Rhode Island Research

Those of us with ancestors from Rhode Island are truly blessed, though we don't all know it. Rhode Island has some of the best sources of genealogical data, including James Arnold's Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636 - 1850 (A 21 volume set) and The Early Records of the Town of Providence, in twenty volumes. Many researchers overlook this second reference in favor of the Arnold's Collection. This is a terrible mistake. Arnold's does contain birth, death and marriage records as well as newspaper obituaries, but it is lacking some crucial information that can be found in Early Records….wills and probate records! They can be found in Early Records of the Town of Providence, vol. 5 and vol. 16…both of which are available at many major genealogical libraries and on loan through the NEHGS.

Why is it so hard to research female lines? Usually because their maiden names are hidden in history and sometimes even a marriage record lists the wife by her new married name rather than her former maiden name. What is the best source for proof of her maiden name? Wills and probate records - they can cement relationships that were previously only suspected, and they can provide clues to family that was previously unknown to you.

An example lies in my own family tree. For almost twenty years, I searched for Amey Whipple, born in 1699 and married to John Crawford. I could find the marriage in the Arnold's Collection, but there were several Amey's born into the Whipple family so I could not identify my Amey without doubt, especially since the year of birth came from old family records, of which I had no source. The Whipple family is very well known in Rhode Island genealogy and there are many books written about them. I found a woman that I assumed to be my Amey in one such genealogy, but she was married to Robert Gibbs, not John Crawford.

How could this be? The year of birth was right, the time frame was right, but there was no mention of John Crawford anywhere!

One day at the library, I stumbled upon the Early Records and so I took a shot….thumbing through the index (An every-name index, also a separate volume, published later), I not only found John Crawford, but his father and mother too. John had died without a will, but his estate inventory was there. Here is an excerpt from it:

Where as Mris Amy Gibbs Who was the Relict widdow of Capt John Crawford, deceased, and administratrix to his Esstate : hath this day brought an account of her proceeding in her sd administration and the Councill haveing Porused and Examined the seavorall perticuliors in said account; doe find after all due debts and the Widdows thirds are deducted: there Remaines Good to the Children of the said, deceased; John Crawford…

There is my Amey Whipple Crawford, now remarried to Robert Gibbs! If I had not found this document, I would always have some doubt, but now I have proof! Never underestimate the importance of estate records!