Rhode Island, State Census, 1885 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This census enumerated the population in 1885.

The census information was handwritten on pre-printed sheets. The census is arranged by town and then alphabetically by males and females.

Rhode Island took state censuses in the following years:


 * 1865
 * 1875
 * 1885
 * 1905
 * 1915
 * 1925

For a list of records by counties currently published in this collection, select the Browse.

The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population to determine how many representatives the state had for legislative purposes.

Reliability of information in the census is determined by the accuracy of the knowledge of the informant. Informants could have been any member of the family or even a neighbor.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published in FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content


The census includes the following information:


 * Ward, city and county of enumeration
 * Name of every person who residing in family
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Gender, race, age and marital status of each individual
 * Place of birth
 * Parents' place of birth
 * Occupation
 * Whether or not in school
 * Whether literate or not
 * Voting information for males over 21
 * Whether an alien or naturalized
 * Any disabilities or physical limitations

How to Use the Record
To begin your search it is helpful to know the full name of your ancestor and some other identifying information such as their residence and age.

Search the Collection
To search the collection by name fill in the requested information in the boxes on the initial search page. This search will return a list of possible matches. Compare the information about the individuals in the list to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to look at the information on several individuals comparing the information about them to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names, or variations of their name, throughout their life.

To search the collection image by image ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate "County" ⇒Select the appropriate "Locality" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

Using the Information
When you have located your ancestor in the census, carefully evaluate each piece of information about them. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. For example:


 * Use the age listed to determine an approximate birth date. This date along with the place of birth can help you find a birth record. Birth records often list biographical and marital details about the parents and close relatives other than the immediate family.
 * Use the race information to find records related to that ethnicity such as records of the Freedman’s Bureau or Indian censuses.
 * Use the naturalization information to find their naturalization papers in the county court records. It can also help you locate immigration records such as a passenger list which would usually be kept records at the port of entry into the United States.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as school records (children’s occupations are often listed as “at school”) or military service records. If they are subject to military service they may have military files in the State or National Archives.
 * It is often helpful to extract the information on all families with the same surname in the same general area. If the surname is uncommon, it is likely that those living in the same area were related.
 * Be sure to extract all families before you look at other records. The relationships given will help you to organize family groups. The family groupings will help you identify related families when you discover additional information in other records.
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the family.
 * Married family members may have lived nearby but in a separate household so you may want to search an entire town, neighboring towns, or even a county.
 * You may be able to identify an earlier generation if elderly parents were living with or close by a married child.
 * You may be able to identify a younger generation if a young married couple still lived with one of their sets of parents.
 * Additional searches may be needed to locate all members of a particular family in the census.
 * The census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Look for another index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the images page by page.

For a summary of this information see the wiki article: United States, How to Use the Records Summary (FamilySearch Historical Records)

Related Web Sites:

 * Free Census Project USGenWeb
 * Rhode Island Censuses

Related Wiki Articles

 * Rhode Island
 * Rhode Island Census
 * Rhode Island Censuses Existing and Lost

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should also list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Rhode Island, State Census, 1885,"database and digital images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/M5XP-MZW: accessed 7 April 2011). Allen Rogers, age 67; citing Census Records, FHL microfilm 4,539,677; Rhode Island State Archives. Providence, Rhode Island.