The City of Providence, Rhode Island, in its twenty-one printed volumes of The Early Records of the Town of Providence, has what is probably the finest and most complete set of transcribed verbatim early records of any town in New England. These volumes contain 5156 printed pages of an estimated total of 2,080,000 words …
It is impossible to over-emphasize the value of these early Providence records. Outside of the territory of the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, nothing exactly like them is to be found in any town in New England. All other towns were integral parts of the colony in which they were first established, while Providence, originally a town founded by Roger Williams in 1636, did not become part of the colony until 19 Mar. 1643/4 when Roger Williams obtained a patent for Providence Plantations under which the town of Providence, Portsmouth and Newport became a colony; consequently the early Providence records contain all the usual town records and in addition many more that are properly those of a colony.
These records, therefore, are not only the source for the history of the Town of Providence but also for the State of Rhode Island, and in no small measure are the foundation for all seventeenth-century political, religious, educational, and social history of this general area.
- Richard LeBaron Bowen, Index, The Early Records of the Town of Providence (1949)
Index
Volume I
Being the first book of the town of Providence, otherwise called the Long Old Book with Parchment Cover
Volume II
Being the second book of the town of Providence, otherwise called the Town old book, the Short old book, the Old burnt book and sometimes called the Book with brass clasps
Volume III
Being part of the third book of the town of Providence, otherwise called the Book with the brass clasps
Volume IV
Being part of the third book of the town of Providence, otherwise called the Book with the brass clasps
Volume V
Being part of the third book of the town of Providence, otherwise called the Book with the brass clasps
Volume VI
Being part of Will book no. 1, otherwise called the first booke for Providence Town Councill perticulior use
Volume VII
Being part of Will book no. 1, otherwise called the first booke for Providence Town Councill perticulior use
Volume VIII
Being part of the book of records of town meetings no. 3, 1677 to 1750 and other papers
Volume IX
Being part of the book of records of town meetings no. 3, 1677 to 1750 and other papers
Volume X
Being the book called Town council no. 1, 1692 to 1714, and containing the records of Providence Town Council
Volume XI
Being the book of records designated as “Town meeting no. 1, 1692-1715”
Volume XII
Being the book called Town Council no. 2, 1715 to 1732 and containing the records of the Providence Town Council
Volume XIII
Being the book called Town meeting no. 2, 1716 to 1721 and containing the records of the Providence town meeting
Volume XIV
Being the first book for the recording of deeds and called Deed book no. 1
Volume XV
Being the Providence town papers vol. 1, 1639-April 1682, no. 01-0367
Volume XVI
Being the records contained in Will book no. 2 from Sept. 12, 1716 to Jan. 5, 1728
Volume XVII
Being the Providence town papers vol. 2 April 1682-March 1722, no. 0368-0717
Volume XVIII
Being official records and documents of title and proceedings relative to the north burial ground
Volume XIX
Being official records and documents of title and proceedings relative to the north burial ground
Volume XX
Being the first part of the second book for the recording of deeds and called Deed book no. 2
Volume XXI
Being the beginning of the second part of the second book for the recording of deeds and called Deed book no. 2.