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.

Rhode Island Online Genealogy Records

Description
The County is located in the north area of the state.

County Courthouse
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
Named for the Divine Providence.

16 June 1729: Renamed Providence County.

Parent County
1703: Formed as Providence Plantations County.

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

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:

Cemeteries

 * — index How to Use this Collention
 * Poccassett Cemetery, Cranston, Rhode Island
 * Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission

Census

 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Church History and Records (Rural)
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * FamilySearch Places

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.

Ethnic, Religious and Political Groups
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 

Maps

 * FamilySearch Places: Map of cities and towns in this county - How to Use FS Places

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1907-1991 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

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 U.S., Newspapers.com Marriage Index, 1800s-1999 at Ancestry - index ($)

Probate
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

Births

 * 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

 * Genealogy Trails
 * Rhode Island Marriages, 1636-1930 Ancestry ($)


 * 1522-1989 - Rhode Island, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1630 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Deaths

 * 1630 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Other

 * 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 ($); . Includes baptisms, marriages.
 * 1630 - 1945 - at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1636 - 1930 - On American Ancestors ($): 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

 * Rhode Island Genealogical Society P.O. Box 211 Hope, RI 02831 Email: [mailto:info@rigensoc.org 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: [mailto:treasurerbvhs@gmail.com 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

Libraries

 * Rhode Island State Library State House, 2nd floor 82 Smith Street, Room 208 Providence, RI 02903 Phone: 401-222-2473 Website
 * Rhode Island Historical Society Library 121 Hope Street Providence, RI 02906 Phone: 401-273-8107 Ext. 410 Email: [mailto:reference@rihs.org reference@rihs.org] 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: [mailto:louttitlibrary@gmail.com 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

Family History Centers

 * Franklin Massachusetts Family History Center
 * North Dartmouth Massachusetts Family History Center
 * Providence Rhode Island Family History Center


 * American French Genealogical Society - an affiliate library
 * David Allen Lambert Library - an affiliate library
 * Middleborough Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Roger Williams University Library - an affiliate library

Websites

 * 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 Catalog for Providence County
 * Providence County RI Genealogy