Kent County, Rhode Island Genealogy

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Guide to Kent County, Rhode Island ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.

This article is about a county in the state of Rhode Island. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation).
County Facts
County seat:
Organized: June 11, 1759
Parent County(s): Providence Plantations
Neighboring Counties
New London (CT) Providence Washington Windham (CT)
See County Maps
Courthouse
Rhode Island, Kent County Courthouse.png
Location Map
Ri-kent.png

County Information

Description

The county was named for the county of Kent, England. The county is located in the east central area of the state. [1]

County Courthouse

Kent County Courthouse
222 Quaker Lane
West Warwick, RI 02893
Phone: 401-822-6900
Kent County Courthouse Website

Records are kept on the town level and not the county level.
Town and City Clerks have birth, marriage, death, burial, probate and land records.

Kent County, Rhode Island Record Dates

Information for this chart was taken from various sources, often containing conflicting dates. This information should be taken as a guide and should be verified by contacting the county and/or the state government agency.

Known Beginning Dates for Government County Records[2]
Birth* Marriage Death* Court Land Probate Census
at town creation at town creation at town creation 1750 1679 1679 1747
*Statewide registration for births and deaths began in 1853. General compliance by 1915.

Record Loss

There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

Populated Places

For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:[4]

Cities
Towns
Villages
Census-designated places


Towns Organized before 1800:

  • Coventry 1741
  • East Greenwich 1677
  • Warwick 1642-3
  • West Greenwich 1741

History Timeline

Resources

Bible Records

Biographies

Business, Commerce, and Occupations

Cemeteries

Cemeteries of Kent County, Rhode Island online and in print
Tombstone Transcriptions Online
Tombstone Transcriptions in Print (Often more complete)
List of Cemeteries in the County
See Rhode Island Cemeteries for more information.

Census Records

For tips on accessing census records online, see: Rhode Island Census.

Historical populations
Census Pop.
1790 8,851
1800 8,487 −4.1%
1810 9,834 15.9%
1820 10,228 4.0%
1830 12,789 25.0%
1840 13,083 2.3%
1850 15,068 15.2%
1860 17,303 14.8%
1870 18,595 7.5%
1880 20,588 10.7%
1890 26,754 29.9%
1900 29,976 12.0%
1910 36,378 21.4%
1920 38,269 5.2%
1930 51,390 34.3%
1940 58,311 13.5%
1950 77,763 33.4%
1960 112,619 44.8%
1970 142,382 26.4%
1980 154,163 8.3%
1990 161,135 4.5%
2000 167,090 3.7%
2010 166,158 −0.6%
Source: "Wikipedia.org".

Church Records

List of Churches and Church Parishes

Court Records

Directories

Emigration and Immigration

Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups

Funeral Homes

Genealogies

Guardianship

Land and Property Records

Online Land Indexes and Records

Local Histories

Maps and Gazetteers

ProvidenceBristolNewportWashingtonNew London, ConnecticutWindham, ConnecticutRI KENT.PNG
Click a neighboring county
for more resources

Migration

Military Records

Naturalization and Citizenship

Online Naturalization Indexes and Records

Newspapers

Obituaries

Other Records

Periodicals

Probate Records

Online Probate Indexes and Records

School Records

Social Security Records

Tax Records

Vital Records

Birth

Marriage

Death

Divorce

Research Facilities

Archives

Listed below are archives in Kent County. For state-wide facilities, see Rhode Island Archives and Libraries.

FamilySearch Centers

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

Libraries

Listed below are libraries in Kent County. For state-wide library facilities, see Rhode Island Archives and Libraries.

  • Rhode Island State Library
    State House, 2nd floor
    82 Smith Street, Room 208
    Providence, RI 02903
    Phone: 401-222-2473
    Website
  • East Greenwich Free Library
    82 Pierce Street
    East Greenwich, RI 02818
    Phone: 401-884-9510
    Website
  • Greenville Public Library
    573 Putnam Pike
    Greenville, RI 02828
    Phone: 401-949-3630
    Website
  • Lincoln Public Library
    145 Old River Road
    Lincoln, RI 02865
    Phone: 401-333-2422
    Website
  • Louttit Memorial Library
    274 Victory Highway
    West Greenwich, RI 02817
    Phone: 401-397-3434
    Email: louttitlibrary@gmail.com
    Website
  • Robert H Champlin Library
    1043 Main Street
    West Warwick, RI 02893
    Phone: 401-828-3750
  • Warwick Public Library
    600 Sandy Lane
    Warwick, RI 02889
    Phone: 401-739-5440
    Website

Museums

Societies

Listed below are societies in Kent County. For state-wide genealogical and historical societies, see Rhode Island Societies.

  • Rhode Island Genealogical Society
    P.O. Box 211
    Hope, RI 02831
    Email: info@rigensoc.org
    Website
  • Rhode Island Historical Society
    110 Benevolent St
    Providence, RI 02906
    Phone: 401-331-8575
    Website
  • Rhode Island Historical Society Library
    121 Hope Street
    Providence, RI 02906
    Phone: 401-273-8107 Ext. 410
    Email: reference@rihs.org
    Website

Websites

  • FamilySearch Catalog – The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection.  Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.

Research Guides

References

  1. Wikipedia contributors, "Kent, Rhode Island" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County,_Rhode_Island accessed 3 Dec 2018
  2. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Kent County, Rhode Island . Page 602 At various libraries (WorldCat); FS Library Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 589-591.
  3. Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FS Library book 973 D27e 2002].
  4. Wikipedia contributors, "Kent County, Rhode Island," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kent_County,_Rhode_Island, Last accessed 16 September 2020.