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Rhode Island County Facts
The major genealogical use for counties in Rhode Island is the pursuit of court records and federal census returns. Before 1729 there were no county courts in Rhode Island. Two counties became incorporated in 1703, Providence and Newport. By 1750 all of Rhode Island's present counties existed, and no more developed after these were formed. Bristol became a county in 1746–47 when five towns, originally belonging to Massachusetts, were ceded to Rhode Island. Probably because the rest of the country is so oriented to counties, some of the vital records have been published in “county” groups, but the records themselves only exist on a town level.
Modern court records are at the superior court at the county seat; earlier ones have been moved.
No
other state has the emphasis on the town that Rhode Island enjoys. Town
resources are extensive, and what follows is only a brief summary. In
Rhode Island, the “town records” are usually found in the town
council book or the town meeting records. The WPA Historical Records Survey
for the state contains excellent summaries of what records are available
for each town. The chart that follows draws on that material. Choose from the counties below to view the county information.
