Rhode Island Vital Records

Marriage records or marriage licenses are the legal record of a wedding and its subsequent union. A marriage record contain the original unmarried names of both parties, their place of residence, the date, and also the county and state the marriage occurred in. This is why often marriage records are vital to almost all researchers as they not only provide information but also help unlock the path to other searches with information that is crucial and not easily obtainable Most notably, the brides maiden name. Rhode Island maintains marriage records via the Office of Vital Records-a division of the Department of Health which keeps records for 50 years. Older records are kept on the county level as well as by the Rhode Island State Archives, which has some records dating back to the colonial period. If you need to find out more about your family history or genealogy, marriage records are sometimes the most easily accessible and most reliable way to trace your ancestry through multiple generations. For quick, often free marriage records you can search online will reveal many records of possible value to your quest. Using the maiden name and possible background information about the bride's family is often essential to expanding your family tree.