I'm totally swamped this week, getting ready for the New England Regional Genealogical Consortium Conference this week in Providence! So much fun to be had and so many fabulous talks to see by fabulous speakers like Lisa Louise Cooke and Judy Russell, not to mention D. Josh Taylor, David Lambert and ME!
So what is my plan? First, I'll be volunteering in the exhibit hall at both the Board for Certification of Genealogists booth and the Association for Professional Genealogists New England Chapter booth, so drop by and learn about these two fabulous groups. And make sure to drop by the Rhode Island Genealogical Society's booth too! My other favorite RI genealogical society always puts together a great booth in the exhibit hall, AFGS, and they have great books and French-Canadian research goodies for sale.
I'm really looking forward to the opening session, with John McNiff portraying William Blackstone, one of the first European settlers in RI, and the social hour and society fair in the evening. I figure I can even get to some of the Thursday talks in between!
I'll be at the "Becoming a Professional Genealogist" Special Interest Group on Thursday night in Room 553B, so drop by and talk about some of the skills you need to have the BEST job in the whole world!
The biggest items on my to-do list are two talks I'm presenting on Saturday, "GPS for Genealogy: Another Kind of Navigation", about using the Genealogical Proof Standard to solve complex evidence cases and the second "Which Autosomal DNA Test is Right for YOU?" about genetic genealogy and the autosomal DNA tests offered at the 3 major testing companies.
Don't miss out on RI talks by Cherry Fletcher Bamberg, FASG and Nathaniel Lane Taylor, FASG!
Even though I only live 20 minutes away, I'm going to stay downtown at one of the conference hotels so that I don't miss out on any of the fun, impromptu meetings that happen when almost 1000 genealogists get together for 3 days. Hope to see you there!
Showing posts with label RI. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RI. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Naturalization Records at the RI Supreme Court Judicial Records Center
The Rhode Island Supreme Court Judicial Records Center has
naturalization records from all Rhode Island county courts, including District
and Superior courts in all five Rhode Island counties, Kent, Newport,
Providence, Bristol and Washington. Some of the earliest naturalization records
are from Newport and Providence Counties.
There is a gap in Providence County Court records. The District and Superior court records from about 1894-1917 are
found at the NARA Northeast Regional Center in Waltham, Massachusetts. All the
other counties have continuous records with no apparent gaps. The last records date to about
1982 when the Reagan administration changed the rules regarding naturalization
record keeping.
There are typically three kinds of naturalization documents
found at the Rhode Island Supreme Court Judicial Records Center; declarations
of intentions, petitions for naturalizations and certificates of immigration.
There are no certificate of naturalization stubs archived here.
The earliest document that I saw was from Providence
County, a naturalization petition for John William Larrant of France from 1793, but I can't find the copy I made. The main components of the petition were as follows: the name of the petitioner, his address and occupation of
“gentleman”, the court petitioned, his country of origin and date of
application, as well as a description of his residency in the United States. There
is little information beyond that he has been “demeaning himself as a good and
peaceable inhabitant of the said United States.”
More detailed record keeping of naturalizations developed over time, and as I was researching my fascist grandmother's first papers, I checked out a bunch of the Declarations of Intentions (often referred to as "first papers") for the Superior Court of Kent County in the 1920's.
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| Box from RI SCJRC, Declarations of Intention, Pawtucket, RI |
While I didn't find my fascist grandmother's Declaration, I did find her mother's. My great-great-grandmother, Dorotea Marinelli, filed a declaration of intention at age 85 in 1942. There was a lot of pressure following the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor for Italian immigrants to avoid discrimination by applying for citizenship.
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| Declaration of Intention for Dorotea Marinelli |
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
More RI Court Records
I mentioned last week that many of the courts in RI had changed names over time. Here's an example of a record from the "Court of Judicature Assize and General Gaol Delivery" from King's County in 1769. This court was one of the precursors to the Supreme Court of Rhode Island.
This case summary names William Sachem, James Niles and a variety of other Narragansett Indians in a land dispute relating to 30 acres in Charlestown. Unfortunately, many of the case files associated with these record books are inaccessible, so this is the only information related to this case. This case refers to another court record, from the Inferior Court of Common Pleas in 1768, which has more information about the dispute.
In another case from the Court of Common Pleas, James Niles, Junior, an Indian man and Cooper, sues Michael Toby for trespass, but that it was later withdrawn.
By the careful use of court records, you can often find interesting information relating to an ancestor's occupation, residence, neighbors and community. In colonial Rhode Island research in particular, I have found that court records and land records are some of the best resources when establishing relationships since so few vital records are available.
Next week, some cool examples of naturalization records found at the RI Supreme Court Judicial Records Center.
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| Court of Judicature Assize and General Gaol Delivery, King's County [Washington County], RI, Vol. B, 1763-1782, April 1769, pg 202, RI Supreme Court Judicial Records Center, Pawtucket, RI. |
In another case from the Court of Common Pleas, James Niles, Junior, an Indian man and Cooper, sues Michael Toby for trespass, but that it was later withdrawn.
 |
|
Washington County, Court of Common Pleas, Record Book
H, pg 134, 1770, Niles vs. Toby. RISCJRC, Pawtucket.
|
By the careful use of court records, you can often find interesting information relating to an ancestor's occupation, residence, neighbors and community. In colonial Rhode Island research in particular, I have found that court records and land records are some of the best resources when establishing relationships since so few vital records are available.
Next week, some cool examples of naturalization records found at the RI Supreme Court Judicial Records Center.
Monday, March 9, 2015
RI Court Records
One of the standard entries on my to-do list for any genealogy research project is court records at the Rhode Island Supreme Court Judicial Records Center in Pawtucket (Supreme Court Judicial Records Center). They have civil, criminal and divorce court records from 1671 to 1900 and naturalization records until 1982. While many of the court case file papers are unavailable due to water and mold damage, the indexes and record books are available for all five counties. The nice part is that for court records up to 1900, they are all housed in one place, which makes searching a breeze, and you don't have to truck around the state hitting all the different courts. The strange thing about RI, or rather one of the many strange things, is that counties as a geopolitical unit are rarely important. Most records that genealogists use frequently are held at the town level, and the main exception is for court records. The five RI counties, Bristol, Newport, Providence, Kent and Washington all have plaintiff and defendent indexes as well as record books for each type of court.
There are two levels of civil court records that I usually search, the Court of Common Pleas and the Supreme Court record books, but the names of these courts have changed over time. It's always amazing to me how many folks are sued, and counter-sued, usually over unpaid debts and land disputes in colonial RI. More recent materials can also be found, as well. One of the more unusual books that I viewed as I was tracking down a family story about a mill riot and an arrest (covered in my seminar entitled "Broken Threads") was the 4th District Court at East Greenwich criminal court dockets that summarize the every day criminal court's dispensing of justice. Some of the fascinating information found in this book includes the person making the complaint, the "respondent" or defendent, the arresting officer, the court date, the judgement, court fees and disposition.
In 1922, for example, there was enforcement of drunk driving when John J. Iera was found guilty of "operating automobile while intoxicated" and he was fined $100 and charged $6.80 in court costs. There are records of assaults with dangerous weapons, domestic abuse, as well as info about who posted the bail bonds for the defendents. I did not find any court record for my arrested, mill riot-causing grandfather, but the charges may have been dropped and he may not have had to go to court.
So, as you're researching your Roots in Rhode Island and thing you may have one of those mlill rioters in your family, don't forget to check the court records, and remember that they are organized by county, not town! I'll show some more treats that found in the RI court records in upcoming posts.
There are two levels of civil court records that I usually search, the Court of Common Pleas and the Supreme Court record books, but the names of these courts have changed over time. It's always amazing to me how many folks are sued, and counter-sued, usually over unpaid debts and land disputes in colonial RI. More recent materials can also be found, as well. One of the more unusual books that I viewed as I was tracking down a family story about a mill riot and an arrest (covered in my seminar entitled "Broken Threads") was the 4th District Court at East Greenwich criminal court dockets that summarize the every day criminal court's dispensing of justice. Some of the fascinating information found in this book includes the person making the complaint, the "respondent" or defendent, the arresting officer, the court date, the judgement, court fees and disposition.
In 1922, for example, there was enforcement of drunk driving when John J. Iera was found guilty of "operating automobile while intoxicated" and he was fined $100 and charged $6.80 in court costs. There are records of assaults with dangerous weapons, domestic abuse, as well as info about who posted the bail bonds for the defendents. I did not find any court record for my arrested, mill riot-causing grandfather, but the charges may have been dropped and he may not have had to go to court.
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| RI 4th District Court Criminal Dockets at the RI Supreme Court Judicial Records Center in Pawtucket, RI. |
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| Page from Criminal Court Docket, RI SCJRC, Pawtucket, RI |
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Another hidden gem - Langworthy Public Library
I visited another gem of a public library last week that has a wonderful genealogical collection in their special archives room. The Langworthy Public Library (http://langworthylibrary.org/) in Hope Valley, Rhode Island. Hope Valley is one of the many villages in Hopkinton, and this little place has an amazing quantity of high quality manuscript materials.
One of the largest collections was donated by a local genealogist, Gladys Palmer, and her collection contains materials on local history and families as well as her extensive genealogical research notes.
The vertical files have newspaper clippings of important locals, including some interesting bits about Elisha R. Bitgood, a local manufacturer, and "weather prophet."
If you have relatives from any of the small villages in Hopkinton such as Moscow (yes, Moscow, Rhode Island), Ashville, Barberville, Wyoming, Hope Valley or Woodville, Langworthy Public Library should be on your research To Do list.
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| Some of the Gladys Palmer Collection at Langworthy |
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| Ledgers from a number of local businesses |
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| A page from the ledger of a coffin manufacturer in Hopkinton |
One of the largest collections was donated by a local genealogist, Gladys Palmer, and her collection contains materials on local history and families as well as her extensive genealogical research notes.
The vertical files have newspaper clippings of important locals, including some interesting bits about Elisha R. Bitgood, a local manufacturer, and "weather prophet."
 |
| Newspaper clipping of Bitgood's obituary (unknown newspaper about 1961) |
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
NERGC 2015 Early Bird Registration closes soon!
Talk about a great opportunity to learn more about research in Rhode Island! I'll be giving two lectures on Saturday, 18 April 2015,"GPS for Genealogy: Another Kind of Navigation," about the genealogical proof standard, and "Which Autosomal DNA test is right for YOU?" about genetic genealogy and autosomal DNA testing.
See the press release below
The New England Regional Genealogical
Conference (NERGC) is just around the corner this April 2015. Judy
G. Russell, the Legal Genealogist and Lisa Louise Cooke, the host of
the Genealogy Gems podcast are the
featured national speakers. Did you know that Lisa has never been to New
England before?!! This is your chance to see two amazing nationally-recognized speakers.
And D. Joshua Taylor of Genealogy Roadshow is giving several talks and a banquet
talk too.
Why pay full price? Save 20% by registering
now! NERGC Early Bird registration
deadline is February 28th. To register online or download the Program Brochure,
go to www.nergc.org. See you in Providence!
Lisa
Louise Cooke is the owner of Genealogy Gems, a genealogy and family history
multi-media company. She is Producer and Host of the Genealogy Gems Podcast,
the popular online genealogy audio show as well as the Family History:
Genealogy Made Easy podcast, both available at www.GenealogyGems.com, in iTunes, and
through the free Genealogy Gems Toolbar. Her podcasts bring genealogy news,
research strategies, expert interviews and inspiration to genealogists in 75
countries around the world.
The
Legal Genealogist Judy G. Russell is a genealogist with a law degree. She
writes, teaches and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical topics, ranging
from using court records in family history to understanding DNA testing. A
Colorado native with roots deep in the American south on her mother’s side and
entirely in Germany on her father’s side, she is a member of the Association of
Professional Genealogists, the National Genealogical Society and numerous state
and regional genealogical societies. She has written for the National
Genealogical Society Quarterly and National Genealogical Society Magazine,
among other publications. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Board
for Certification of Genealogists, from which she holds credentials as a
Certified Genealogist and Certified Genealogical Lecturer.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
The Rhode Island Historical Society Library is finally reopened, only for the Newport Historical Society, another one of the Rhode Island research gems, to be closed for construction. Oh well, you can't have it all, or not all at the same time!
There are still wonderful resources to explore relating to your RI ancestors. If you have any relatives who were at the Rhode Island House of Corrections, the Hospital for the Insane, or at the RI State Infirmary, also known as the Almshouse, there are some truly wonderful resources available.
While the vast majority of the records the Hospital for the Insane are missing (purportedly in someone's basement), the RIHSL has one of the earliest ledgers, from 1895-1898 (Rhode Island Historical Society Library- Rhode Island State Institutions Records.) If you had an ancestor committed to the asylum, you can do a page by page search for their admission during that time.
If your ancestor spent any time in the state penal system, there are the discharges for the House of Corrections (MSS 231, SG 1, Series 2, Vol. 19). One name jumped out at me as I was scrolling through the pages; Emma Skuce was repeatedly incarcerated in State Prison and County Jail. The record of her death is also found in the book, on 15 Nov 1915. If you received a death certificate from the RI state archives which give the House of Corrections as the location of death, you could check the ledger for the original record and determine the reason for incarceration which could lead you to court records and learning more about the reasons for their stay at the "state farm."
If you have an ancestor who died at the "State Hospital" in "Howard," this is actually a section of Cranston that was designated for a variety of state institutions including the poor house, the state prison and the Hospital for the Insane. Even today, the State Dept. of Health, State Dept of Corrections and a number of other state departments have offices and facilities there. Many of the admissions ledgers are available at the RI State Archives, and can provide fascinating detail about our poor ancestors and the treatment of various illness. Reading through these ledgers, it was fascinating to note that whole families of children would come in to the hospital for "T&A," tonsils and adenoid surgery. Another ledger has "Patient Histories" which records why and how people arrived at the hospital.
Image from 1915 Reports Presented to the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Office of the Secretary of State, 1915. E.L. Freeman Co., Providence, RI
With a wealth of resources available for our less than illustrious ancestors, we should take advantage of the records available to add more interest to our family histories.
There are still wonderful resources to explore relating to your RI ancestors. If you have any relatives who were at the Rhode Island House of Corrections, the Hospital for the Insane, or at the RI State Infirmary, also known as the Almshouse, there are some truly wonderful resources available.
While the vast majority of the records the Hospital for the Insane are missing (purportedly in someone's basement), the RIHSL has one of the earliest ledgers, from 1895-1898 (Rhode Island Historical Society Library- Rhode Island State Institutions Records.) If you had an ancestor committed to the asylum, you can do a page by page search for their admission during that time.
If your ancestor spent any time in the state penal system, there are the discharges for the House of Corrections (MSS 231, SG 1, Series 2, Vol. 19). One name jumped out at me as I was scrolling through the pages; Emma Skuce was repeatedly incarcerated in State Prison and County Jail. The record of her death is also found in the book, on 15 Nov 1915. If you received a death certificate from the RI state archives which give the House of Corrections as the location of death, you could check the ledger for the original record and determine the reason for incarceration which could lead you to court records and learning more about the reasons for their stay at the "state farm."
If you have an ancestor who died at the "State Hospital" in "Howard," this is actually a section of Cranston that was designated for a variety of state institutions including the poor house, the state prison and the Hospital for the Insane. Even today, the State Dept. of Health, State Dept of Corrections and a number of other state departments have offices and facilities there. Many of the admissions ledgers are available at the RI State Archives, and can provide fascinating detail about our poor ancestors and the treatment of various illness. Reading through these ledgers, it was fascinating to note that whole families of children would come in to the hospital for "T&A," tonsils and adenoid surgery. Another ledger has "Patient Histories" which records why and how people arrived at the hospital.
With a wealth of resources available for our less than illustrious ancestors, we should take advantage of the records available to add more interest to our family histories.
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