Charlestown, Washington County, Rhode Island Genealogy

United States

Rhode Island

Washington County

Charlestown

Town Information

Description

Charlestown, Rhode Island at Wikipedia

The area of land known today as Charlestown, was originally called Misquamicoke (Misquamicut). The lands of present-day Westerly, Charlestown, Richmond, and Hopkinton, were acquired through a purchase known as the Misquamicut Purchase, from a well-respected Indian named Chief Sosoa of the Narragansett tribe. This town was named in honor of Charles II, the English King who granted a charter to Rhode Island.
Charlestown was incorporated on August 23, 1738, via Act Dividing the Town Westerly, Charlestown Established, viewable in the Rhode Island Department of State records. From 1737-1747, this town also included the area of Rhode Island now known as Richmond, Rhode Island.

Populated Places

Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities,
Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Town Records

In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Charlestown Town Clerk

Office of the Town Clerk
4540 South County Trail
Charlestown, RI, 02813
Telephone: 401-364-1200
charlestownri.gov/townclerk

Vital Records

• A large number of vital records can be found in the James N. Arnold text, Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850: A Family Register for the People. Vol 5: Washington County.
• A downloadable PDF of Deaths for 1850-1930, as well as a downloadable PDF of Births, Deaths, and Marriages, 1738-1849, can be downloaded from the Charlestown Historical Society website.
• Charlestown, Washington, Rhode Island computer printout; births or christenings, 1747-1850 FS Catalog to digital images

Births

• 1636-1850 Rhode Island: Vital Records, 1636-1850 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
• 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Births and Baptisms Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1852-1900 Rhode Island, State Births Index, 1819, 1852-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images

Marriages

• 1636-1850 Rhode Island: Vital Records, 1636-1850 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
• 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Marriages Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images

Deaths

• 1636-1850 Rhode Island: Vital Records, 1636-1850 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
• 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Deaths and Burials Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1852-1946 Rhode Island U.S., Death Registrations and Records, 1852-1946 at Ancestry — index & images ($)

Resources

For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

• 1647-2000 Rhode Island: Historical Cemeteries, 1647-2000 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)

This text, Rhode Island towns, Charlestown : showing location of historical cemeteries, contains the maps of locations and descriptions of historical cemeteries in the town.

• Charlestown Cemeteries at FamilySearch Catalog
• Charlestown Cemeteries List at Find a Grave
• Washington County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Catalog
• Washington County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places

Church Records

Historically, the largest religious groups in Rhode Island were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Vermont denominations, view the New Hampshire Church Records wiki page.

To see the churches in TOWN, visit.

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of TOWN:

• 1636-1899 Rhode Island, Vital Extracts, 1636-1899 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Births and Baptisms Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Deaths and Burials Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
• 1671-1899 Rhode Island Church Records 1671-1899 at Findmypast - index ($)
• Rhode Island Church Records

City Directories

• 1924,1925 Rhode Island, U.S., City Directories, Charlestown at Ancestry - index & images ($), some years may be missing
• Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index & images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Land Records

The following are online land records for the town of Charlestown:

• 1646-1851 Proceedings of the General Assembly, 1646-1851 (Includes Land Transfers, & Grants)(*) Rhode Island. General Assembly, & Rhode Island. Court of Trials at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
• 1737-1770Land evidence records, 1737-1770, Charlestown, Rhode Island at FS digital images
• 1738-1931Land Evidence Books, 1738-1931, Charlestown, Rhode Island at FS digital images
• Rhode Island Land and Property

Local Histories

• Historical Sketch of the Town of Charlestown, in Rhode Island, from 1636 to 1876, transcribed and written by William Franklin Tucker, viewable on Archive.org
• Reflections of Charlestown, Rhode Island, 1876-1976 : a memorial to the bicentennial celebration of the United States of America, FS Library call #974.59/C1 H2t

Maps

This selection incudes town, county, state, and historical maps

• Boundary Map of Charlestown at HomeTownLocator
• Charlestown at FamilySearch Places
• Charlestown at Google Maps
• Charlestown at Mapcarta
• McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
• Old Maps of Rhode Island at Old-Maps.com
• Rhode Island Maps State Page
  
  

Military

• United States Military Records

Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:

• Rhode Island Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
• United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865

For more Civil War Military Records see:

• Rhode Island Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918

For more World War I Military Records see:

• Rhode Island Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
• United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945

For more World War II Military Records see:

• Rhode Island Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
• United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Other Town Records: Probate, Town Council,

In Charlestown, some town council records are intermixed with probate records. In Rhode Island, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town.

• Charlestown (R.I.) probate and town council records, 1738-1916 at FamilySearch Catalog, 1738-1800, & 1866-1870 records digitized. This collection includes some vital records within the probate records.
• Town Council and meeting records, 1738-1889 of Charlestown (R.I.) at FamilySearch Catalog.

These records may include the following:

Births Marriages Deaths Burials Cemetery records Appointments Earmarks Estrays (stray animals) Freemens' oaths (men eligible to vote) Land records Mortgages Name changes Care of the poor School records Surveys Tax lists Town meeting minutes Voter registrations Warning outs (of town)

The following are TOWN town records available online:

Probate Records

• 1582-1932 Rhode Island, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
• Rhode Island Probate Records

Research Facilities

Nearest FamilySearch Center

FamilySearch Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local FamilySearch Centers or Affiliate Libraries

• FamilySearch Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
• FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.
  

Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries

• Groton Connecticut FamilySearch Center
• Providence Rhode Island FamilySearch Center
• American French Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
• Clark Memorial Public Library - an affiliate library
• Newport Public Library - an affiliate library
• Roger Williams University Library - an affiliate library

Societies

Charlestown Historical Society
4417B Old Post Road
Charlestown, RI 02813
Email: info@charlestownhistorical.org
https://www.charlestownhistorical.org/

FamilySearch Catalog (FS Catalog); formerly called, Family History Library Catalog (FHLC)

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FamilySearch affiliate libraries may have access to center-only databases, but do not always have all services normally provided by a FamilySearch center.