Inscriptions, transcribed
Oct 14, 1850 Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol
1 - 1912
- Bound
Brook
- Bound
Brook Presbyterian Church
- [originally Dutch Reformed]; Organized between 1710-1725
- Records:
Baptisms from 1816; Marriages - from 1830; Deaths from 1830;
Membership from 1815; Session records from 1804;
Above Records at Alexander Library-Rutgers University; Rev. C.J.
Culp. Rev John Boggs 1815 to April 5, 1828. A Rev. John Boggs
also worked for another church and traveled to other Presbyterian
and Baptist churches He was also 4th VP of the Hunterdon Cty
Bible Society and pastor at Hopewell Baptist Church in 1818.
Rev. K. Rodgers 1830-1874; Location & Contact: 409 Mountain
Ave 732-356-3575; Churchyard Inscriptions 1736-1850 - Somerset
County Historical Quarterly Vol 1 1912; Microfilm of Church
records 1805-1903 at Rutgers
- Branchburg
- Readington
Reformed Church (was North Branch) - Organized 1719.
- Records:
Baptisms from 1720.Marriages 1833-1853 and 1869 to date. Deaths
from 1869. Membership from 1721.Consistorial records
- from 1720, with a few breaks. (Church Officers 1719-1881 and
members 1721-1880 published in Thompsons "Readington
Church History", 1882.) Baptisms from 1720-1787 have already
been published in the Quarterly. Rev. Benjamin VD Wyckoff, Rev.
Peter Studdiford.
Added info: 124 Readington Rd 908-534-2077
- Hillsborough
- Neshanic
Reformed Church
- Organized 1752.
- Records:
Baptisms from 1762. (Baptisms from 1762 to 1878 have already
been published in the Quarterly.); Marriages - from 1821, with
some meager previous records; Deaths from 1875; Membership
1752-1785 incomplete; 1821 to date; Consistorial records
1752-1775 and 1785 to date; Rev. John Hart. Rev. Ludlow 1821-1878;
Contact info: 715 Amwell Rd, Hillsborough (908) 369-4542; 2001
Interim Minister Ruth Robins
- South
Branch - "The Reformed Church at South Branch 150
Years of Ministry 1850-2000"
Copyright
2000. lists membership, baptisms, and marriages beginning 1850.
Added info 870 River Rd, Hillsborough, (908) 369-4956
- Hillsborough
Reformed Church
1 Amwell Rd
Hillsborough, NJ
Phone: (908)359-3391
- Clover
Hill Reformed Church
249 Amwell Rd also listed at 890 Amwell
Hillsborough, NJ 08844-5143
Phone: (908)369-8451
- Franklin
- Six
Mile Run - Reformed Church - Organized 1710.
- Records:
Baptisms from 1743.Marriages - from 1798.Membership
from 1796.Consistorial records from 1796. Deaths from
1796 with numerous omissions. A few fragmentary records of 1710-13
by Domine Van Vlecq, who organized the church, were published
in the March, 1912 Magazine of the Genealogical Society of PA.
Rev. Eugene H. Keator, Rev. Henry DuBois Mulford, 1885. [3037
Route 27, Franklin Park 732-297-3734, border Middlesex/Somerset
counties. Cemetery 1 m s of church. 6 mi sw of New Brunswick,
now Franklin Park.]
- Griggstown
Reformed Church and Cemetery (1842)
- Records:
Canal Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540Edward P. Livingston 1855-1858Rev.
Robert Sletta, Supply 2001Mr. David Taylor, Supply 2001. From
Sharon: I believe their church records were transcribed at
one point and you can find them at Rutgers (Alexander Library).
The older records are in the original Dutch and in old leather
books, which they keep in the vault.
- Lamington
- Lamington
Presbyterian Church
- Organized about 1739. Early records (except of Trustees), as
of most Presbyterian churches, were considered the personal property
of the early pastors and have disappeared.
- These
records remain: Baptisms from 1810; Membership
from 1795; Session records from 1810; Trustees reports
from 1748; A few other records. The Contributors
1740-1809 and Members 1800-1890, were published in the
"Manual" of the church in 1890; Contact Info: 300 Lamington
Rd 908-439-2629.
- Millstone
- Millstone
Reformed Church
- Organized 1766. (Now - Reformed Dutch Church of Hillsborough)
- Records:
Baptisms from 1767; Marriages from 1782; Membership from 1766;
Consistorial records from 1716, except 1810-1814; Church Officers
and Members - 1776-1866, with early Subscription Lists, etc.,
were published in the "Centennial Memorial", 1866.
(on Somerset Web Site Source: Transcribed by Marti Vannice Wethington.
January 2000.); Rev. Andrew Hansen; Edward T. Corwin 1863- at
least 1883.
- East
Millstone
- East
Millstone Reformed Dutch Church -
organized 1855
- Liberty
Corner
- Montgomery
- Harlingen
Reformed Church
- cemetery in Hillsboro, church in Montgomery; Organized 1727.
- Records:
Baptisms, Marriages, Membership and Consistorial records complete
from 1727; Deaths 1727-1900; Some of the early baptisms have
been published in the "New York Genealogical and Biographical
Record" Volume 40; Shared ministers with Blawenburg and
Griggstown when they were forming; Rev. W.P.Sahler. Rev. Jacob
T. Beekman. Rev Blauvelt, Rev. Labaugh; Contact Info: ??34 Dutchtown
Harlingen Rd, Belle Mead 908-359-3556; Rev. William DeYoung 2001;
Cemetary Listings - Somerset County Historical Quarterly Vol
1 - 1912
- Mount
Bethel
- Mount
Bethel Baptist Church.
- Early records lost, except a few Minutes of Organization, etc.
in private hands.
- Oldwick
- Zion
Lutheran Church,
New Germantown (updated1/01)
- Records:
Book available on history of this church and includes the Lutheran
churches in the Valley of the Raritan, and in particular St.
Pauls Lutheran Church, Pluckemin from 1715-1900. by John
C. Honeyman. Names listed, but marriages, baptisms, burials,
etc are not complete; There is a small book entitled "The
Faithful and the Bold" by Norman C. Wittwer, Jr. 1984, available
for $10. It covers the story of the first service of the Zion
Evanglical Lutheran church, Oldwick (Pluckemin); They have fische
of the original records - but you have to go to the church to
view them. They are not available through the LDS loan system;
Contact Info: Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, PO Box 41, Oldwick,
NJ 08858. 908-439-2040.
- Raritan
- Somerville
First Reformed Church (Raritan). Organized
1699.
- Records:
Baptisms-from
1699. (Baptisms from 1699 to 1831 have already been published
in the Quarterly from 1912-1919) Marriages from 1800.
Membership from 1699. Consistorial records, minutes of
organization 1699; then from 1721 to date with various
omissions. Rev. William Stockton Crammer added info.
- Somerville
- United
Reformed Church, 100
W Main St, Somerville, NJ; Phone: (908) 725-4545
- Fourth
Reformed Church
41 N Middaugh St
Somerville, NJ
Phone: (908)725-3388
Somerset
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