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3. Provenance 5. Inventory 6. Subjects |
Rhode Island State Records Collection Rhode Island Records, 1661-1979 Size: 5.5 linear feet Catalog number: MSS 231 SG 3 Processed by: Karen Eberhart, March 2002 ©Rhode Island Historical Society Manuscripts Division |
Scope and content:
This collection of documents relating to the government of the state of Rhode Island has been collected over the years from a variety of sources. It is divided into the following series.
Series listing
Series I: General Assembly
Acts and Resolves, 1661-1920
Miscellaneous Rhode Island records arranged chronologically, 1670-1979
Series II: Governor
Correspondence and resolves received by Governor from the U.S. Congress, 1775-1788
Series III: State Agencies
Commission to Study Higher Education, 1957-1960
Rhode Island Normal School/College of Education - Minutes, 1909-1930
Rhode Island State Council of Defense (WWII), 1941-1944
State Board of Education - Minutes, 1909-1930
State Board for Vocational Education - Minutes, 1917-1927
State Home and School - Board of Control - Minutes, 1891-1911
Series IV: Administrative units
Rhode Island Banking, Insurance and Securities Administration, c.1799-c.1940
State Planning Board, 1944
Series V: Courts
Lords Commissioners for Hearing Prize Appeals and
Privy-Council in Whitehall, England, 1741-1752
Maritime court, 1776
RI General Court, c.1780s
Vice-Admiralty Court, 1746-1762
Provenance:
Where the provenance is known, the accession number is written on the item's folder. The provenance for many of the documents in the collection is not known.
Processing note:
Transferred from MSS 231 SG3 Rhode Island State Records Collection |
Transferred to: |
Providence County Inferior Court of Common Pleas, Docket for June 1763 |
MSS 229 Providence County Records |
Summary of census data for 1755 broken down by race, gender and amount of arms and ammunition in private hands. Includes totals for 1730 and 1748 censuses broken down by white and black inhabitants |
MSS 231 SG2 Rhode Island State Censuses. |
Index of 1777 military census for the town of Tiverton, 1777 |
MSS 231 SG2 Rhode Island State Censuses |
Collector of Revenue for the 3rd District, RI, "Statement of duties arising on Licenses for one year granted to retailers of wine Spiritous Liquors and foreign merchandise by James Helme collector."1814 |
MSS 232 SG5 United States Collector of Revenue |
Collector of Revenue for the 1st District, RI - Entries for carriages, 1-12/1817 |
MSS 232 SG5 United States Collector of Revenue |
Copy of letter from William Pitt to Governor Stephen Hopkins ordering the cessation of illegal trade with the French, August 23, 1760 |
MSS 492 Stephen Hopkins Collection |
Pay John Gardner 400 pounds to pay soldiers wages, bounties and bills and charge the same to the Colony, Committee of War to Thomas Richardson, General Treasurer, April 26, 1760 |
MSS 673 SG1 Colonial Militia Collection |
Letter written by Thomas Carlile to the Council of War, 11/29/1777 |
MSS 673 SG 2, Series 3, Subseries F Revolutionary War Records |
Order from Council of War to Town of North Providence to have Daniel Anthony, John Comstock and John Scott, Jr. pay the bounty to have men hired as soldiers in their place, Aug. 30, 1778. |
MSS 673 SG 2, Series 4, Subseries E Revolutionary War Records |
Resolve of Council of War for Major William Perkins to leave military stores in the care of Col. Josiah Flagg, July 26, 1781 |
MSS 673 SG 2, Series 6 Revolutionary War Records |
Resolve of General Assembly that Major Perkins deliver cannon to Count Rochambeau and Assistant Deputy Quarter Master Bourn repair the Providence powder house, March 21, 1781 |
MSS 673 SG2, Series 6 Revolutionary War Records |
Resolve of Council of War for Daniel Mowry to sell cattle and sheep, Dec. 18, 1776 |
MSS 673 SG 2, Series 6 Revolutionary War Records |
Resolve of Council of War to ship 5,000 gallons rum to Hartford and then on to main Army, June 26 1781 |
MSS 673 SG 2, Series 6 Revolutionary War Records |
Court case of John Banister vs. John Brown of Newport, 1762-1765 |
MSS 919 John Banister Collection |
Naval office certificate of entry for the Sloop Bonato, Robert Furness master, importing 40,000 boards signed by William Ellery, Naval Officer, May 24, 1757 |
MSS 9001-B Bonato (Sloop) |
Copy of "The humble address of the Governt. & Company of Your Majesty's Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in New England in America" to Queen Anne regarding the preparations for an expedition against the French in Canada, May 13, 1709. Copy of the cover letter for the address to the Queen signed by Samuel Cranston, May 13 1709 |
MSS 9001-C Samuel Cranston Papers (see inventory) |
Six pounds to be paid by the General Treasury to Joseph Edmonds, Sep. 18, 1758 |
MSS 9001-E Edmonds, Joseph |
Items transferred to Graphics:
War posters and large organizational charts from the Rhode Island State Council of Defense were transferred to the Graphics Division.
Inventory:
Series I: General Assembly
Acts and Resolves
A copy of the Act and Resolves was sent to each town. Many of these copies were sent to Thomas Spencer in East Greenwich. Many of the packets are incomplete and appear to be selected excerpts.
Box 1, folder 1. 1661, 1663, 1677, 1689, 1699, 1703, 1707, 1708 [photostats]
Box 1, folder 2. 1704, 1713-1716
Box 1, folder 3. 1717, 1719-1720
Box 1, folder 4. 1721-1723
Box 1, folder 5. 1724-1726
Box 1, folder 6. 1727-1729
Box 1, folder 7. 1730-1732
Box 1, folder 8. 1733-1734
Box 1, folder 9. 1735-1736
Box 2, folder 1. 1737
Box 2, folder 2. 1738
Box 2, folder 3. 1739
Box 2, folder 4. 1740-1741
Box 2, folder 5. 1742
Box 2, folder 6. 1743
Box 2, folder 7. 1745
Box 2, folder 8. 1747
Box 2, folder 9. 1753-1764
Box 2, folder 10. 1779-1920, n.d.
Miscellaneous Rhode Island records - arranged chronologically
Box 3, folder 1. Minutes of the General Assembly 1670 October 13-27
Box 3, folder 2. Minutes of the General Assembly 1675 May 4-5
Box 3, folder 3. Minutes of the General Assembly 1690 October 29-31
Box 3, folder 4. Deputy service certificates 1702-1714
Box 3, folder 5. Grand Committee - Account of the paper money issued on
loans backed by land security, 1728-1747
Box 3, folder 6. Report to the R.I. General assembly to stop enlisting men
for King George's War, signed by Peter Bours,
John Cranston, Thomas Fry, Jr. 1740 June 19
Box 3, folder 7. House of Deputies - order to arrest John Martin on
charge of slander 1748
Box 3, folder 8. Grand Committee records 1750-1761
Box 3, folder 9. Petition - to exclude members of the Government from
becoming judges and vice versa 1756
Box 3, folder 10. Riots in Newport, August 1765 - copies of documents
pertaining to claims for damages incurred 1756-1771
Box 3, folder 11. Tax of 8,000 pounds to be assessed "for paying off the
forces on their return from the present expeditions"
during the French and Indian War 1762 August 26 & 28
Box 3, folder 12. Committee of War report regarding the final settling of
accounts with soldiers signed by Thomas Cranston,
John Jepson and John Bours 1763 June
Box 3, folder 13. Deputies list 1780, 1792
Box 3, folder 14. General Treasury - Tax assessed towns to pay for
new Continental money 1783
Box 3, folder 15. Petitions - Narragansett Indians 1785
Box 3, folder 16. Claimants of interest certificates 1785-1786
Oversize Petition - regarding regulation of public vendue in RI by
requiring vendue masters and auctioneers to obtain a
license from the Governor. Petition written in the hand
of Welcome Arnold, signed by 238 people, n.d. [c.1785-1798]
Box 3, folder 17. General Treasury - Present state of the taxes, reports
prepared by Joseph Clarke, Gen. Treasurer 1786, 1788, 1789
Box 3, folder 18. Taxes - copy of tax estimate for RI created 1823 1796
Box 3, folder 19. Warrant to Sheriff of Newport County to warn every
member of the General Assembly within the county to
appear at a special session of the General Assembly
due to the declaration of war against Great Britain 1812 June 27
Box 3, folder 20. Representative districts based on 1840 census c.1842
Box 3, folder 21. Prayer for the opening of the General Assembly 1852 July 6
Box 3, folder 22. Vote tallies for Governor, Lt. Governor and President
for an unidentified RI locality 1856-1859
Box 3, folder 23. House of Representatives - Committee on Corporations
Docket 1891-1895
Box 3, folder 24. House of Representatives - Committee on Corporations
Docket 1896-1906
Box 4, folder 1. Providence Armory, Joint Special Committee 1894-1906
Box 4, folder 2. Commission to Draft and Report an Act to Carry into
Effect Article XIX of Amendments to the
Constitution of the State and the Re-Apportion
the Representative Districts of the State - Report 1930
Box 4, folder 3. Capitol Center Relocation Project - Theodore Francis
Green II 1978-1979
Series II: Governor
Rhode Island Governor - correspondence/announcements received from U.S. Congress
Box 4, folder 4. 1775-1777
Box 9, folder 1. 1777-1778 Oversize
Box 4, folder 5. 1778
Box 4, folder 6. 1779
Box 9, folder 2. 1779-1781 Oversize
Box 4, folder 7. 1780
Box 4, folder 8. 1781
Box 4, folder 9. 1782
Box 9, folder 3. 1782-1786 Oversize
Box 4, folder 10. 1783
Box 4, folder 11. 1784
Box 4, folder 12. 1785
Box 4, folder 13. 1786-1788
Box 4, folder 14. undated (1 item)
Box 9, folder 3. undated Oversize
Series III: State Agencies
Commission to Study Higher Education
Box 5, folder 1. Agreement to guarantee loans, 1960
Box 5, folder 2. Correspondence - notes - post Conant meeting, 1958-1959
Box 5, folder 3. Correspondence and press releases - general, 1957-1959
Box 5, folder 4. Correspondence - regarding report, 1959
Box 5, folder 5. Correspondence - research studies, 1958
Box 5, folder 6. Data sheets - community colleges, ca.1958?
Box 5, folder 7. Educational inventory project - analysis sheets, 1958
Box 5, folder 8. Legislation, 1959
Box 5, folder 9. Miscellaneous, n.d.
Box 5, folder 10. Newspaper clippings, 1957-1959
Box 5, folder 11. Publications and summaries, 1958-1960
Box 5, folder 12. Reference publications (other organizations), 1958-1959
Box 5, folder 13. Research notes "Q.M.D.", 1960, n.d.
Box 5, folder 14. WPRO-TV appearance - script, correspondence, etc., 1959
Box 6, Vol. 1 Rhode Island Normal School/College of Education, Trustees Minutes, 1909-1915
Box 6, Vol. 2 Rhode Island Normal School/College of Education, Trustees Minutes, 1916-1920
Box 6, Vol. 3 Rhode Island Normal School/College of Education, Trustees Minutes, 1921-1925
Box 6, Vol. 4 Rhode Island Normal School/College of Education, Trustees Minutes, 1926-1930
Box 6, folder 7. Rhode Island Normal School - Graduation program and playbill for
The Neighbors 1918
Box 8, Vol. 1 State Board of Education - Minutes, 1909-1915
Box 8, Vol. 2 State Board of Education - Minutes, 1916-1920
Box 8, Vol. 3 State Board of Education - Minutes, 1921-1925
Box 8, Vol. 4 State Board of Education - Minutes, 1926-1930
Box 8, Vol. 5 State Board for Vocational Education - Minutes, 1917-1927
Box 6, folder 1. State Home and School - Board of Control - Secretary's records, 1891-1911
Rhode Island State Council of Defense
This agency was part of the federal hierarchy for civilian defense during World War II. Each state had its own council to coordinate civilian defense within its borders. The majority of the information seems to have been collected by Alfred H. Fenton who was the Manager of the Public Relations Division as well as Chief of the Information Subdivision. He served in those capacities from at least March, 1942 until December 13, 1943 when he resigned to report to the Army. The material arrived in no discernible order and has been organized into subjects. Refer to the organizational charts in folder 59 to get an overview of how all the divisions and subdivisions were related to each other in the hierarchy. War posters and large organizational charts were transferred to the Graphics Division.
Box 7, folder 1. "Air Attack", 1942
Box 7, folder 2. Air priorities control office, n.d.
Aircraft Warning Service - see Ground Observer Corps
Box 7, folder 3. Air raid, 1941-1944
Box 7, folder 4. Air raid wardens, 1942
Box 7, folder 5. American Red Cross, 1942
Box 7, folder 6. Automobiles - use and identification, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 7. Awards, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 8. Blackouts, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 9. Block Plan Division, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 10. Bomb reconnaissance agents, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 11. Boy Scouts, 1942
Box 7, folder 12. "The Bulldozer" - newsletter of the U.S. National Guard, Camp Endicott, Davisville, RI, 1942
Box 7, folder 13. Business regulation - Securities Bureau, 1943
Box 7, folder 14. Child care committee, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 15. Citizens' Defense Manual, c. 1943
Box 7, folder 16. Civil Air Patrol, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 17. Civilian Defense Services, 1942
Box 7, folder 18. Civilian Protection School - Amherst, MA, 1942
Box 7, folder 19. Civilian War Services, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 20. Community wartime business clinics, 1942
Box 7, folder 21. Conservation of War Records Committee, 1942
Box 7, folder 22. Consumer Division, 1941-1944
Box 7, folder 23. Dimout regulations, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 24. Directories, 1943, n.d.
Box 7, folder 25. Divisional directors, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 26. Drivers Corps, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 27. East Coast Conference of State Defense Councils, 1942
Box 7, folder 28. Emergency Medical Subdivision, 1943
Box 7, folder 29. Emergency Service Division, 1943, n.d.
Box 7, folder 30. Emergency Welfare Service, 1942
Box 7, folder 31. Evacuation Division, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 32. Farm Labor Supply Subdivision, 1943
Box 7, folder 33. Field exercises, 1943
Box 7, folder 34. Film Service, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 35. Fire fighters and equipment, 1942-1944
Oversize Fire fighting resources inventory for state-wide defense plan, 1941
Box 7, folder 36. "Fire From the Sky", 1943
Box 7, folder 37. Food, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 38. Forest Wardens, 1942
Box 7, folder 39. Gas Officer, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 40. Gasoline, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 41. Ground Observer Corps, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 42. Home front pledge, 1943
Box 7, folder 43. Housing, 1943
Box 7, folder 44. Incident Officers School, 1942
Box 7, folder 45. Induction into military, 1944, n.d.
Box 7, folder 46. Industrial, 1943
Box 7, folder 47. Insignia Committee, 1943
Box 7, folder 48. Job descriptions, n.d.
Box 7, folder 49. Junior Citizens Service Corps, 1943
Box 7, folder 50. Labor Division, 1942
Box 7, folder 51. Library services, 1942, n.d.
Box 7, folder 52. Local Councils of Defense, 1941-1943
Box 7, folder 53. Manpower Division, 1943
Box 7, folder 54. Medical Aid and Health Division, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 55. Messenger Subdivision, 1943
Box 7, folder 56. National Family Week, 1943
Box 7, folder 57. Nurses Subdivision, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 58. Office of Civilian Defense, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 59. Organizational charts, 1942-1943, n.d.
Box 7, folder 60. Parade - "On to Victory", 1943
Box 7, folder 61. Planning and Technical Division, 1941, 1943
Box 7, folder 62. Plant Protection Subdivision, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 63. Police, Auxiliary manual, 1942
Box 7, folder 64. Post Office, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 65. Post War Survey Committee, 1944
Box 7, folder 66. Price Administration Office, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 67. Protection Division, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 68. Providence Civilian Defense Council, 1942
Box 7, folder 69. Public Relations Division, 1943, n.d.
Box 7, folder 70. Public Relations Division - news releases, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 71. Publications - general, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 72. Radio operating, c.1943
Box 7, folder 73. Radio programs, 1943
Rationing see Home front pledge, 1943
Box 7, folder 74. Rescue Squads, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 75. Rhode Island Council of War Agencies, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 76. Rhode Island State Council of Defense, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 77. Rhode Island State Council of Defense - meetings, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 78. Rhode Island United War Fund, 1942
Box 7, folder 79. Rumors, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 80. Salvage Division, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 81. Schools at war program, 1942
Box 7, folder 82. State Emergency Fleet, 1943
Box 7, folder 83. State Personnel Officer, 1943
Box 7, folder 84. State Property Officer, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 85. Statistics, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 86. Training Subdivision, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 87. Transportation Conservation Subdivision, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 88. Victory Farm Volunteers Subdivision, 1943
Box 7, folder 89. Victory gardens, 1943-1944
Box 7, folder 90. Victory tax, 1942
Box 7, folder 91. Volunteer Office, 1942-1943
Box 7, folder 92. War loan drives, 1943-1944 see also Rhode Island United War Fund
War Civilian Security Program see State Personnel Officer
Box 7, folder 93. Warning Centers, 1942-1944
Box 7, folder 94. Warning district efficiency reports, 1942
Box 7, folder 95. Welfare Division, 1943-1944
Series IV: Administrative Units
Box 6, folder 2. Rhode Island Banking, Insurance and Securities Administration - Listing of Discontinued Companies, c.1799-c.1914
Box 9, Vol. 1 Rhode Island Banking, Insurance and Securities Administration - Listing of companies, c.1799 - c.1940
Box 6, folder 3. State Planning Board - Survey of World War I Memorials in RI, 1944
Series V: Courts
Box 9, Volume 2. Lords Commissioners for Hearing Prize Appeals and Privy-Council in Whitehall, England, 1741-1752 (photostat negatives made by the New York Public Library)
Box 6, folder 4. Maritime Court - Minute Book #3, 10/1/1776 - 10/28/1776
Box 6, folder 5. Rhode Island General Court - List of Representatives, c.1780s
Box 6, folder 6. Vice Admiralty Court
Decree of judge William Strengthfield declaring the ship St. Jacques "as good and lawful prize," July 4, 1746
Copy of judgment of William Strengthield about the rights of Francisco Yudice, July 21, 1747
Copy of "Honorable Joseph Wanton, Esq. to costs in the Court of Vice Admiralty arising on sundry Information by him presented,"1762, 1764
Document regarding jurisdiction over the case of Jonathan Thurston vs. Devarieux Grande Terre regarding the sloop Dolphin signed by Judge William Strengthfield, April- May, 1748
Subjects:
Armories - Providence, RI
Civil defense - Rhode Island
Commission to Study Higher Education
Committee on Corporations
Congress (Continental)
Green, Theodore F. II
Insurance - Rhode Island
Maritime court
Money - Rhode Island
Narragansett Indians
Newport - Riots - 1765
Prize cases
Privateer cases
Providence Armory
Rhode Island - Acts and Resolves
Rhode Island College of Education
Rhode Island - Courts
Rhode Island - Education
Rhode Island - Finance
Rhode Island - General Assembly
Rhode Island Normal School
Rhode Island State Board of Education
Rhode Island State Council of Defense
Rhode Island State Home and School for Children
Rhode Island State Planning Board
Rhode Island - Taxes
Rhode Island - Taxes, 1796
Rhode Island Vocational School
Riots - Newport, RI, 1765
St. Jacques (Ship)
Strengthfield, William
United States. Congress - Records and correspondence
United States - History - Revolution, 1775-1783
Vice Admiralty Court
World War, 1914-1918
World War, 1939-1945
End of finding aid - return to top
RIHS1822