i went to the historical society today and i was a little confused, i thought they had cemetery records, i was told when i got there that you look up the person's name in the card file and that tells you where they are buried, but only if they had a headstone,,,did i miss something? I didn't exactly feel welcome so i ended up leaving after 20 minutes or so, is there anyone who is used to going there that might tell me what i should ask for , maybe that might help me the next time, I am trying to locate information on the Penwell family and the shrope family, i was hoping to find more data besides cemetery card files, i fiqure there must be something more.. any advice would be most helpful. sincerely, teresa.

Teresa, First, since I was today's library volunteer, please allow me to apologize if you felt uncomfortable or unwelcome. As you know, the space is small and we had 12 visitors in those two hours. Several of them were people who were not experienced researchers who were looking up their old house. They often need more help than most people who are doing genealogy. One of the other visitors was a professional researcher who needed access to the manuscript collection, which necessitated several trips up and downstairs to hand in requests to the archivist. So there was a little bit of bedlam this afternoon. And I gave you the wrong directions twice to the Prospect Hill Cemetery (blush). Again, I am sorry. As far as having heard that there were cemetery records there, what we have is what you used, the card index of tombstone inscriptions that have been compiled over a 90-year (more or less) period by avid tombstone hunters, some of whom are on this list. The card index was created for the convenience of people who just haven't the time to drive to and stroll through every small cemetery and burial ground in the county. It is by no means complete, it is only as good as the researcher who compiled it. Therefore, unless you've seen the stone yourself, should be considered as a hint, a piece of the evidence. Naturally, if there was no tombstone, there is no record in that file. If by cemetery records you thought there were interment records, I have never seen such records in our collection. If we have a lawyer on this list, perhaps you can correct me but I believe that in New Jersey, cemeteries must be incorporated and the record of interments is part of the legal records of the corporation. A large cemetery like Prospect Hill has officers who can consult records for you. I'm not sure how it works, as I have never had to do it. Church burial grounds make their records a part of the records of the church, and as with marriages and baptisms, some churches have them, some do not. Family and neighborhood burial grounds have no records except notations in family bibles. Another note, the Hunterdon County Historical Society is a private organization, not a part of county government. All legal records for the county are found in the County archives and the County Clerks office. The beginning of its library was the private book and manuscript collection of Hiram Deats. Among other things, Mr. Deats was an accomplished genealogists in the first half of the twentieth century. He lived in Flemington and was primarily interested in Flemington, Kingwood, Amwell and Delaware families. His collection is not even, it is especially lacking in areas north of Flemington. Like all personal collections, it often reflects his personal interests and prejudices. The library has outgrown its space several times and the trustees are currently looking to expand their space again. Again, let me apologize if you were not made to feel welcome. As volunteers, we all try to help visitors find what they are looking for. And unfortunately, we aren't always successful. Kathleen Schreiner