Providence County, Rhode Island Genealogy
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Guide to Providence County, Rhode Island ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, and military records.
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County Information
Description
The county is located in the north area of the state. [2]
County Courthouse
Providence County Courthouse
250 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401-222-3250
Providence Courthouse
Records are kept on the town level and not the county level.
Town and City Clerks have birth, marriage and death records.
Probate Judge has probate records.
Family Court has divorce records.
Municipal Court has court records.
Recorder Deeds has land records.
Providence 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.
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| at town creation | at town creation | at town creation | 1703 | 1636 | 1636 | 1747 |
Record Loss
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There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county. |
Boundary Changes
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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:[5]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
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Towns Organized before 1800:
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History Timeline
Resources
Bible Records
Biographies
Business, Commerce, and Occupations
Cemeteries
Online Resources
- 1846-1950 Rhode Island, Providence County, Providence, Swan Point Cemetery Records, ca.1846-ca.1950 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1872-Onward Rhode Island, Providence Catholic Burials at MyHeritage — index ($)
- Poccassett Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island
Census Records
For tips on accessing census records online, see: Rhode Island Census.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 24,376 | — |
| 1800 | 25,854 | 6.1% |
| 1810 | 30,869 | 19.4% |
| 1820 | 35,736 | 15.8% |
| 1830 | 47,018 | 31.6% |
| 1840 | 58,073 | 23.5% |
| 1850 | 87,526 | 50.7% |
| 1860 | 107,799 | 23.2% |
| 1870 | 149,190 | 38.4% |
| 1880 | 197,874 | 32.6% |
| 1890 | 255,123 | 28.9% |
| 1900 | 328,683 | 28.8% |
| 1910 | 424,353 | 29.1% |
| 1920 | 475,190 | 12.0% |
| 1930 | 540,016 | 13.6% |
| 1940 | 550,298 | 1.9% |
| 1950 | 574,973 | 4.5% |
| 1960 | 568,778 | −1.1% |
| 1970 | 580,261 | 2.0% |
| 1980 | 571,349 | −1.5% |
| 1990 | 596,270 | 4.4% |
| 2000 | 621,602 | 4.2% |
| 2010 | 626,667 | 0.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1905 Rhode Island State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Church Records
List of Churches and Church Parishes
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Court Records
Directories
- 1861-1924 Fold3 ($) has Providence City Directories 1861-1924 available online.
- 1895-1935 Providence House Directories at Providence City Archives website - free. 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919-1920, 1921-1922, 1923-1924, 1925-1926, 1927-1928, 1929-1930, 1931-1932, 1933-1934, 1935.
- 1940 Pawtucket and Central Falls, Providence County, Rhode Island, City Directory, 1940 at MyHeritage — index & images ($)
- 1970-2024 United States, Residence Database, 1970-2024 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index, coverage may vary
Emigration and Immigration
Ethnic, Political, and Religious Groups
African Americans
Cottrol, Robert J. The Afro-Yankees : Providence's Black Community in the Antebellum Era - Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press 1982. (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies, 0069-9624; no. 68) FS Library 974.52 F2c
Funeral Homes
Genealogies
- 1636 Genealogy of the Descendants of Thomas Angell Who Settled in Providence, 1636 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
Guardianship
Land and Property Records
Online Land Indexes and Records
- Full-Text Search - Land Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
Local Histories
Maps and Gazetteers
Click a neighboring county
for more resources
for more resources
- FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places
Migration
Military Records
Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
- 1907-1991 Rhode Island Naturalization Records 1907-1991 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Newspapers
- 1778-1784, 1799-1828 The Providence Gazette at Google News - free.
- 1779-1781 The American Journal and General Advertiser at Google News - free.
- 1785-1795 The Providence Gazette and Country Journal at Google News - free.
- 1799-1801 The Providence Journal at Google News - free.
- 1800s-1999 Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry ($)
- 1800s-Current Rhode Island, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-Current at Ancestry — index & images ($)
Obituaries
Other Records
Periodicals
Probate Records
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1582-1932 Island, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1582-1932 at Ancestry ($)
- 1663-1775 The Providence probate records to 1775 with index at FS Catalog 022385
- Full-Text Search - Wills and Probate Records at FamilySearch - index & images; dates, records, and places vary; How to Search
School Records
Social Security Records
- 1935-2014 United States Social Security Death Index at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
- 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- 1936-2007 United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
Tax Records
Vital Records
Birth
- 1630-1945 Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1636-1930 Rhode Island Births, 1636-1930 at Ancestry ($)
- 1800-1855 Rhode Island and Pawtucket, Massachusetts Birth Index, 1800-1855 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
- 1852-1900 Rhode Island, State Births Index, 1819, 1852-1900 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
Marriage
- 1522-1989 Rhode Island, United States Marriages at at Findmypast — index($)
- 1630-1945 Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index & images
- 1636-1930 Rhode Island Marriages, 1851-1920 at Ancestry ($)
- 1639-1932 Rhode Island Town Marriages Index, 1639-1932 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
- 1851-1920 Rhode Island Marriages, 1851-1920 Ancestry ($)
Death
- 1630-1945 Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945 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 ($)
- 1872-Onward Rhode Island, Providence Catholic Burials at MyHeritage — index ($)
Divorce
Research Facilities
Archives
Listed below are archives in Providence 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
- Providence Rhode Island FamilySearch Center
- American French Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
- Cranston Public Library - an affiliate library
- Warwick Public Library - an affiliate library
Libraries
Listed below are libraries in Providence 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 Providence 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 - Blackstone Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 125
1873 Louisquisset Pike
Lincoln, RI 02865
Email: treasurerbvhs@gmail.com
Website - Burrillville Historical and Preservation Society
Box 93
16 Laurel Hill Avenue
Pascoag, RI 02859
Phone: 401-568-8534
Website - American-French Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 830
78 Earle Street
Woonsocket, RI 02895
Phone: 401-765-6141
Website - Rhode Island Historical Society Library
121 Hope Street
Providence, RI 02906
Phone: 401-273-8107 Ext. 410
Email: reference@rihs.org
Website
Websites
- Rhode Island RIGenWeb
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Providence County.
- Providence County RI Genealogy
- 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
- ↑ [Providence Plantations Genealogy Newberry]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Providence, Rhode Island" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_County,_Rhode_Island accessed 3 Dec 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Providence 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.
- ↑ Newberry
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Providence County, Mississippi," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_County,_Rhode_Island, Last accessed 16 Septeber 2020.