One of the main goals for genealogists is finding birth, marriage, and death (BMD) information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists (as well as the largest of them all - FamilySearch), a great number of indexes to birth, marriage, and death collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific BMD information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual birth, marriage, and death certificates themselves. These free online collections have hundreds of millions of records in them in total.
There are a great number of online and offline collections that may include birth, marriage, and death information that are not included in the lists below. For example, newspapers, draft registration files, naturalization records, etc. have BMD info. To find out which types of other records may include BMD information, please see:
- 27 Ways to Find Ancestor Birth Information
- 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information
- 21 Ways to Find Ancestors Death Information
The lists below are specific birth, marriage, and death indexes and record collections that are available for free online for the state of Rhode Island.
Note 1: Many of the links listed below take you to a FamilySearch Collection of digital images. In many cases there is a link to the digital collection in the middle of the page, but also near the bottom of the page under Film/Digital Notes is the name of each sub-collection. If there is a camera icon at the right of the name (in the Format column) then the collections' images are browsable. If there is a camera with a key icon, it is only available at a Family History Center or affiliated library. If there is a film reel icon, then it is only available in microfilm format, not digital. Please also note that I have listed below only BMD databases that are accessible digitally from your computer (or tablet/phone)
Note 2: I have included links to Free Ancestry records and indexes. You do not need a subscription, but do need an Ancestry account. Without a subscription you can view indexes. If there is an image associated with a record, in most cases you will need a subscription, but the index does include very usable information.
(Updated May, 2020; recently added links are in BOLD)
General U.S.
- United States Births and Christenings, 1867-1931
- United States Deaths and Burials, 1867-1961
- United States Korean War Battle Deaths, 1950-1957
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States Social Security Death Index
- United States, Freedmen's Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
Rhode Island
- Barrington Town Records (incl probate), 1718-1886
- Barrington, Bristol Marriages, 1636-1885
- Burrillville Birth, Marriage, and Death Records 1747-1900
- Burrillville, Marriages
- Central Falls Intentions and Returns of Marriage, 1896-1897
- Charlestown Births and Deaths
- Charlestown Births and Deaths
- Charlestown Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Charlestown Marriages
- Charlestown Marriages
- Charlestown, Washington Births or Christenings, 1747-1850
- City of Providence, R.I. Death Records
- Coventry Births, Marriages, Deaths 1702-1870
- Coventry Births, Marriages, Deaths 1830-1915
- Cranston Marriages
- Cranston Birth, Marriage, and Death Records: 1850-1915
- Cranston Town and Vital Records, 1722-1868
- East Greenwich Vital Records, 1666-1950
- East Greenwich, Kent Marriages, 1851-1885
- East Providence Vital Records Registry book, 1877-1888
- Exeter Births and Deaths
- Exeter Marriages
- Exeter Death Records and Index: 1903-1915
- Exeter, Washington Births or Christenings, 1765-1850
- Foster Marriages
- Glocester Births, Marriages, Deaths (1726-1815) and Deaths (1902-1915)
- Gloucester Marriages
- Hopkinton Births and Deaths
- Hopkinton Marriages
- Hopkinton, Washington Births or Christenings, 1765-1850
- James N. Arnold Collection of Rhode Island Vital Records Online 1636-1850
- Jamestown Births, 1636-1850
- Jamestown Marriage Records
- Jamestown, Newport Births or Christenings, 1850-1876
- Jamestown, Newport Marriages, 1636- 1850
- Jamestown, Newport Marriages, 1852-1883
- Johnston Deaths and Index, 1850-1898
- Johnston Return of Deaths 1855-1898
- Johnston, Providence Births or Christenings, 1722-1876
- Johnston, Providence Marriages, 1722-1885
- Kings Towne Record of Friends, Marriages
- Lincoln Intentions and Returns of Marriage, 1881-1887
- Lincoln Vital Records and Indexes 1894-1915
- Little Compton Births, 1636-1850
- Little Compton Death Records, 1901-1915
- Little Compton, Newport Marriages, 1636-1850
- Middletown Births, 1636-1850
- Middletown Marriages
- Middletown Births, Marriages, Deaths 1700-1870
- Middletown, Newport Births or Christenings, 1851-1876
- Middletown, Newport Marriages, 1636-1850
- Middletown, Newport Marriages, 1708-1719, 1733-1883
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Narragansett Record of Friends, Marriages
- New Shoreham Births, 1636-1850
- New Shoreham Marriages
- Newport and Portsmouth, Births and Deaths
- Newport Births, 1636-1850
- Newport The United Brethren Births and Baptisms
- Newport The United Brethren Deaths
- Newport The United Brethren Marriages
- Newport Births, Marriages, Deaths 1880-1915
- Newport, First Baptist Church Marriages between 1790 and 1835
- Newport, Newport Marriages, 1636-1850
- Newport, Newport Marriages, 1851-1878
- North Kingstown Births and Deaths
- North Kingstown Marriages
- North Kingstown Births, Marriages, Deaths 1700-1950
- North Kingstown Births, Marriages, Deaths, volumes 3-4, 1814-1910
- North Kingstown Death Records 1910-1915
- North Kingstown, Washington Births or Christenings, 1760-1850
- North Kingstown, Washington Marriages, 1835-1885
- North Kingstown, Washington, Births or Christenings, 1770-1876
- North Smithfield Vital Record Indexes (1871-1970) and Vital Records (1871-1915), 1870-1970
- Online Searchable Death Indexes
- Pawtucket Births, 1828 - 1843
- Pawtucket Marriages 1828-1843
- Pawtucket Births 1886-1902 and Marriages 1885-1902, Returns of Births and Marriages 1900-1902
- Pawtucket Death Indexes, 1728-1934
- Pawtucket Death Records (1872-1945), and Returns of Death (1900-1921)
- Pawtucket Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths of North Providence and Pawtucket, 1748-1885; Indexes to Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1728-1914
- Pawtucket, Providence Marriages, 1636-1859
- Pawtucket, Providence, Births or Christenings, 1636-1850
- Polish American Marriage Database for Rhode Island
- Portsmouth Births, 1636-1850
- Portsmouth, Newport Births or Christenings, 1851-1862
- Providence Alphabetical Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Providence County Town Marriage Records for the following Towns : Burrillville, Cranston, Foster, Glocester & Scituate
- Providence Death Records
- Providence First Congregational Church Deaths
- Providence Marriages Of St. John's Church
- Providence Westminister Congregational Church Deaths
- Providence Westminister Congregational Church Marriages
- Providence Births (1876-1890), Marriages (1870-1891), and Deaths (1880-1892)
- Providence Deaths 1893-1894
- Providence Index of the Births, Marriages and Deaths; Births, from 1636 to 1850
- Providence Intentions of Marriages, 1881-1894
- Providence Marriage Records 1906-1915
- Providence Out of town Deaths for Rhode Island towns and out of state, 1913-1932
- Providence Returns of Deaths, 1844-1849, 1851-1855
- Providence Returns of Deaths, 1856-1921
- Providence Returns of Marriages, 1879-1892
- Providence Vital Records, 1894-1899
- Providence, Providence Marriages, 1636-1850
- Rhode Island Births and Christenings, 1600-1914
- Rhode Island Births, 1897
- Rhode Island Burial and Cause of Death
- Rhode Island Deaths and Burials, 1802-1950
- Rhode Island Marriages
- Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916
- Rhode Island Mortality schedules, 1850-1880
- Rhode Island Records
- Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945
- Rhode Island Town Marriages Index, 1639-1916
- Rhode Island Death Notice Collection
- Rhode Island Genealogical Collections
- Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945
- Rhode Island, Vital Records, 1846-1898, 1901-1953
- Richmond Births and Deaths
- Richmond Marriages
- Richmond Marriages
- Richmond Township, Washington Births or Christenings, 1729-1876
- Richmond Township, Washington Marriages, 1729-1885
- Richmond, Washington Births or Christenings, 1759-1850
- Scituate Death Records, 1904-1915
- Scituate Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths, 1800-1903
- Scituate Marriages
- Smithfield Vital Records Index
- Smithfield Records of Births, Marriages and Deaths of Central Falls 1725-1948
- South Kingston Birth Records
- South Kingston Death Records
- South Kingston Marriages
- South Kingston, Washington Births or Christenings, 1769-1850
- South Kingstown Births and Deaths
- South Kingstown Marriages
- Tiverton Births, 1636-1850
- Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636-1850
- Wakefield Church Of The Ascension Baptisms 1842-1883
- Wakefield Church Of The Ascension Marriages 1843-1881
- Warren Death Records
- Warren Births, Marriages, Deaths 1730-1856
- Warren Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1850-1915
- Warren, Bristol Births or Christenings, 1851-1876
- Warwick Early Records
- Warwick, Kent Births or Christenings, 1871-1876
- Warwick, Kent Marriages, 1851-1882
- Warwick, South County People Recorded in the first Book of Marriages
- West Greenwich Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1906-1915
- West Greenwich, Kent Marriages, 1851-1885
- West Warwick Death Records 1913-1915
- Westerly Births and Deaths
- Westerly Christ Church Marriages
- Westerly Marriages
- Westerly Death Register and Index (1908-1921)
- Westerly, Washington Births or Christenings, 1772-1850
- Woonsocket Township, Providence Births or Christenings, 1867-1876
- Woonsocket Township, Providence Marriages, 1867-1879
- Woonsocket Vital Records (1880-1915) and Indexes (1867-1965), 1867-1965
Check out the links for other states on the BMD Records page.
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Rhode Island Links, click on the category of interest:
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