Providence County, Rhode Island Genealogy
Guide to Providence County, Rhode Island ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Providence County, Rhode Island | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Rhode Island | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | June 16, 1729 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | |
| Courthouse | |
| Website: www.courtreference.com/Providence-County-Rhode-Island-Courts.htm | |
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Providence County, Rhode Island Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 Quick Facts
- 5 Places / Localities
- 6 Resources
- 6.1 Archives and Libraries
- 6.2 Cemeteries
- 6.3 Census
- 6.4 Church History and Records (Rural)
- 6.5 Court
- 6.6 Directories
- 6.7 Ethnic, Religious and Political Groups
- 6.8 Land
- 6.9 History
- 6.10 Maps
- 6.11 Military History and Records
- 6.12 Naturalization and Citizenship
- 6.13 Newspapers
- 6.14 Probate
- 6.15 Taxation
- 6.16 Vital Records
- 7 Societies, Libraries and Museums
- 8 Websites
- 9 References
Description[edit | edit source]
The County is located in the north area of the state. [1]
Providence County, Rhode Island Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| at town creation | at town creation | at town creation | 1703 | 1636 | 1636 | 1747 |
County Courthouse
[edit | edit source]
Providence County Courthouse
250 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02903
Phone: 401.277.671
Probate Judge has probate records
Family Court has divorce records;
Municipal Court has court records;
Recorder Deeds has land records;
Town and City Clerks have birth, marriage and death records
(22 towns in Providence Co) Towns Organized Before 1800; Cranston 1754, Cumberland 1746-7, Foster 1781, Gloucester 1730-1, Johnston 1759, North Providence 1765, Providence 1636, Scituate 1730-1, Smithfield 1730-1
There is no county government. The government is located at town and state levels.
Quick Facts[edit | edit source]
Named for the Divine Providence.
16 June 1729: Renamed Providence County. [3]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
1703: Formed as Providence Plantations County.
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]
| Cities | ||
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| Towns | ||
| Villages | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
Resources[edit | edit source]
Archives and Libraries[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 | ||
| RIInterment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Rhode Island Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- Rhode Island, Providence County, Providence, Swan Point Cemetery Records, ca.1846-ca.1950 — index How to Use this Collention
- Poccassett Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island
- Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission
Census[edit | edit source]
| 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". | ||
For tips on accessing Providence 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 (Rural)[edit | edit source]
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
Directories[edit | edit source]
- 1861-1924 - Fold3 ($) has Providence City Directories 1861-1924 available online.
- 1895-1935 - Providence House Directories at Providence City Archives website - free. 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1905, 1907, 1909, 1911, 1913, 1915, 1917, 1919-1920, 1921-1922, 1923-1924, 1925-1926, 1927-1928, 1929-1930, 1931-1932, 1933-1934, 1935.
Ethnic, Religious and Political Groups[edit | edit source]
Cottrol, Robert J. The Afro-Yankees : Providence's Black Community in the Antebellum Era - Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press 1982. (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies, 0069-9624; no. 68) FHL 974.52 F2c
Land[edit | edit source]
History[edit | edit source]
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Military History and Records[edit | edit source]
Naturalization and Citizenship[edit | edit source]
- 1907-1991 - Rhode Island Naturalization Records 1907-1991 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
- 1778-1784, 1799-1828 - The Providence Gazette at Google News - free.
- 1779-1781 - The American Journal and General Advertiser at Google News - free.
- 1785-1795 - The Providence Gazette and Country Journal at Google News - free.
- 1799-1801 - The Providence Journal at Google News - free.
- 1800s-1999 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Indexes and Records
- 1582 – 1932 Rhode Island Wills and Probate Records 1582-1932 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
- 1663 - 1775 The Providence probate records to 1775 with index at FHL 022385
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
Births[edit | edit source]
- 1630 - 1945 - Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 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]
- Genealogy Trails
- Rhode Island Marriages, 1636-1930 Ancestry ($)
- 1522-1989 - Rhode Island, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1630 - 1945 - Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Deaths[edit | edit source]
- 1630 - 1945 - Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
Other[edit | edit source]
- 1740s-1760s - Drowne, Henry Russell. "Some Vital Records of Providence, R.I.," The New York Genealogical and Biographical Record, Vol. 46, No. 1 (Jan. 1915):80-81. Digital versions at Internet Archive - free; New York Family History ($); FHL Book 974.7 B2n v. 46. Includes baptisms, marriages.
- 1630 - 1945 - Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
- 1636 - 1930 - On American Ancestors ($): Providence, RI: Alphabetical Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1636-1930.
- 1931 - 1940 - On American Ancestors ($): Providence, RI: Alphabetical Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1931-1940.
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.
Societies, Libraries and Museums[edit | edit source]
Rhode Island Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 433,
Website
Greenville Public Library
573 Putnam Pike,
Greenville, RI 02828
Website
Rhode Island Historical Society
110 Benevolent St,
Providence 02906-3103
Website
Blackstone Valley Historical Society
P.O. Box 125, 1873 Louisquisset Pike,
Lincoln, RI 02865
TEL: (401) 725-2847
Website
Burrillville Historical and Preservation Society
Box 93, Old Bridgeton School,
16 Laurel Hill Avenue,
Pascoag, RI 02859
TEL: (401) 568-8534
Website
American-French Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 830, 78 Earle Street,
Woonsocket, RI 02865
(401) 765-6141
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]
- Providence County, RI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
- Rhode Island Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
- Rhode Island RIGenWeb
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Providence County.
- FamilySearch.org FamilySearch Catalog for Providence County
- Providence County RI Genealogy
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ 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); 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.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Providence County, Mississippi," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Providence_County,_Rhode_Island, Last accessed 16 Septeber 2020.
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