To: Brenda, Mike & all Listers: As part of my FEE-FREE Lookup service, I can give you the incorp- oration date for any City or Town in RI....as well as for all the other 49 States. I'm easy to reach at: <wm.r.waterhouse@mailstation.com> BILL in CT -------------------------------------------------------------- Mike, I often have the same thought on birth places. So many times I have had to go back to look at dates to find that Scituate or Foster had not been incorporated at that time. I record the information as it is written in the document and cite that document w/ the information. If there is conflicting information I further cite it. I have just finished reading "The History of Scituate, RI" by Hedley Smith (1976) which is an elaboration on Cyrus Walker's "History of Scituate" (1902?). In approx. 1705 the first divisions of land in what would be Scituate. "The Act of Incorporation was passed by the General Assembly on February 20, 1731; the boundary lines were completed on March 18, and the first Town Meeting was canned March 18th, at the Angell Tavern in South Scituate...for the election of town officers, deputies, and jurymen." (pg. 53). Formal action to divide Scituate into two towns began December 25, 1780. "On August 24, 1781, the General Assembly granted the first petition, dividing the Scituate territory into two halves vertically."(pg. 93). This is given as the date of incorporation for the Town of Foster. I'm sure you can find a source that dates all towns and villages. This is a start for you. I can provide some information on villages of Scituate, but not of Smithfield, should you need it. Good luck! Brenda Hopkins ----- Original Message ----- From: "Duquette, Michael" <mduquette@as-e.com> To: <RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, February 22, 2006 7:26 AM Subject: RE: [RIGENWEB] KNOW RHODE ISLAND > When documenting my ancestry from RI, I often get confused regarding what to > put for the birth/marriage/death location, for example: > > Birth: 1758 should the location be Scituate, Providence, RI or Scituate, RI > or Scituate, Providence County, RI or Scituate Township, Providence > Plantation, RI and there are others to choose from. > > I know that it all has to do with the dates that these towns incorporated. > Towns such as Foster, Smithfield, Burrilville, Glocester and even villages > of Smithfield, for example, Greenville, Spragueville, and Tarkiln (sp?). > > I hoping someone can direct me to a source that puts dates to all of these > locations and connects the villages to the townships and to the counties as > well. > > Mike Duquette > > -----Original Message----- > From: Charlie Carpenter [mailto:nktown17@cox.net] > Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 9:39 AM > To: RIGENWEB-L@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [RIGENWEB] KNOW RHODE ISLAND > > The Plantations referred to Roger Williams large parcel of land on the west > side of Narragansett Bay that he bought from the Indians. > > C- > Charlie Carpenter > Washington County,R.I.