In a message dated 2/25/03 12:03:33 PM Eastern Standard Time, genevatm@comcast.net writes: > I have a birth in Prudence in 1757 and one known in South Kingstown > 1793.(this is father and son) realise that these would be church records > if even possible to find. Prudence Island is, I am almost positive, part of the Town of Portsmouth (Newport County), so vital records should be found in Portsmouth. I am not aware of any churches that ever existed on Prudence Island. The island had no historic connection with Kingstowne (later North and South Kingstown) that I know of. The only public access is by ferry from Bristol to the central east side of the island, across the central passage of Narragansett Bay from Portsmouth. The only protected harbor is Potters Cove, which is managed by the state -- Potters Cove is near the NE corner of the island. The southern end of the island has been off limits for years with underground munitions bunkers associated with the Newport Naval Base. The SW corner of the island was the site of a late 19th century Methodist church camp that never really took off. As a kid growing up on Narragansett Bay, there were no public roads on the island, so one could drive there at any age without a license, but since a car did not need to be registered there, most could barely run. Prudence Island is now quietly being grabbed by knowing insiders for vacation lots. JIM GIBBS