New Hampshire Birth, Marriage, Divorce and Death Records

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See Also Researching in Vital Records - Vital records, as their name suggests, are connected with central life events: birth, marriage, and death. Maintained by civil authorities, they are prime sources of genealogical information; but, unfortunately, official vital records are available only for relatively recent periods. These records, despite their recent creation in the United States, are critically important in genealogical research, often supplying details on family members well back into the nineteenth century.......

Rhode Island State Vital Records Office, Rhode Island Dept of Health, 3 Capitol Hill, Rm. 101, Providence, RI 02908-5097; (401) 222-2811. It has:

  • Event: Birth and Marriage 1899 to present; Cost of copy: $15.00
  • Event: Death 1949 to present; Cost of copy: $15.00

Please be advised that in most cases you will receive your records more quickly from the City and Town locations than from the State Office or Order Birth and Death Records Online using Vital Chek Services! .

Rhode Island State Archives, 337 Westminster Street, Providence, RI, 02903; The repository maintains the original statewide manuscript filings for birth and marriage for the period 1852 - 1898; deaths 1853 - 1948. Alphabetical indices for these records include 1852 - 1900 (birth and marriage); 1853 - 1945 (deaths). Additionally, there are also original reported out-of-state deaths recordings for the period 1900 - 1948 (alphabetical index available) and records of delayed birth filings, 1846 - 1898 (index available). Aside from these original manuscripts the archives also maintains an extensive collection of pre-1852, municipal vital record filings (microfilm copies) dating from the earliest recordings in Providence, Westerly, Protsmouth, etc.

Search New Hampshire Historical Records - Databases include Court, Land, Wills & Financial Records; Birth, Marriage & Death Records; Voter Lists & Census Records; Immigration & Emigration Records; Obituary Records; Military Records; Family Tree Records; Pictures; Stories, Memories & Histories; Directories & Member Lists and much more....

Family History Center, Church Latter Day Saints, 1000 Narragansett Blvd, Warwick RI, 02888; (401) 463-8150; The Family History Center has all vital records on microfilm from the colonial times to the present except divorce records, Arnold's Vital Record of Rhode Island

Rhode Island Historical Society, 121 Hope Street, Providence, RI 02906, (401)331-8575. It has

  • Event: Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce 1853 - ~1900; Cost of copy: Varies
  • Event: Birth, Death, Marriage or Divorce since colonial periods; Cost of copy: Varies; Remarks: contact town clerk's office in the town where the event occurred
  • Event: Divorce prior to 1962; Cost of copy: Contact Court; Remarks: Providence College Archives, Providence, RI
  • Event: Divorce 1962 to present; Cost of copy: Contact Court; Remarks: Divorces were granted through all of the courts. Those granted before 1962 are at the various county superior courts. After 1962 records can be obtained-with some restrictions-from Family Court,  Garrahy Judicial Complex, 1 Dorrance Plaza, Providence, RI  02903

Although many vital events before 1853 were not recorded, those that were are fairly easy to locate. The general assembly mandated that marriage intentions be recorded beginning in 1647, although the law was not enforced. More often, marriages were reported by ministers to town clerks. Births were often recorded in family groups at different times in a family's life. Not all births were recorded even when some in the family were. Births, deaths, and marriages (both bride and groom listed separately) are recorded from the earliest settlement to 1850 and are organized according to county and town. More information is often given under the groom's entry. Towns, for the most part, still hold all of these originals in the clerk's office.

Copies of vital events recorded in towns beginning in 1853 were sent to the Rhode Island Division of Vital Statistics. The records for this time period have been stored at the Records Center, although births are still at the Health Department along with the indexes for both births and deaths. There are computerized indexes to marriages and deaths to 1900 at the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Links For Birth Records

Links For Marriage Records

Links For Death Records

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