Rhode Island Cemeteries Database

Burrillville    Cemetery description information

Data for most of the cemeteries in the database comes from a transcript done by the Burrillville Historical Society from 1975-1980. Phase II checking work needs to be completed on all of the data. There are presently 128 cemeteries of an estimated 135 cemeteries recorded and 2,488 of an estimated 4,000 gravestones in this database. Burrillville is 62% complete.

Central Falls    Cemetery description information

Moshassuck Cemetery is the only cemetery in Central Falls. The records for this cemetery are amoung the best in the state and are a gold mine for genealogists. The records are being added to the database and then the gravestones are being checked to add additional information. To date 12,592 of an estimated 14,000 names are in the database. Central Falls is 90% complete.

Cranston     Cemetery description information

In 1990 there were 59 registered historical cemeteries in Cranston. Since then volunteers have found and registered 105 with an estimated 115 thought to exist. The James N. Arnold transcript (1890) and the Charles & Martha Benns transcript (1930s) have been added to the database as well as the records from the state institution cemeteries at Howard. About half of the data has been checked but data on 50 cemeteries still needs to be checked (phase II). Some of these were recorded by Arnold but, with 100+ year old descriptions, can not be easily located today. Also not included in the database is the 125 acre Catholic cemetery, St. Ann’s. It is primarily a 20th century cemetery, putting it beyond the scope of this project. If we could find a volunteer willing to spend 10 years recording this cemetery we would add the data to the database. 20,805 of the estimated 40,000 headstones have been entered into the database. Cranston is 52% complete.

Cumberland    Cemetery description information

There were 36 historical cemeteries registered in 1990. Since then 39 of an estimated 48 have been registered. Data has come from James N. Arnold (1890) for a few cemeteries, Charles and Martha Benns (1930s) for a few cemeteries, Ira Peck (1860) for early stones in the Arnold Mills Cemetery and Ethel White (1930s) for a few cemeteries. Volunteers have recorded the larger cemeteries and many of the small farm cemeteries since 1990. The database contains 10,775 names of an estimated total of 11,000. Cumberland is 98% complete.

East Providence    Cemetery description information

There are only six cemeteries in East Providence but they are all large. It is estimated that two more may still be found. East Providence started its existence as an English town in the Colony of Plymouth. It was part of Swansea, Seekonk, and Rehoboth, Mass. before being given to Rhode Island. The database contains 2710 of the estimated 20,000 headstones estimated to exist. East Providence is currently only 14% complete.

Newman Cemetery: was recorded in 1978/9 by Robert Trimm. His data was entered into the database and has been supplimented by the 1860 Ira Peck Transcript (at NEHGS) that added 80 gravestones that no longer exist. The data for this cemetery still needs to be checked as it has about a 10% error rate (average for unchecked cemetery transcripts).

Ancient Littleneck: Burial permits, vital records from Rehoboth, Swansea, and Seekonk were used to reconstruct the records for this cenetery in the 1970s. The older section was recorded and added to the database in 1993.

Springvale Cemetery: This cemetery dates back to about 1850 and is awaiting a volunteer to record it.

Lakeside-Carpenter Cemetery: This cemetery has not been recorded yet.

Gate of Heaven: This is a twentieth-century cemetery and therefore beyond the scope of this project.

Foster    Cemetery description information

The Foster Historical Society recorded its historical cemeteries from 1975-1995. They incorporated the records in the Arnold collection including the work of James N. Arnold, Howard B. Smith, Arnold Battey, Adelaide Knight, Luther Yeaw, and the Charles and Martha Benns transcript which includes many cemeteries recorded by Nellie Potter. There are 4,962 of an estimated 5,000 names in the Foster database which is 99% complete. Prior to 1990, there were 133 registered cemeteries. Today, there are 147 with an estimated total of 150 believed to exist. 

Glocester      Cemetery description information

Henry Sayles, town clerk of Glocester, recorded most of the cemeteries in town in the 1920s and 1930s. In the 1980s some of this data was checked and updated, but the work has not been completed. Today there are 149 historical cemeteries registered in Glocester with a total of 160 thought to exist. There are 7006 of an estimated 7,500 estimated names in the database. Glocester is 93% complete. The large Chepatchet Cemetery needs to be checked and updated. We are looking for a volunteer.

Johnston    

The James N. Arnold transcript (1890) was added as the core of this database. In 1990 only 39 historical cemeteries were registered in Johnston. Today there are 94 historical cemeteries recorded with 1,701 gravestones. There are estimated to be a total of 4,000 graves in 100 cemeteries believed to exist. Johnston is 43% complete. The Johnston Historical Society has been recording and updating these cemeteries and will have the database complete in a few years. Highland Memorial Park, a large modern cemetery is not included as it is beyond the scope of this project.

Lincoln    Cemetery description information

In 1990 40 historical cemeteries were registered in Lincoln. The Dr. F. T. Calef (1940s) transcript was put into the database first. The Arnold and Benns records, which were sparse for Lincoln, were added. Volunteers have located and recorded a total of 83 cemeteries with a final estimated total of 85 thought to exist. 7930 of an estimated 8,000 names have been entered into the database. This town is just about complete at 99% with only a few cemeteries remaining to be checked.

North Providence

In 1990 nine historical cemeteries were registered in North Providence. The James N. Arnold (1891) transcript was the start of this database. 11 more cemeteries have been located and registered with a total of 25 believed to exist and a few of the Arnold records have been checked in the cemeteries. Today there are 584 of the estimated 1,000 names in the database. North Providence is 58% complete.

North Smithfield    Cemetery description information

31 historical cemeteries were registered in North Smithfield in 1990. Several transcripts exist for North Smithfield and have been added to the database, the largest being that of Irene Nebiker. The records for Union Cemetery, which document many burials without gravestones, have been entered into the database to supliment data taken from the gravestones. Less than half the burials in a cemetery of that age are marked with gravestones.

Slatersville Cemetery, containing about 2000 interments, has been recorded and the cemetery records have been used to add information on burials without gravestones.

Today there are 49 of an estimated 56 registered historical cemeteries and 14,222 of an estimated 15,000 names in the database. This town is 95% complete except for checking on about one-third of the cemeteries.

Pawtucket     Cemetery description information

Pawtucket is another town that started as a Massachusetts Colony town. Prior to 1990, there were 8 registered cemeteries. It currently has 9 historical cemeteries of an estimated 10, all of which are large. We have recorded 22,523 gravestones for the database but this town probably has 250,000 burials in all.

Mineral Springs Cemetery data comes from a transcript by Ethel White in the 1930s supplemented by a transcript by Grace Tillinghast, also in the 1930s. This data all needs to be checked and updated.

Oak Grove Cemetery is being recorded now and will be complete by the end of 2001. This important cemetery, started in 1832, has never previously been recorded. It is still being used and has over 10,000 interments.

Notre Dame Cemetery data has been entered from the records of the cemetery. This data all needs to be suplimented with readings from the gravestones.

Walnut Hill Cemetery (adjacent to Oak Grove Cemetery) data has been entered from the rather poor records for the cemetery. The records only include the person’s name and burial date, not the death date. Many of the names are spelled wrong in the records. This cemetery is in desperate need of a volunteer to update the data with gravestone recordings.

Old St. Mary’s Cemetery was recorded in the early 1990s by the Irish Genealogical Society. There are many early Irish buried there with the Parish, township, and county in Ireland where they were born inscribed on the gravestone. This data still needs to be checked and there are still 30-60 stones down under the sod that need to be located and recorded.

Mount St. Mary’s Cemetery is 40 acres and is located on the East Providence line. This rather large cemetery has not been recorded except for one section containing many early Irish burials. We need a volunteer.

St. Francis Cemetery was founded in 1871, is 105 acres, and contains about 125,000 interments. Many of the earliest burials are Irish. We need volunteers to record this cemetery. If a volunteers records just one section (3-5 hours work) and then another, etc. we can finish this one like eating an elephant, one bite at a time.

Riverside Cemetery is a wonderful Victorian cemetery located next to Swan Point Cemetery in Providence. We have no data on this cemetery. We need a volunteer to record it.

Scituate

In 1990 there were 116 historical cemeteries registered in Scituate. Since then 112 more have been identified and registered with the State, bringing the total to 228 with an estimated total of 235 believed to exist.. The core of this database was built with the James N. Arnold transcript of 1904. This was fortunate timing in that he recorded all of the cemeteries (50) that were moved to make way for the Scituate Reservoir in 1917. This allowed us to register them in their original location, with all of the original burials, and then identify where each gravestone was moved in 1917. The Providence Water Board also recorded the 50 historical cemeteries that they subsequently moved to make way for the reservoir. As part of this project they also photographed each cemetery and building in the reservoir area. Some of these photographs are at the North Situate Library.

Data for some of the Scituate cemeteries comes from transcripts done by Nellie Potter in the 1930s. In the 1970 the DAR published a book of transcripts done in the 1960s by the husband of one of the ladies. Volunteers have checked and updated 60 cemeteries and recorded the three large cemeteries in town. There are now 7,745 of an estimated 8,000 names in the database. Scituate is 97% complete.

Smithfield

There were 68 cemeteries registered in Smithfield in 1990. A total of 114 of an estimated 116 have been located and registered. 2.922 of the estimated 4,000 headstones have been entered into the database. Smithfield is 73% complete. The data includes a few transcripts from James N. Arnold (1892) and from Charles & Martha Benns (1930s) but most of the data was recorded since 1990. A book is planned  for the town. 

Woonsocket    Cemetery description information

There were almost no recordings of Woonsocket cemeteries prior to 1990. Since then volunteers have recorded 18 cemeteries containing 28,683 of an estimated 29,000 names. For Precious Blood Cemetery the records were added to the gravestone transcription adding the names on many graves not marked by a gravestone. This town is now complete.

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