One of the main goals for genealogists is finding marriage information about their ancestors.
Over the past few decades, thanks to volunteers, librarians and archivists, a great number of indexes to marriage collections have been provided for free online. These searchable indexes provide specific marriage license, bond, and certificate information, and sometimes scanned images of the actual marriage documents 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 marriage information that are not included in the lists below. These different types can be found in 22 Ways to Find Ancestors Marriage Information.
The lists below are specific marriage 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 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 December 2021; recently added links are in BOLD):
- Barrington Town Records (incl probate), 1718-1886
- Barrington, Bristol Marriages, 1636-1885
- Bristol County, Marriages
- Burrillville Birth, Marriage, and Death Records 1747-1900
- Burrillville, Marriages
- Central Falls Intentions and Returns of Marriage, 1896-1897
- Charlestown Births, Marriages, and Deaths
- Charlestown Marriages
- Charlestown Marriages
- 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 Marriages
- Foster Marriages
- Glocester Births, Marriages, Deaths (1726-1815) and Deaths (1902-1915)
- Gloucester Marriages
- Hopkinton Marriages
- James N. Arnold Collection of Rhode Island Vital Records Online 1636-1850
- Jamestown Marriage Records
- Jamestown, Newport Marriages, 1636- 1850
- Jamestown, Newport Marriages, 1852-1883
- Johnston, Providence Marriages, 1722-1885
- Kent County, Marriages
- Kings Towne Record of Friends, Marriages
- Lincoln Intentions and Returns of Marriage, 1881-1887
- Lincoln Vital Records and Indexes 1894-1915
- Little Compton, Newport Marriages, 1636-1850
- Middletown Marriages
- Middletown Births, Marriages, Deaths 1700-1870
- Middletown, Newport Marriages, 1636-1850
- Middletown, Newport Marriages, 1708-1719, 1733-1883
- Miscellaneous BMD Records by County
- Narragansett Record of Friends, Marriages
- New Shoreham Marriages
- Newport County, Marriages
- 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 Marriages
- North Kingstown Births, Marriages, Deaths 1700-1950
- North Kingstown Births, Marriages, Deaths, volumes 3-4, 1814-1910
- North Kingstown, Washington Marriages, 1835-1885
- North Smithfield Vital Record Indexes (1871-1970) and Vital Records (1871-1915), 1870-1970
- Pawtucket Marriages 1828-1843
- Pawtucket Births 1886-1902 and Marriages 1885-1902, Returns of Births and Marriages 1900-1902
- 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
- Polish American Marriage Database for New Hampshire
- Providence Alphabetical Index of Births, Marriages and Deaths
- Providence County Town Marriage Records for the following Towns : Burrillville, Cranston, Foster, Glocester & Scituate
- Providence County, Marriage Indexes
- Providence County, Marriages
- Providence Marriages Of St. John’s Church
- Providence Westminister Congregational Church Marriages
- Providence Births (1876-1890), Marriages (1870-1891), and Deaths (1880-1892)
- 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 Returns of Marriages, 1879-1892
- Providence Vital Records, 1894-1899
- Providence, Providence Marriages, 1636-1850
- Rhode Island Marriages
- Rhode Island Marriages, 1724-1916
- Rhode Island Records
- Rhode Island Town Clerk Vital and Town Records 1630-1945
- Rhode Island Town Marriages Index, 1639-1916
- Rhode Island Genealogical Collections
- Rhode Island, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1630-1945
- Rhode Island, Vital Records, 1846-1898, 1901-1953
- Richmond Marriages
- Richmond Marriages
- Richmond Township, Washington Marriages, 1729-1885
- 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 Marriages
- South Kingstown Marriages
- United States Marriages, 1733-1990
- United States, Freedmen’s Bureau Marriages, 1861-1872
- Vital Records of Rhode Island, 1636-1850
- Wakefield Church Of The Ascension Marriages 1843-1881
- Warren Births, Marriages, Deaths 1730-1856
- Warren Births, Marriages, Deaths, 1850-1915
- Warwick Early Records
- Warwick, Kent Marriages, 1851-1882
- Warwick, South County People Recorded in the first Book of Marriages
- Washington County, Marriages
- West Greenwich Birth, Marriage, and Death Records, 1906-1915
- West Greenwich, Kent Marriages, 1851-1885
- Westerly Christ Church Marriages
- Westerly Marriages
- Woonsocket Township, Providence Marriages, 1867-1879
- Woonsocket Vital Records (1880-1915) and Indexes (1867-1965), 1867-1965
Good Luck and Happy Hunting!
For other Free Rhode Island Links, click on the category of interest:
Newspapers
Obituaries
BMD Records
Photos
Yearbooks
Directories
Divorce Records
Naturalizations
Church Records
School Records
Coroner Records
Voter Records
Probate and Wills
Immigration
Mortuary Records
Alumni Records
Cemetery Records
