Rhode Island, Vital records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in This Collection?
The collection consists of the following records the State Archives in Providence: Records of births, marriages, and deaths have been kept by town clerks since the 1630s. In 1700, the laws concerning vital records registration were made more specific, and the records after that time are more complete.
 * Certificates and registers of births (1846-1898, 1901-1903)
 * Marriages (1901-1903)
 * Deaths (1901-1953)

Also, included in this collection are church records from various denominations in Rhode Island, for the years 1636 to 1953. The record content and time period varies by denomination and locality.

What Can These Records Tell Me?
The following information may be found in these records:

Birth
 * Child’s name
 * Child’s gender
 * Birth date
 * Birthplace
 * Registration date
 * Race
 * Parents' names
 * Parents' residence
 * Father's occupation
 * Parents' birth places

Marriage
 * Full names of bride and groom
 * Marriage date
 * Marriage place
 * Residence of bride and groom
 * Age of bride and groom
 * Groom’s occupation
 * Birthplace of bride and groom
 * Parents of bride and groom
 * What number of marriage for bride and groom
 * Officiator

Death
 * Name of deceased
 * Death date
 * Death place
 * Age in days, months, and years
 * Marital status
 * Cause of death
 * Occupation
 * Birthplace
 * Name of parents
 * Social Security number


 * Birth date
 * Military service
 * Surviving spouse
 * Race
 * Education
 * Residence
 * Parents' names
 * Informants' names
 * Informants' residence
 * Place of burial or removal
 * Undertaker’s name and address

How Do I Search This Collection?
Before searching this collection, it will be helpful to know:
 * The name of your ancestor
 * The approximate date the event occurred
 * The place the event occurred
 * 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 the Person I Was Looking For, What Now?

 * Add any new information to your records
 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth of each partner to find a couple's birth records and parents' names
 * Use the birth date or age along with the place of birth to find the family in census records
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate church and land records
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or military records
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family
 * The name of the officiator may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county
 * Use a marriage number to identify previous marriages
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom; 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

Keep in mind:
 * The information in marriage records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one marriage record to another record

I Can't Find the Person I'm Looking For, What Now?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames
 * Search for the marriage record of the marriage partner if known
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties

Research Helps
The following articles will help you research your family in the state of Rhode Island.
 * Rhode Island Guided Research
 * Rhode Island Research Tips and Strategies
 * Step-by-Step Rhode Island Research, 1880-Present

Other FamilySearch Collections
These collections may have additional materials to help you with your research.

FamilySearch Catalog

 * Rhode Island vital records (1800-1919), (1951-1955) and indexes (1846-1950)
 * Rhode Island delayed births, 1893-1895
 * Rhode Island death records and returns, 1944-1945
 * Rhode Island death records (1949-1950) and delayed births (1899-1900)
 * Rhode Island death indexes: 1921-1930, 1931-1935, 1936-1940, 1941-1945
 * Delayed births, 1846-1892, 1896-1898, 1901-1905 ; index 1846-1898
 * Deaths (1901-1943) and index of deaths (1901-1920)
 * Rhode Island out of town deaths, 1905-1943
 * Frank T Calef, Genealogical index Rhode Island records

FamilySearch Digital Library

 * Guide to the public vital statistics records (births, marriages, deaths) in the state of Rhode Island and Providence plantations : containing chronologies of the legislation relating to or affecting the records together with an outline of the civic division of the state. Providence, Rhode Island : Historical Records Survey (Rhode Island), 1941
 * James N. Arnold, Vital record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850 : first series: births, marriages, and deaths; a family register for the people 21 volumes. Providence, Rhode Island : Narragansett Historical, 1891-1912

Citing This Collection
Citations help you keep track of places you have searched and sources you have found. Identifying your sources helps others find the records you used.