The Archives of the Diocese of New Jersey is a repository of materials on the history of the diocese. We oversee, steward, and curate a vast treasury of data about the churches of the diocese, including information on their clergy and laity. This material has been acquired and made accessible for the use of both professional and non-professional researchers.
Diocesan and parish archives are required by the Canons of the Episcopal Church and are organized under through the guidelines published by the Episcopal Church archives in Austin TX, along with recommendations from National Episcopal Historical Association.
While there have been archives in the Diocese of New Jersey from the days of our first bishops, the beginning of a formal plan and staff for such an endeavor began with the efforts of the Rev. Canon Laurence D. Fish. Canon Fish had worked alongside the Rev. David R. King, who famously wrote and published the history of the diocese for the U.S. bicentennial in 1985.
Files and other memorabilia were collected and stored in the basement 808 West State St. in far less than ideal conditions. Eventually, part of the Matthews Conference Center was established to better store archival materials, especially those particularly susceptible to the vagaries of humidity and temperature.
Canon Fish brought to the position a strong sense of the church’s and diocese’s history, a vacuum-cleaner like ability to acquire important new materials, and a graceful and clear writing style that gave freshness and life to the stories of the past.
The Rev. Canon Richard C. Wrede has been the part-time Archivist and Historiographer of the Diocese of New Jersey for seven years. He is in the archives most Thursdays.
Through a contract with the Diocese of New Jersey, Ancestry.com is scanning the Parish Registers from the churches in the Diocese, both active and extinct. We look forward to having these records online in the next couple of years along with free access to Ancestry and their many databases.
For information about the Archives, phone us directly at 609-460-5410 or email Canon Wrede. We can assist you in many cases by email or make arrangements for a personal visit and use of the collections.
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