The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-09-19
OLD SUPREME COURT RECORDS.
Arranging Them from the Beginning
Down to 1910.

Down to IS4O.
An important work has been going on
for several years, in the office of the
Clerk of the Supreme Court, under the
personal direction of Mr.. Lee. He has
undertakne the sorting, arranging and
indeSing the papers in all the cases from
the beginning down to about 1910, when
the existing indexes began. The old
papers were mixed up at the time of the
fire in the State House in 1885, and there
was never any proper index to the papers
on the minutes, and it was impossible
to fiad the papers in an old case. The
index is made by the names of the par
ties with references to their residences
and occupations. There are already
about million of names in the index.
The papers and parchments are being
sorted alphabetically, with reference to
the names of both PLAINTIFF and defend
ant and it has now become easy to find
the papers in many old cases. 1t became
important short ago, in order to es-
tablish a title in Monmouth county, to
find out whether a sale had taken place
under an execution against William Alex
ander, Earl of Sterling, and the execu-
ton was readily found, with the Sher-
ifs return, showing that the lands had
been sold. The old papers thus rendered
accessible will throw a great deal Of
light upon the early HISTORY of New
Jersey.
The first book of the minutes of the
Supreme Court of West Jersey, held at
Burlington, is in the Clerks Office in
Trenton. The title page reads as follows:
,,I;,,
1.-THE COURT BOoKE'
Containing the Order of Proceedings
of the Court of Burlington and Liberties
Jurisdictions and Preeincts PrreeSeiin thereof
The first entry is the oath of office of
the judges
At the Court, March 25, 1881.
& Wee, whose names are hereunder writ
ten (being chosen Commissioners for We
Province of West Jersey from We 25th
of the 1st moneth called March, 1881
for one whole year next ensuing by the
comon vote of the people, doe hereby
promiss that wee will truly and faith
fully discharge our respective trusts ac-
cording to the laws of the said province
the respective offices and duties and doe
equal justice and right to all men accord
ing to our best skill and judgment with
out corruption, favor or affection.
Robert Stacey Richard Guy
Thos. Olive Edward Broadway
Samuel Jennings
Thomas Budd
John Thompson
Thomas Lambert
Mahlon Stacy
Commissioners.
Most of these men We're signers of the
original concessions and agreements of
the proprietors of West Jersey, dated
March 5, 1876. The name of Edward
Bradway or Broadway, is preserved in
Broadway street. now called Broadway,
in Salem. He was the grandfather of
Elizabeth Broadway, who was married to
Edward Keasbey in Salem, in 1928
The following orders were found on
the first page of this Court Book
May 10, 16S1--It is further ordered that
all persons concerned bring in their prin-
which will be on Tuesday, the seven
teenth of we fourth month called June
next ensuing, or at the said Court to
give sufficient and satisfactory reason
for their omission thereof that s-,ch
deeds may be recorded according to the
purport of We concessions.
May 50 16S1-It is further ordered that
English silver money shall from hence
forth pass at the rate following, (viz.)
The shilling at one shilling six pence
and soc proportionally at the same rate
for greater or lesser peeses of money,
things shall pass fors one half
penny peese, and a copper half penny of
the same 2oyne shall passe for one penny
a peese, provided that no person or per-
sons be compelled or compellable to take
above six pence of said copper coyne in
ther order.--'New Jersey Law Journal