Rhode Island State Census, 1905 - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
Population schedules are handwritten on pre-printed cards. The cards are arranged alphabetically by family name and then by town. There are different cards for males and females.

Rhode Island began taking its own census every ten years beginning in 1865. The 1895 state census is missing. This census covers 90 to 95 percent of the individuals within the counties enumerated.

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

This census covers the residents of Rhode Island in 1905.

The census was compiled to obtain a count of the population of the state to determine how many representatives the state would send to Congress.

The information is generally reliable. However use the information with some caution, since the information may have been given to a census taker by any member of the family or by a neighbor. Some information may have been incorrect or deliberately falsified.

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
Key genealogical facts found in the Rhode Island State Census for the year 1905 are:


 * Enumeration district
 * Full name and address of principal
 * Ward, voting district and county were residing
 * Race and age of principal
 * Birth date and birth place of principal
 * Relationship to head of household
 * Native or foreign born
 * Occupation
 * Year of immigration
 * Number of years resident in the United States
 * Number of years resident in Rhode Island
 * Number of years resident during in town/city in which living

How to Use the Record
Begin your search by finding your ancestors in the census index. Use the locator information in the index (such as page number or family number) to locate your ancestors in the census. Compare the information in the census to what you already know about your ancestors to determine if this is the correct family or person. You may need to compare the information of more than one family or person to make this determination. Be aware that as with any index, transcription errors may occur.

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.
 * Birth places can tell you former residences and can help to establish a migration pattern for the 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.
 * If they are subject to military service, they may have military files in the State or National Archives.
 * Occupations listed can lead you to other types of records such as employment or school records; children’s occupations are often listed as “at school.”
 * 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.

Some other helpful tips to keep in mind are:


 * 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.

You should also be aware that the census may identify persons for whom other records do not exist.

To search the collection image by image, ⇒Select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒Select the appropriate  "City/Town" ⇒Select the appropriate  "Gender" ⇒Select the appropriate  "Surname Range" 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. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images 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.

For tips about searching on-line collections see the on-line video at FamilySearch Search Tips.

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

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Rhode Island State Census Transcription Project
 * 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 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, 1905." database amnd digital images, FamilySearch (https://.familysearch.org: accessed 7 April 2011). Martha Brown, age 71; citing Census Records, FHL microfilm 2,020,550; Rhode Island State Archives, Providence, Rhode Island.