Rhode Island Introduction

This set of Wiki pages describes major sources of information about families from Rhode Island. As you read this set of Wiki pages, study the United States set of Wiki pages, which will help you understand terminology and the contents and uses of genealogical records.

Records of the Family History Library
The Family History Library has many of the records described in this outline. The Family History Library's major holdings include cemetery, census, church, land, military, probate, town, and vital records as well as newspaper notices of marriages and deaths, city directories, genealogical collections, and periodicals.

Some of the sources described in this outline list the Family History Library's book, microfilm, and microfiche numbers. These are preceded by FHL, the abbreviation for Family History Library. These numbers may be used to locate materials in the library and to order microfilm and microfiche at Family History Centers.

Family History Library Catalog
The library's records are listed in the Family History Library Catalog found at the library and at each Family History Center. To find a record, look in the Place Search of the Family History Library Catalog for:

The place where your ancestor lived, such as:
 * UNITED STATES - CENSUS
 * RHODE ISLAND - MILITARY RECORDS
 * RHODE ISLAND, WASHINGTON - GENEALOGY
 * RHODE ISLAND, WASHINGTON, SOUTH KINGSTON - VITAL RECORDS

The record type you want to search, such as:


 * UNITED STATES - CENSUS
 * RHODE ISLAND - MILITARY RECORDS
 * RHODE ISLAND, WASHINGTON - GENEALOGY
 * RHODE ISLAND, WASHINGTON, SOUTH KINGSTON - VITAL RECORDS

The titles of the pages in this set of Wiki pages match the names of record types used in the Family History Library Catalog.