Bristol County, Rhode Island Genealogy
Guide to Bristol County, Rhode Island ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Bristol County, Rhode Island | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Rhode Island | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | 1685 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Bristol |
| Courthouse | |
| Named for: Bristol, Gloucestershire, England Website: Bristol Rhode Island | |
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Bristol County, Rhode Island Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 Places / Localities
- 5 Resources
- 5.1 Archives and Libraries
- 5.2 Asylums
- 5.3 Biographies
- 5.4 Cemeteries
- 5.5 Census
- 5.6 Church History and Records
- 5.7 Court Records
- 5.8 Genealogy
- 5.9 History
- 5.10 Land and Property
- 5.11 Maps
- 5.12 Military History and Records
- 5.13 Mines, Mining and Mineral Resources
- 5.14 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 5.15 Newspapers
- 5.16 Obituaries
- 5.17 Passenger Lists
- 5.18 Probate Records
- 5.19 Taxation
- 5.20 Vital Records
- 6 Societies, Libraries and Museums
- 7 Websites
- 8 References
Description[edit | edit source]
Bristol County is located in the east-central area of the state.[1]. The county was named for its "shire town" (county seat) - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England.
Bristol County, Rhode Island Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| at town creation | at town creation | at town creation | 1747 | 1747 | 1747 | 1747 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
Bristol County Courthouse
1 Dorrance Plaza
Warren, RI 02885-4369
Phone: 508.823.6588
There is no Co Clk in Bristol Co; Twn & City Clks have
birth, marriage, death and probate records;
Clerk District Court has court records
Four twns in Bristol County)
Towns Organized Before 1800: Barrington 1717, Bristol 1681, Warren 1746-7
There is no county government. Government level is at town and state levels.
Parent County[edit | edit source]
17 February 1746: Created from land gained from Bristol County, Massachusetts after resolution of a boundary dispute between the two colonies .[3]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
For animated maps illustrating Rhode Island County boundary changes, "Rotating Formation Rhode Island County Boundary Maps" (1643-1963) may be viewed for free at the MapofUS.org website.
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
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]
| Towns | ||
|
||
Resources[edit | edit source]
Archives and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Asylums[edit | edit source]
- History of Asylums Genealogy Trails
Biographies[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| RIGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| RIGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Rhode Island Cemeteries for more information. | ||
Census[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1790 | 3,211 | — |
| 1800 | 3,801 | 18.4% |
| 1810 | 5,072 | 33.4% |
| 1820 | 5,637 | 11.1% |
| 1830 | 5,446 | −3.4% |
| 1840 | 6,476 | 18.9% |
| 1850 | 8,514 | 31.5% |
| 1860 | 8,907 | 4.6% |
| 1870 | 9,421 | 5.8% |
| 1880 | 11,394 | 20.9% |
| 1890 | 11,428 | 0.3% |
| 1900 | 13,144 | 15.0% |
| 1910 | 17,602 | 33.9% |
| 1920 | 23,113 | 31.3% |
| 1930 | 25,089 | 8.5% |
| 1940 | 25,548 | 1.8% |
| 1950 | 29,079 | 13.8% |
| 1960 | 37,146 | 27.7% |
| 1970 | 45,937 | 23.7% |
| 1980 | 46,942 | 2.2% |
| 1990 | 48,859 | 4.1% |
| 2000 | 50,648 | 3.7% |
| 2010 | 49,875 | −1.5% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
For tips on accessing Bristol County, Rhode Island Genealogy census records online, see: Rhode Island Census.
- 1905 - Rhode Island State Census, 1905 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Church History and Records[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court Records[edit | edit source]
Genealogy[edit | edit source]
Mailing Lists[edit | edit source]
- RI Bristol County Rootsweb (subscription required)
Message Boards[edit | edit source]
- Genealogy Queries Cousinconnect
- GenForum Login required to post
History[edit | edit source]
- Sowams: with ancient records of Sowams and parts adjacent; illustrated. Warren is current name for Sowams. FHL Collection
- Building histories
- Landmark sites LandmarkHunter
Land and Property[edit | edit source]
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- Newspaper account, 1823 (Genealogy Trails)
World War I[edit | edit source]
- World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 Ancestry ($)
- Awards of Distinguished Service Cross Medal Genealogy Trails
World War II[edit | edit source]
- Army Enlistments A-L Genealogy Trails
- Army Enlistments M-Z Genealogy Trails
- Honor List of Dead and Missing and Army Air Force Personnel Genealogy Trails
- Honor List of Dead and Missing and Army Air Force Personnel Access Genealogy
Korean Conflict[edit | edit source]
- List of Military personnel who died from hostile action, including missing and captured, 1950-1957 Genealogy Trails
Vietnam[edit | edit source]
- Casualties, Including Missing and Captured Declared Dead, 1957-1995 Genealogy Trails
Mines, Mining and Mineral Resources[edit | edit source]
- Mining Sites Mindat.org
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1907-1991 - Rhode Island Naturalization Records 1907-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
- 1809 - Bristol County Register at Google News - free.
- Genealogy Trails
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- Marriage Announcements Genealogy Trails
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Passenger Lists[edit | edit source]
Probate Records[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1582 – 1932 Rhode Island Wills and Probate Records 1582-1932 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
See also How to order Rhode Island Vital Records, order electronically online or download an application for Rhode Island Birth Certificate, Marriage Certificate, Death Certificate Application to mail.
- 1630 - 1945 - Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Births[edit | edit source]
- Rhode Island Births, 1636-1930 Ancestry ($)
- 1800-1855 Rhode Island and Pawtucket, Massachusetts Birth Index, 1800-1855 at Ancestry - index and images ($)
Marriages[edit | edit source]
- 1522-1989 - Rhode Island, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- Genealogy Trails
- Rhode Island Marriages, 1636-1930 Ancestry ($)
Deaths[edit | edit source]
Societies, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
Rhode Island Genealogical Society],
P.O. Box 433,
Greenville Public Library,
573 Putnam Pike,
RI 02828
Website
Rhode Island Historical Society],
110 Benevolent St,
Providence 02906-3103
Website
Bristol Historical And Preservation Society Library & Museum],
48 Court Street,
Bristol, RI 02809
Phone: (401) 253-7223
Website
Libraries[edit | edit source]
- Rhode Island State Library,
State House, 2nd floor,
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: (401) 222-2473 - Rhode Island Historical Society Library,
121 Hope Street,
Providence, RI 02906
TEL: (401) 273-8107 - East Greenwich Free Library,
82 Pierce Street East,
Greenwich, RI 02818 - Lincoln Public Library,
Old River Road,
Lincoln, RI 02865,
Phone: (401) 333-2422 - Louttit Memorial Library,
274 Victory Highway,
West Greenwich, RI 02817
Phone: (401) 397-3434 - Robert H Champlin Library,
1043 Main Street,
West Warwick, RI 02893,
Phone: (401) 828-3750 - Warwick Public Library,
600 Sandy Lane,
Warwick, RI 02886
Family History Centers
[edit | edit source]
Family History Center and Affiliate Library Locator map - search for local Family History Centers or Affiliate Libraries
- Family History 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 family history center.
Local Centers and Affiliate Libraries
Websites[edit | edit source]
- Bristol County, RI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Rhode Island Genealogy Network Community on Google+
- Rhode Island Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Linkpendium
- Genealogy Trails
- The Bristol County RIGenWeb Project, part of The RIGenWeb Project
- The USGenWeb Archives Project
- The USGenWeb Archives Project back up site
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Bristol County
- Bristol County Genealogy
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Bristol, Rhode Island" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_County,_Rhode_Island accessed 3 Dec 2018
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Bristol County, Rhode Island . Page 602 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL 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.
- ↑ WorldCat 50140092 ▲ FHL Collection Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed.] (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002)
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Wikipedia contributors, "Bristol, Rhode Island" in https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_County,_Rhode_Island Last accessed 16 September 2020.
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