Rhode Island, Vital records, 1846-1898, 1901-1955

What is in This Collection?

The collection consists of the following records the State Archives in Providence:

• Certificates and registers of births (1846-1898, 1901-1903)
• Marriages (1901-1903)
• Deaths (1901-1953)

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.

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.

Additional records and/or images may be added to this collection in the future.

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

Collection Content

Sample Image

• 

  Register of deaths, City of Woonsocket, 1921

Digital Folder Number List

This collection was published as a DGS browse collection. The list does not contain any description of the DGS folder's content. A table listing each DGS number and its contents can be found at Rhode Island, Vital records Digital Folder Number List.