Rhode Island, Town Deaths Index - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
This collection includes records from 1639 to 1932. It consists of an index to various town and vital deaths from all the counties: Bristol, Kent, Newport, Providence, and Washington. The collection includes some church records.

What Can this Collection Tell Me?
The records may contain any of the following:


 * Page number
 * Name
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Age
 * Sex
 * Color
 * Marital status
 * Occupation
 * Birth place
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' nativity
 * Cause of death
 * Burial place
 * Name of physician
 * Name of undertaker

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know:


 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date of death
 * The place of death
 * The names of family members and their relationships

How Do I Analyze the Results?
Compare each result from your search with what you know to determine if there is a match. This may require viewing multiple records or images. Keep track of your research in a research log.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family.

I Found Who I was Looking for, What Now?

 * Use the dates and names to find the family in census records.
 * Use the dates and names to find the family in church records.
 * Use the dates and names to find the family in land records.
 * Use the dates and names to find the family in additional town and county records.
 * The undertaker may have burial or funeral records which often list the names of family members.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname. This is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as more recent records.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

I Can't Find Who I'm Looking for, What Now?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for an index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.
 * Try alternative search methods such as only filling in the surname search box (or the given name search box) on the landing page leaving the other box empty and then click on search. This should return a list of everyone with that particular name. You could then browse the list for individuals that may be your ancestor.

Research Helps
The following articles will help you in your research for your family in the state of Rhode Island.
 * Rhode Island Guided Research
 * Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Research

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information.