Have you ever wondered if you could put a book together about your family history? Have you wondered if you have enough content? Are you looking for some ideas on what to include? Do you have technical questions about creating pdf’s, uploading them, compiling a book interior, choosing a print format and then designing a cover?
Welcome to Produce Your Family History for $20. As I build a series of courses under the name “Genealogy Skills Today,” this first course is free for all of 2020.
Recently, I discovered that the pages of the Rhode Island portion of the federal 1820 Census of Manufactures have been made available on FamilySearch.org. The same content for Connecticut and Massachusetts is also online.
Manufacturing in 1820
I’d like to review the state of manufacturing and then explain why I believe this will be very helpful in finding your ancestors.
After the Revolutionary War ended in the 1780’s, the U.S. was anxious to reduce its dependence on British imports which had been, prior to the war, imposed on them by law. Manufacturing of cotton and wool threads and fabrics began at about the same time that the rocky, inadequate farmlands of southeastern New England could no longer support growing families. Younger generations of farmers either fled to states north and west for better farmland, or took on work in nearby manufacturing, sometimes by performing piecework at home, sometimes by reporting for work onsite. This transition occurred over the period of, say, 1790 to 1840. After 1850, the expansion of mills in both size and number tended to be supported more by immigrant labor than by labor pulled from New England’s farms.
The machinery needed for large-scale manufacture of thread and fabric had been duplicated from machinery in use in England in the 1780’s by Samuel Slater and his partners in Pawtucket, Rhode Island (see more here). The invention of the cotton gin in the south in 1793 led to a boom in cotton production and popularity. Slater Mill was quickly followed by an explosion of new mills, small at first, which began cropping up along New England’s waterways … even a very minor river might be made to provide enough water power for a mill. In Rhode Island, in addition to textile manufacture, the manufacture of the machinery itself also became an important industry.
The federal 1820 Census of Manufactures was taken at a disastrous time for New England manufacturing. Embargoes of British manufactured goods put in place during the War of 1812 had led to booming times for New England manufacturing (since there was no competition with British goods) followed by a bust in the second half of the 1810’s when the embargoes had been lifted and cheaper, higher quality European goods flooded back into the market. By the time of the 1820 federal census, the federal government was desperate for facts and figures on the stalled manufacturing sector, perhaps hoping that some solution could be found.
Imagine the job of the poor census taker in 1820, forced to approach every manufacturing business in his territory and inquire about how much they were producing, how business was going, how much equipment they owned, and what their financial situation was. In virtually every case they were met with anger, hopelessness and glorious tales of times gone by, no longer really relevant to the job of collecting data on today’s business. So the data collected was spotty, and sometimes reported on businesses which were actually closed down.
Why this is important
There are three major takeaways for genealogists from this census, explained further in the paragraphs that follow:
Since the 1820 Federal Census population schedule (the “normal” census, not this special schedule) reports on the number of household members engaged in Manufactures, that should tip you off to whether your family was working in a mill.
Many Rhode Island children worked in mills in 1820. The idea of child labor was carried over from the farms; children would have worked there, and when the family went to mill work, it was natural for the children to play a role. I think few genealogists really consider this reality.
In the period 1800-1850 many individuals moved from a Rhode Island farm to a nearby village with a mill. If we continue to look for them in the town where the family farm had been, we will miss a lot.
1820 Census of Manufactures
First, here is access to the 1820 Census of Manufactures. Each surviving sheet is available on FamilySearch.org. It is not particularly easy to use, so give yourself some time to adjust to what you’re seeing.
“Schedules for Massachusetts and Rhode Island.” Massachusetts comes first on the images; Rhode Island starts on image 469 of 770.
A pdf Name Index of Rhode Island manufacturers – note that some names on here will refer to the Agricultural manufacturing lists submitted by some of the towns. The page number refers to the “page” or numbered form from the collection.
A pdf Summary Digest of the data for Rhode Island, divided by county and subdivided somewhat by industry shows some manufacturing data and shows the numbers of men, women and children employed.
Here is a typical census page: a report of the “Natick Turnpike Manufacturing Company” in Warwick, found on page 103. Note that these standard questions were used for all entries, although in some cases the form was copied into handwriting.
Next, let’s review those three points.
1820 Federal Census
Mills could be in any town since the requirement was an appropriate water source. They were sometimes in areas that would be considered rural and sometimes in large towns like Pawtucket and Providence. Because of the boom-and-bust nature of the early mills, owners may have retired to a life of obscurity after 1820.
To check out an ancestor’s source of income in 1820, consult the regular (population schedule) 1820 federal census. Each page actually is a two-page spread. Look for the following columns (image below) in between the Free White Females columns and the Slave columns. The columns report the number of persons in the household engaged in Agriculture, the number in Commerce, and the number in Agriculture. While most farms had side businesses and specific skills being offered, most of that would be attributed to agriculture. Seeing it attributed to manufactures shows you that the household was doing more than making sides of beef and wheels of cheese – maybe they were making shoes in the winter or, year-round, sending family members to a local mill for work or doing piecework within the house for goods needed at a nearby mill.
This snippet of information would not tell us what the particular line of work was, but that’s where the Census of Manufactures comes in. You can look for the particular town to see if any businesses were reported.
Children worked in mills in 1820
Using the “Digest” pages, a quick calculation shows the following numbers of individuals employed statewide in manufacturing:
Men: 655
Women: 742
Boys & girls: 1381
I have searched in many places for a definition of “boys & girls.” I find no surviving instructions for this section. My guess, and it is really just a guess, is that a man was 18 or over. A woman was 18 or over, and most likely not married since some listings referred to them as “young women” and some as “marriageable” women. Which would mean a boy or girl was 17 or younger. There’s always a possibility boy and girl meant 16 and under because many children worked from a very young age. If someone has better evidence about this I would love to have it here in the comments for readers to see.
Mostly, I think we need to get our heads around the fact that children from as early an age as possible worked, if not in official jobs then around their farms, or were “bound out” to work outside their family. Public education in Rhode Island was not too bad in cities, but quite behind in more rural areas. There were numerous private schools around the state which obviously would never serve mill workers.
Most Rhode Island mill workers were living with their families, but some lived in boarding houses or with relatives because few people had transportation to a mill; they needed to live nearby. This became more true as time went by and the mill buildings got larger; the idea of placing “piecework” in households became less common, and reporting daily to the mill became more common.
The migration to mill villages
By 1820 the growing mill towns that attracted Rhode Islanders were Providence, Pawtucket, Warwick (especially the area that became West Warwick), Norwich, CT, and nearby Fall River (Troy) MA (which fell at various times in Rhode Island and Massachusetts). But almost any area could, and did, have mills. Check out your location of interest in the Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission guides to historic architecture and resources around the state. They provide village-by-village guidance and maps for the changing landscape of each town.
The bad news is, moving from farms to industrial jobs meant that property was, in many cases, no longer owned; our ancestors became renters. Industrial depressions and crises kept their incomes unstable. As a result, deeds and probate tend not to exist for the mill folks.
Genealogists should widen the scope of records searching to areas surrounding the town where their ancestors spent the 1700’s. To the extent possible, do statewide searches for vital records. Places of burial became more scattered as the families no longer owned the family farm, and would bury their loved ones in the new village where they resided. Newspapers might ignore those new to town. Note that the state census of 1865 reports a Rhode Island town of birth for each person enumerated.
In closing
I hope this census might prove helpful to those with early Rhode Island roots, and help them imagine the many changes faced by their ancestors in the early 1800’s.
Illustrations in this post are taken from Robert Grieve and John P. Ferland, The Cotton Centennial, 1790-1890 (Providence: Reid, 1891).
Choosing a gift for a genealogist can be puzzling. Loved ones and, especially, relatives want to be supportive but don’t know how. To those who search for that perfect idea, maybe one below will be right for your favorite genealogists. This is an update and consolidation of all previous lists.
Tools and gadgets
1. If your favorite genealogists is interested in grave marker cleaning, D2 is a highly recommended product that’s a little inconvenient to get, so would make a thoughtful gift. The D2 manufacturer has some suggestions for where to obtain it.
2.Lifechat headphonesfor listening to webinars or group chats on the computer.
3. Eneloop rechargeable batteries by Panasonic, size AA, with a charger and case, would be good for a person who already has a Flip-Pal. Try Amazon or other retailers. I also like AA batteries that re-charge in any USB port. These would be great in a computer mouse, for travelers, in case the mouse batteries died.
4. USB flash drives. 8gb or 16gb should be fine. Look for sales. Genealogists need something large and bright so they remember to remove it from the computer.
5. This tech gadget holder, pictured, from Staples is useful and holds a lot; I saw it in-store.
Tech case at Staples
Paper and stationery gifts
6. 97.8% of genealogists love office supplies. OK I made that up. But check out this Colored Divider Sticky Notes Bundle from Amazon. And Redi-Tag Divider notes .
Colored Divider Sticky Notes Bundle Set. Another Midge Frazel find.
Brother Printer PT70BM Wireless Personal Handheld Labeler
10. Clip board. A clipboard, a pad, and a pencil can be brought into most archives, even if nothing else can, and a clipboard serves as a writing surface when at a microfilm machine or library. Try the thin printed ones at Staples but I also like this combination clipboard/mousepad. Add a bouquet of Black Warrior Pencils topped off with a 3-pack of White Pearl Erasers. I’m actually serious about this. I know genealogists.
11. Custom Genealogy Binders will be much appreciated by those who store research in paper binders.
Personalized Genealogy Binders; you have a family name printed on the spine. Perfect for those who store a lot of information on paper.
About photos and archives
12. Maybe a simple Canon Camera in the $100-$150 range. In the end, cheaper than paying for photocopies. “Image stabilization” is an important feature for people who are photographing pages and documents.
13. If your genealogist is not getting any younger, try magnifiers and magnifying lights.
14. Camera digital SD memory cards. And a little case to put them in, like this.
15. For the genealogist who serves as the family archivist (which is all genealogists), my friend Bernadine had a good experience with photo supplies from universityproducts.com, for instance, their archival storage boxes. When she phoned them, they were helpful. For modern sized photographs, these storage boxes are popular.
16. I like this Canoscan scanner for pictures and papers, but you might be able to find a cheaper one that you like.
17. I like my Flip-Pal mobile scanner – it runs on batteries and records onto a memory card – no computer needed until you are ready to review and store the pictures. Many genealogists really covet these. Desirable accessories would be rechargeable batteries and a case.
Flip Pal mobile scanner
18. Family Photo Detective and many other works by Maureen Taylor help genealogists figure out those old family photos, and I also like Denise Levenick’s guide, How to Archive Family Photos: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organize and Share Your Photos Digitally.
The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger
22. A reliable guide to those confusing DNA test results: The Family Tree Guide to DNA Testing and Genetic Genealogy by Blaine T. Bettinger. Also a moving book about the strange and unexpected news that DNA testing can bring: Stranger in My Genes by Bill Griffeth.
23. From 2017, the newly updated The New York Family History Research Guide and Gazetteer, published by the New York Genealogical and Biographical Society. This book is huge, and I mean huge. But awesome for those troublesome New York problems. Also check out “Research in the States” series from the National Genealogical Society for other states.
24. How to Use Evernote for Genealogy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Organize Your Research and Boost Your Genealogy Productivity by Kerry Scott would be helpful for any genealogist who has mastered normal genealogy software but is looking to organize research and family history material “in the cloud.”
25. Looking farther afield for those ancestors? Try Genealogists’ Handbook for Irish Research by Marie E. Daly andThe German Research Companion by Shirley Riemer, Roger Minert, & Jennifer Anderson. My friend Sara points out that with so many Irish records newly online, this is a great time to get going on your Irish heritage. Other suggestions include Finding Your Mexican Ancestors by George and Peggy Ryskamp and books by Sophie Hodorowicz Knab including Polish Customs, Traditions & Folklore.
The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. A new 4th Edition.
26. There is a new Fourth Edition of the classic work by Val Greenwood, Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy. What a great opportunity to learn about American records.
27. If your genealogist is surrounded by books, there are some bookends with index tabs that won’t get lost when the shelves fill up. Actually, the Container Store has three styles I love: Index bookends and Mod bookends.
Bookends from the Container Store
28. Genealogy Basics in 30 Minutes by Shannon Combs-Bennett is a new book that would help someone get started. Genealogists enjoy reading Family Tree Magazine. This is an especially good choice for beginners, and another recommendation for new to intermediate genealogists would be the book Family Tree Problem Solver by Marcia Hoffmann Rising.
29. Higginson Books is having a sale through December 31, 2018. This would be a good place to get a modern reprint of an old town history or family genealogy book.
31. I always thought Ancestors of American Presidents, Second Ed, 2009, by Gary Boyd Roberts, was a really fun book. I’m only related to boring Presidents, though.
Genealogical Proof Standard: Building a Solid Case, 4th ed.
Military Bounty Land 1776-1855
Courthouse Research for Family Historians: Your Guide to Genealogical Treasures
Military Pension Acts: 1776 to 1858
34. Books for those with New England ancestors from the New England Historic Genealogical Society:
The Great Migration Directory by Robert Charles Anderson. A complete list, in one volume, of persons in 10-volume The Great Migration series covering arrivals 1620-1640, along with brief citations. This just came out two years ago; very useful to have at home for deciding whether you will need to access the larger set in a library (see next item).
NEHGS’ landmark series the Great Migration Begins – now in paperback – has never been more affordable and The Great Migration volumes are also now in paperback (each volume is also sold separately).
A Guide to Massachusetts Cemeteries, 3rd Edition by David Allen Lambert is a brand new book, released in November, 2018. Having a reliable guide to the cemeteries is very helpful.
Support genealogy small businesses
35. I love the work of the Gravestone Girls. I have a refrigerator magnet and a small plaque.
36. Lookup the historical society for an area your genealogist is researching and see what they offer – maps are always good. Also, the local genealogy societies usually offer publications or guides. For instance, the Rhode Island Genealogical Society has many valuable books and cemetery guides at their online store.
37. The idea of heritage cookbooks was sent to me by Wendy Grant Walter. She recently purchased Great German Recipesand said: “in it are many dishes that I remember having as a kid that I assume my mom learned from her 1st generation German mom.” At that same link many other cultures are covered, too. Also, Sophie Hodorowicz Knab has a cookbook, The Polish Country Kitchen Cookbook. 35. Barb’s Branches has some attractive tree jewelry in an Etsy shop. Among her interesting handmade “tree” pieces, she has the inspired idea of making jewelry from old silver spoons. Amazing!
A pendant made from an antique silver spoon, by Barb’s Branches.
38. Every genealogist loves a beautifully executed family tree chart. Family Chartmasters, who work with genealogists to make beautiful custom wall charts, now offer blank charts in various sizes and formats. For a blank list-format chart for tracing up to 16 generations (back to, for instance, a Mayflower ancestor) this beautiful wall chart is from NEHGS.
Make your own gift
39. The family genealogist wears too many hats. Family historian, archivist, photo restorer, report writer, researcher, local historian, cemetery rabbit. A gift that would be appreciated is an effort to collect and produce a small book on one aspect of your family history. Say, dad’s service in WW2, the relatives overseas from when you visited, or just everyone’s childhood. My sister does this from time to time and it’s great. No genealogy expertise needed, she asks me for pictures in advance, and the whole family gets a slice of its story without me having to do anything.
40. A similar option would be to find, scan and print a copy of an old family photo, and frame it nicely – perhaps in an antique frame.
41. Is your genealogist’s family associated with an old business or product? I saw on Elizabeth Handler’s blog From Maine to Kentucky that her ancestor produced a well known soap product, James Pyle’s Pearline, at the turn of the last century. Her brother, knowing her interest, gave her a gift of an original box. What a lovely memento. An online search reveals many advertising cards and images for this product, some of them from the Library of Congress and in the public domain. Such color images could be made into a cover for a blank book, calendar, or blank spiral notebook on lulu.com, or a custom deck of cards, or notecards, or just framed.
An old ad for a product that is part of a family’s history can be made into a custom gift. This image was from the Library of Congress online Photo, Print, Drawing Collection.
For Rhode Island genealogy
42. There is finally a “Research in the States” book for Rhode Island, published by the National Genealogical Society in 2018, and Maureen Taylor and I are the authors. I’m proud of this book, which will help researchers learn where Rhode Island records may be hiding, and why Rhode Island records are a little different than other states. The book can be purchased from NGS or from Family Roots Publishing.
Research in the States: Rhode Island by Maureen Taylor and Diane Boumenot, 2018.
43. I heartily and strongly recommend the recent book Rhode Island in the American Revolution: A Source Guide for Genealogists and Historians by Eric G. Grundset for the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR Source Guides on the American Revolution Series No. 4), 2014. Quite a bargain at $25. It is 200 pages of guidance on where to find Rhode Island records from the 1770’s and 1780’s, but it will not contain the records themselves – most of those are buried in archives and manuscripts.
Rhode Island in the American Revolution – A source Guide for Genealogists and Historians, by Eric G Grundset
44. The most valuable book for those with ancestors in Rhode Island during the 1600’s is The Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island by John O. Austin, published by Genealogical Publishing. It charts the first three generations of many early Rhode Island families. You can sometimes find a cheaper used copy on eBay, but be sure to buy a version with additions and corrections from the 1960’s – 70’s.
45. The Rhode Island Historical Society has a bookstore at the John Brown House, and online, offering my favorite print of Providence ever, President Street by Joseph Partridge, 1822. I also love Market Square. Only $15 each.
49. For those new to DNA testing, and looking for an easy way to try it out, I could recommend an Ancestry DNA test kit. Your genealogist will use the kit to submit a sample (in fact, it will be important to the genealogist to choose WHO will be sampled) which will be analyzed, and the results, available online, will show an estimate of ethnic origins and links to other individuals. A better choice for the same money, for a genealogist who is more experienced, is the Family Tree DNA Family Findertest kit. Family Tree DNA gives enough information to more accurately allow you to estimate, if the right people are tested, the common source of your matches. Look for Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Vital Record of Rhode Island, 1636-1850, First Series: Births, Marriages and Deaths is a series of 21 volumes compiled by James N. Arnold. These books were published prior to 1923 and are no longer under copyright. Arnold occupied himself for years going from town hall to town hall, and library to library, seeking out record books, church manuscripts, newspapers and other government documents, and either copying them out himself, or waiting while a clerk copied them. They were typset into 21 volumes, plus an extra volume for Rehoboth, Massachusetts, which originally contained portions of what is now Rhode Island.
I have recently revised and clarified the list of contents of those volumes, and the links to all volumes online (they are free pdf’s online) and that list lives on a page listed under the “Free Rhode Island Resources” tab at the top of this page, and is repeated here.
Some of the copies are poor quality, however, they may be better than nothing if you are far from a library that holds these. I own a couple of these on paper so if you get stuck with an unreadable page, or, if you find another copy online that is clearer, please leave a comment. The links, below, will download the books from the sites that are hosting them. Google Books require a “captcha” first.
Arnold was sometimes photographed with his crutches. 3-59, “Photographs, James N. Arnold”, James N. Arnold Collection, Rhode Island Collection, Providence Public Library.
Tips for using “Arnold”
For volumes 1 – 6, pagination begins with each town SECTION, so for a citation, you need to cite the volume AND section, plus page; for the later volumes, volume and page are enough.
For marriages, the bulk of the information is given under the male name, so when a female name is located, check the male name as well.
Many vital events in Rhode Island were NEVER recorded by the town before 1851; it’s not that the records are lost, but that the families did not have the event recorded. In Arnold’s own words:
The compiler believes that not more than a quarter of what should have been placed on the Records has been placed there from the year 1790 to 1850. Before that time probably more than half of the matter was recorded. Vital Record of Rhode Island, vol. 1, v.
This is why, after recording town records in volumes 1 – 6, Arnold produced another 15 volumes of vital events gleaned from church, military, and newspaper pages. Remarkably, he utilized the local repositories to review each issue of the original newspapers, sometimes eventually missing a few issues, which were not preserved, but in a remarkable number of cases, he found all early issues.
Remember, ultimately, Arnold created not vital records but an INDEX to vital records; use these volumes to seek the original record book (or images of the original pages).
Some entries from Arnold’s Vital Record, V. 2 Part IV, North Providence, p. 26. Note that each entry is preceded by a volume and page number where the original item can be found in the town records. For newspaper entries in later volumes, newspaper dates are given.
Here are the volumes linked from where they can be downloaded. IF you have the Firefox browser, the pdf may try to preview within the browser – something that is slow and faulty for a large book. To change that setting and open all pdf’s in Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to TOOLS – OPTIONS – scroll down to Portable Document Format and use the pull down to choose Acrobat Reader.
Vol. 2, Part I. PROVIDENCE Marriages (p. 1 – 206) Births (p. 207-259), Deaths (p. 260-278)
Vol. 2, Part II. CRANSTON Marriages (p. 5-29), Births and deaths (p. 30-36)
Vol. 2, Part III, JOHNSTON Marriages (p. 5-20), Births and deaths (p. 21-30)
Vol. 2, Part IV, NORTH PROVIDENCE Marriages (p. 5-45), Births and deaths (p. 46-53)
Arnold Rhode Island VR v.3(opens the pdf link to the Internet Archive download, or, browse book online and download from this page). I am seeking to link to a better copy of this document.
Volume 3 contains:
Vol. 3, Part I. GLOCESTER Marriages (p. 5-42), Births and deaths (p. 43-68)
Vol. 3, Part II. BURRILVILLE Marriages (p. 5-16), Births and deaths (p. 17-23)
Vol. 3, Part III. SCITUATE Marriages (p. 5-36), Births and deaths (p. 37-52)
Vol. 3, Part IV. FOSTER Marriages (p. 5-32), Births and deaths (p. 33-42)
Vol. 3, Part V. CUMBERLAND Marriages (p. 5-71), Births and deaths (p. 72-135)
Vol. 3, Part VI. SMITHFIELD Marriages (p. 5-83), Births and deaths (p. 84-123)
Title page, Vital Record of Rhode Island, volume 3
CHARLESTOWN, First Baptist Church, Cross Mills, p. 261
EAST GREENWICH
Baptist Church, p. 437
Methodist-Episcopal Church, p. 457
St. Lake’s Church, p. 517
HOPKINTON Rockville Seventh Day Baptist Church, p. 373
NEWPORT Sabbatarian Baptist Church, p. 297
NORTH KINGSTOWN
Quidnessett Baptist Church, p. 419
Marriages performed by Joshua Babcock, Justice, p, 339
PROVIDENCE Westminster Congregational Church, Members, p. 323
RICHMOND
First General Baptist Church, p. 387
Second Baptist Church, p. 239
SOUTH KINGSTOWN Second Baptist Church, p. 265
STONINGTON, CONN
Pawcatuck Congregational Church, p. 347
Pawcatuck Sabbatarian Baptist Church, p. 273
WESTERLY
Christ Church, Marriages, p. 1, Births and Baptisms, p. 51, Confirmations, p. 89, Communicants, p. 109, Deaths and Burials, p. 129
First Baptist Church, Members, p. 205
First Christian Church, p. 309
Grace Church, Marriages, p. 145, Members, p. 179
Arnold Rhode Island VR v.12(opens the pdf link to the Internet Archive download, or, browse book online and download from this page). This is a faint copy, I am looking to link to a better one.
Volume 12 contains:
Cowell’s Spirit of 76, Index to, p. 91
NEWPORT
Newport Herald, 1787-1790, Deaths, p. 81
Newport Herald, 1787-1790, Marriages, p. 73
Newport Mercury, 1758-1799, Deaths, p. 37
Newport Mercury, 1758-1799, Marriages, p. 3
PROVIDENCE Providence Journal Deaths, 1820-1829. A-R, p. 397
Rhode Island Officers and Pensioners of the Revolution
Rhode Island Officers of the War of the Revolution, Killed, Died of Disease, or Pensioned. p. 301
Rhode Island Pensioners. List of Names on the Pension Role of 1820. p. 303
Rhode Island Pensioners. List of Names on the Pension Role of 1835. p. 313
Rhode Island Pensioners. List of Names on the Pension Role of 1840. p. 375
Of all the things that genealogists do, getting into a town hall, courthouse, state archives or library is probably the most exciting. Seeing something our ancestor signed, spotting the crucial details left out of the index or abstract we saw, reading a court record, or finding a source we weren’t even aware of are some of the exciting possibilities that await. Here are some tips for that journey.
The American French Genealogical Society in Woonsocket, Rhode Island
How to choose a repository and prepare
If you will be in a certain area and you are wondering which repository might best suit your needs, look for an overall guide to all the historical societies and libraries in the area. For Rhode Island, this would be at: http://www.rhodi.org/
Do a web search for history, manuscripts, or genealogy + the location of interest, and see what places come up. A national-level repository near you can have significant records on a location that is far away, for instance, the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, the Midwest Genealogy Center in Independence, MO, or the Allen County Public Library in Ft Wayne, IN.
Learn as much as possible about content from the repository’s website. This includes any card catalog or manuscript guides, as well as guides to specific collections called “Finding Aids;” always read any that refer to collections that are important to you. Begin a list of what to look for on site; don’t assume you will remember. Repository time is much too valuable to spend looking at a catalog that was available from home.
For libraries specializing in genealogy, always check out whether the library is a Family History Library Affiliate. This will give you better access on site to some of the secured digital collections of FamilySearch.org; you will want to plan for that access by exploring FamilySearch.org in advance for record sets of interest.
Check out the hours, days of operation, specific entry requirements (membership, requesting a researcher’s card, paying a fee, etc) and if the operation seems very small, always call in advance to be sure the site is staffed that day.
Examine options for parking, what you can bring into the research room, whether there are lockers for your other belongings, and whether food may be allowed on site (that would be rare, and only if there is a separate eating area) or must stay in your car (or whether suitable dining may be available nearby).
The Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center of the Rhode Island Historical Society, Hope Street, Providence.
What to bring
In the car, make sure you have a paper copy of the map and directions you need to find the building. Cell signals can give out in some locations and your cell phone maps may quit.
Whatever payment or ID may be needed to get in.
Based on instructions you read online, plan how you will bring in notes and take notes away with you. You should bring in a list of what you plan to look for and some notes or printed charts about the section of your tree that you are researching. Sometimes in a restricted setting, with library-type tables and chairs, a tablet or laptop will be allowed in (but not paper pads or notebooks) and might be the easiest thing. In a records center like a town hall, there may be no place to put or plug in a laptop; a clipboard with a pad might be the best thing. Sometimes a tablet is the best way to be sure you have access to your own notes and to your family tree; that can be useful. Pencils are always preferred to pens and usually pens are forbidden anyway.
A camera or, your cell phone’s camera. Not all repositories can accommodate a request for a photocopy, although note that some repositories, like Connecticut town halls, will require that they make you photocopies of certain documents, and won’t allow photos. For day-long research, plan to bring extra camera batteries or a way to recharge your cell phone.
A flash drive in case you get lucky enough to find a computer-assisted microfilm machine, or a computer serving copies of digitized records. It need not have a huge capacity; 2g should be fine.
Often, it is easiest to pack your own lunch because many a genealogist has become reluctant to leave a repository in mid day (one more hour!) and ends up extremely hungry by late afternoon. Lunch in the car is a sure thing with no waiting and might be the simplest way to eat, although some repositories have a lunch room where you can sit and eat what you’ve brought. Another good idea is to have water in the car.
Older records at the Coventry, Rhode Island town clerk’s office.
Onsite
Check out the local parking options. Note that these days, many parking meters take credit or debit cards only. Make a note of where you parked.
Checking in will be the first step; even if a welcome desk seems unattended, look around for staff and expect to check in. If it’s a public library or public venue, check-in is not necessary but be sure to ask staff if there are additional genealogy resources; these are not always properly highlighted on the website.
If you are expected to place all belongings in a locker, do that, keeping just a laptop, tablet or a couple of pieces of paper and pencil. Keep the key and leave it back in the lock later when you check out. Usually you can bring a phone in on silent.
Using your prior notes from the website, locate the main items of interest – books, microfilm, ways to request items from a restricted archive, card catalogs, special index guides, the index volume section for original record books like deeds or probate, additional resources stored in another room or on another level, and public computers if needed.
Once seated, begin your work; make sure to put in any special requests early in your stay since delivery is not usually immediate (in fact, be aware that some repositories would prefer you make your requests a couple of days in advance, conversely, some repositories will only take requests on site). Be sure you understand how the item will be delivered and where you should be. For large manuscript books or a documents box, it is best to place them on your table and use them one at a time if possible. In very few cases is it ever acceptable to leave materials on the table when you leave the facility; plan to put away what you use or leave it in the designated area.
Follow your list and in addition to whatever you record as notes, make a note next to each item on your list about what the result was – pictures on your camera, notes on paper, not found, or images captured on a flash drive.
For each work you use, try to capture images of the cover, title page, reverse of title page, microfilm ID, etc. Record or image everything you need to correctly cite the material later (or, even better, write the citation while you are sitting there); this may also be necessary for recording the lack of an entry in a certain work. For each page where you find information, if it’s allowed and legal, take a picture of the information, holding yourself steady by leaning against something while you do so, plus, take a picture of the full-page so you get all page numbers, and also the cover and the spine. For books under copyright, there is a limit to how much you can image. Often, it’s a better practice when you find an extremely useful book in a library to order the cheapest copy of it that you can find for use at home.
Another opportunity that you have at the repository is to consult a librarian, archivist or volunteer about certain questions you have. Try to have focused questions appropriate to the setting because, in fairness, they do not know who your ancestors are. Mainly, your goal is to find out about certain collections, indices, maps and manuscripts that have never been digitized and will not be available elsewhere. But note that in an active records facility where current transactions are being recorded, it is not always possible to get special help on the old records.
A special collection located in the Genealogy Room at the Fiske Public Library, Wrentham, Mass.
After the visit
It is extremely important to pull out your materials at home and save them properly, right away. For digital images, saving them in a “TEMP FOLDER FROM REPOSITORY” folder (in a subfolder with the repository’s name, month and year) on your computer is a good immediate step. Never count on remembering to find the flash drive, or locate photos on your camera, later on. For paper notes or photocopies, have a similar procedure that you use every time.
As soon as possible, record your work and your citations. Save your materials where they logically belong in your records system.
Make a list of follow-up activities.
The Revolutionary War Index, Rhode Island State Archives, Providence
I have received some questions recently about various periodicals related to Rhode Island genealogy. Which ones are worth seeking out? Let’s review them all.
Rhode Island Roots
Published by the Rhode Island Genealogical Society since 1975, four issues per year cover family genealogies, articles and advice about local resources, valuable transcription projects, news, book reviews, and queries. The unique stories of Rhode Island’s families are regularly featured. A top notch journal with footnotes that provide enormous insight into Rhode Island’s record sets and their application, RI Roots should always be consulted for any pre-1900 Rhode Island family or for examples of research practices in each town or era. It is also a good place to consider submitting your own articles on Rhode Island topics.
Annually, an additional “Gleanings” volume provides transcribed town council records from one of Rhode Island’s towns, properly indexed; such work is not available anywhere else.
A membership to the Rhode Island Genealogical Society includes a subscription to current issues. For access to older volumes, check availability through the Rhode Island Genealogical Society website.
Rhode Island Roots is published four times per year, plus a bonus issue with “Gleanings” of local town records.
Rhode Island History
Published by the Rhode Island Historical Society, Rhode Island History has been published since 1942, in four issues per year. Initially covering both Rhode Island’s history and its genealogy, a decision was eventually made to discontinue genealogy articles, which was one motivation for the formation of the separate Rhode Island Genealogical Society in 1975. So look for genealogical articles in the early years, and fascinating stories about Rhode Island’s history, artifacts, customs, historic sites, and folkways in the full range of issues.
Rhode Island History features interesting articles on Rhode Island’s unique history.
Narragansett Historical Register
Full name: The Narragansett historical register : a magazine devoted to the antiquities, genealogy and historical matter illustrating the history of the state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Founded and published by James Newell Arnold, better known for his published indices of Rhode Island’s early vital records (Vital Record of Rhode Island), the Narragansett Historical Register ran for 9 volumes, 1882-1891. Originally “devoted to the antiquities, genealogy and historical matters illustrating the history of the Narragansett Country, or Southern Rhode Island,” the issues gradually came to represent work concerning all areas of Rhode Island. One feature in most issues was the abstracted vital record sets which eventually became the basis for the larger and more complete volumes of vital record indices; in fact Mr. Arnold ceased publication of this journal as that new project grew in size and complexity. Historical sites, articles by local genealogists, queries, transcribed journals and church records, historical events and documents, snippets of local history, and the more than occasional poem fill out the issues, interspersed with editorial reflections and countless quirky stories found nowhere else. Sometimes Mr. Arnold reported on family genealogies in production which may or may not have eventually produced a published book; perhaps one could follow up searching for surviving manuscript notes from those authors. Illustrations and maps in the online copies will no longer be under copyright and might make nice graphics for our own family genealogies today.
No human can resist these adorable volumes of the Narragansett Historical Register reprinted by Heritage Press.
Rhode Island Genealogical Register
Alden G. Beaman, like James N. Arnold 100 years before him, launched a series of vital records (Rhode Island Vital Records, New Series) and a genealogy periodical. Rhode Island Genealogical Register is the genealogy periodical, which ran for 20 volumes, 1978-1996, produced by Mr Beaman and other interested family members. No longer in print, and still under copyright, the volumes must be perused in a library, or purchased used. Much of the content consisted of abstracts of records which, today, are available digitally and are searchable elsewhere. For instance, in a long series called “They Left Rhode Island,” census records of other states were culled for residents with Rhode Island origins and lists of abstracted records were produced; a digital search would handle this now, although possibly one could try a quick check in case such records had been badly transcribed in online indexing.
Probably the most valuable contents are the probate abstracts for numerous Rhode Island towns. Volume 16 consists of an index of all the probate abstracts contained in volumes 1 – 15; it is often called the “Will Index.” One looks for a name in the Will Index, follows the citation to the probate abstract in another volume, and from there gathers the citation for the original town probate location including book and page numbers and uses that information to track down the original records. Although very far from complete, and the abstracts may contain assumptions or errors, this can be a quick and easy start to a probate search. But a more thorough search for probate would be to utilize the complete town probate books (on microfilm) located on Ancestry.com, or of course in the town offices.
Cemetery abstracts appear from time to time as well as some land abstracts, church records, freeman records, book reviews and articles. It is hard to use a single volume of this work; the entire set is usually needed as the indexing often covers multiple volumes. In general, I do not recommend a great deal of trouble be taken to locate or purchase this work. Pursue the records captured on microfilm now appearing (but not necessarily indexed) on FamilySearch.org and Ancestry.com.
Some 1985 issues of the Rhode Island Genealogical Register. Many volumes are bound into blue covers, a familiar site in repositories.
The Providence Society Blue Book
Full name: The Providence Society Blue Book including Suburbs in Rhode Island together with Fall River and the Attleboros, Mass. Few copies of this social register, apparently published (according to Worldcat.org) from 1905-1936, appear online and it is unclear how many issues are held at local repositories in Rhode Island; more info will appear here in the future if I find them. The 1905 issue is available. Individuals are listed with their address, spouses, grown children, and club memberships; wives’ maiden names are listed. Interesting features include social and heritage Club information with membership lists, ads for services such as dressmaking, millinery, jewelry, and furs, as well as private schools and lessons, medical offices, and the following mental health service.
An ad from the Providence Society Blue Book, 1905, page 150. Dr. Bates’ Electropathic Sanitarium. My ancestors must have been grateful they couldn’t afford this.
Small State, Big History: The Online Review of Rhode Island History features articles on interesting topics in Rhode Island history, plus book reviews and announcements, reprints of older writings, and insights into Rhode Island’s military history, historic sites and artifacts. A search box helps you look for names. Visit http://smallstatebighistory.com/
The website Small State Big History
TheBoston Transcript: Genealogical Column
The Boston Transcript was a Boston, Massachusetts newspaper that regularly carried a page of genealogical questions and answers. That feature ran a couple of times per week for several decades in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s. It is gradually becoming easier to locate these papers online.
In its day, it was a bit like the online query forums we see today; people sent in a question, and others wrote in to respond publicly, and if private responses were made, those are now lost to time. Some of the leading genealogists of the day would offer advice and guidance on difficult family questions; often, a specific answer pulled from records would be given. These columns are indexed in the American Genealogical Biographical Index (AGBI) produced by the Godfrey Memorial Library, Middletown, Connecticut. Today, one sees these index entries turn up in Ancestry.com search results; using them, one should seek out the newspaper columns; this link offers information about current online access.
The Genealogical section of the Boston Transcript usually takes up one page, or less.
The Newport Mercury: Historical and Genealogical Notes and Queries
This feature ran in the weekly newspaper The Newport Mercury from January, 1899 through sometime in 1922. It printed reader queries, responses submitted, and also transcripts of items of historical interest, often pulled from old manuscripts. It was similar to the Boston Transcript service, above. For the years it ran, most issues can be found on the subscription website Newspapers.com; see this link. I was able to search using my basic paid subscription; access does not require the upgraded subscription type.
One tip: when looking at search results, remember that most Notes & Queries columns appear on page 8 (the last page of the paper). An entry on page 8 could easily be from the genealogy column; an entry found on page 1 – 7 is likely to refer to persons and events contemporary with the time the newspaper issue was published.
Historical and Genealogical Notes and Queries in the Newport Mercury newspaper
Rhode Island Historical Tracts
Not a periodical, but a series of books or pamphlets published in the late 1800’s by Sidney S. Rider, a prolific Providence bookseller, author, and passionate collector of Rhode Island ephemera. Rhode Island Historical Tracts. Series 1, 1 – 20, Series 2, 1 – 5 cover mostly quirky historical topics, but there is an index to series 1, found in volume 20. All volumes are online.
Mr. Rider did publish a periodical, called Book Notes: For the Week, Historical, Literary, and Critical, conducted by Sidney S. Rider. Covering the literary and historical topics of the day, as they were discussed in Rhode Island, the best a genealogist could hope for in that work is perhaps reference to some obscure writings or manuscripts about a certain village or event in Rhode Island. Personally I have never found much info useful to my genealogy, but from an era featuring several opinionated/eccentric self-styled historians, the impassioned writings of Sidney Rider and James Arnold can be fun to read. Some compiled volumes of Book Notes have been digitized and are available online.
This publication, founded by R.H. Tilley (who also worked on the Newport Mercury column mentioned above) and H. E. Turner, ran from 1880-1887. Like other genealogy magazines of its day, it focused on transcriptions of local vital, church, probate and cemetery records, historical narratives, brief family genealogies, queries and longer reprinted pieces. I have found seven volumes online:
A chart accompanying an Austin article in Rhode Island Historical Magazine, volume 4, p. 226.
Several journals previously published by the Rhode Island Historical Society
Prior to the start of Rhode Island History in 1942 (see above), at various points in its nearly 200-year history the Rhode Island Historical Society offered several periodicals. The following publications contain materials central to the understanding of the Rhode Island history that impacted our ancestors. Frequently, long papers or transcribed manuscripts appeared in these volumes.
Similarly, a journal published by another organization, The Publications of the Narragansett Club, featured long transcriptions of key documents in Rhode Island’s history.
These should not be thought of as places for searching our ancestor’s names; instead they offer glimpses into the world of the colonial Rhode Islanders, and the issues that shaped their lives, for instance, first settlements, King Philip’s War, the Seven Mile Line, historical and military relics, or the writings of Roger Williams.
Providence Magazine
Run by the predecessors of the Providence Chamber of Commerce, Providence Magazine not only featured business news and ads, but focused on a positive image of old Providence. Issues appear online from 1916-1922 and probably more can be found. The pre-1923 online issues not only picture local businesses that your ancestors might have worked in, but occasionally feature drawings that you could use in your own family history works. The articles are reflective of the business viewpoint regarding life in Providence – for instance, a 1919 article about the downtown stores closing on Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m., instead of remaining open. That would have marked a change in our ancestors’ lives. Some veterans’ issues and memorials are also discussed, as well as Providence’s public institutions and libraries.
Look for other business periodicals for Rhode Island in the late 1800’s/early 1900’s, particularly, some jewelry industry publications.
Providence Magazine, April, 1916, p. 258. This is an ad for Victor Cleansing Co., owned by the family of my friend Midge Frazel. It’s a good example of the glimpses of larger local businesses that you can get in this magazine.
Report of Genealogical Records Committee of Rhode Island N.S.D.A.R.
Local members of Daughters of the American Revolution have diligently transcribed various Rhode Island records such as cemeteries and records held at town halls. This series of reports is housed at the Rhode Island Historical Society, among other places, but some issues (1933-1954) can be accessed in an affiliate library through FamilySearch.org, which filmed the series long ago. While in many cases the records captured are now available elsewhere (for instance, it’s possible that the cemetery records were included in the work of the Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission), there are likely some unusual records in this set that are not available elsewhere. Apparently the records are held in some format at the NEHGS library in Boston as well as, I’m sure, the DAR.
The Society of Colonial Wars in the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
One of the many booklets published by the Society of Colonial Wars of the State of Rhode Island.
National genealogical journals
There is Rhode Island content to be found in other genealogical journals around the country, either in the national journals or from the places Rhode Islanders traipsed off to – the rest of New England and also New York, Ohio, and Michigan, to name a few. The Mayflower Descendant also includes content on Rhode Island families. Many genealogists like to subscribe to the National Genealogical Society Quarterly (NGSQ), or The American Genealogist (TAG) both for the content and for the lessons contained in each article about research, analysis, and documentation. Many of those with Rhode Island ancestors also belong to the New England Historic Genealogical Society in Boston.
Members of these societies can usually get online access to back issues of the journal. Beyond that, here are two useful aids for gathering content:
The New England Historic Genealogical Society offers online access with indexing to older volumes of a growing range of journals. Some are available publicly (although you must establish a login); more are available to NEHGS members. Use their Search feature at AmericanAncestors.org and specify the category “Journals and Periodicals.” This helpful video reviews the use of journals and the online search process. There are about 30 journals currently available there.
The Plymouth Colony Pages website by Dale Cook offers compiled Table of Contents guides for about a dozen journals. Containing titles and authors for articles over a period of many years, these guides could allow for quick hunting of an article on a family name or a specific location, assuming these were mentioned in the title. The articles themselves would have to be pursued elsewhere.
If you have additional suggestions and links, leave them as a comment. Happy reading!
