Kent County, Rhode Island Genealogy

Guide to Kent County, Rhode Island ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.


 * This article is about a county in the state of Rhode Island. For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation).

County Courthouse
Kent County Courthouse 222 Quaker Lane; West Warwick, RI 02893 Phone: 401.841.835 (Town and City Clerks have birth, marriage, death, burial, probate and land records  (Five twns in Kent Co) Towns Organized Before 1800; Coventry 1741, East Greenwich 1677, Warwick 1642-3, West Greenwich 1741

There is no county government. The government is located at town and state levels.

Quick Facts
Named for County of Kent, England.

Parent County
11 June 1759: Created from the Providence Plantations.

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.

Cemeteries

 * Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission

Census

 * 1905 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Probate Records
Online Probate Records
 * 1582 – 1932 Rhode Island Wills and Probate Records 1582-1932 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Vital Records
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 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Societies, Libraries and Museums

 * Rhode Island Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 433, Greenville Public Library, 573 Putnam Pike, Greenville, RI 02828
 * Rhode Island Historical Society, 110 Benevolent St, Providence 02906-3103

Libraries

 * 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

 * Providence Rhode Island Family History Center (Warwick)

Websites

 * Kent County, RI History, Records, Facts and Genealogy
 * Rhode Island Genealogy Network Community on Google+
 * Rhode Island Genealogy Network Group on Facebook
 * The Kent County RIGenWeb Project, an member of The RIGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County.
 * The USGenWeb Archives Project for Kent County. (backup site)
 * FamilySearch Catalog for Kent County
 * Kent County RI Genealogy