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Our Genealogy Helper

Introduction ...

We have a couple of goals for our Gazetteer:

  • That it be a tool which helps us with planning our trips.
  • We're trying to shape our Gazetteer as a tool to help us understand the community in which our ancestors lived, the community that was part of their daily lives.
  • On our trips, we try to visit those places where our ancestors left their footprints.

By learning about Portsmouth (and the surrounding area) during the time that our ancestors lived, we hope to have a better understanding of both their community and its relationship to their lifes. We hope that this tool helps to give us an insight into their world.

As we add data and organize our Gazetteer to help with our family research, we will be adding to this our Genealogical Helper for Portsmouth. While we don't have information that is specific to any given person or family, we intend to expand our understanding about where and how people lived.

Neighboring Counties ...

When searching for family records, we have frequently made the mistake of not checking the neighboring counties.

For example, we have great-grandparents who lived in the northwest corner of their home county. During their lives, most doctors were in the next county to the west. Almost all of the nearby churches and cemeteries were in the county to the north.

So when searching for records, we had our best success by looking in neighboring counties instead of the county in which they lived:  their home county contained property and probate records; the county to the west contained birth and death records; the county to the north contained their burial records. If we hadn't included the neighboring counties, we would have missed many valuable sources of information.

If you're in a similar situation, we hope that the following information helps.

Portsmouth is located in Newport County.

To see how the shape of the state's counties have changed over time, we recommend the Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.

The following counties adjoin and form the boundaries of Newport County: Bristol (MA), Bristol, Kent & Washington.

Below are the counties that are near Portsmouth. For each of these counties, we show a sample of those communities that are closest to Portsmouth:

  • Newport County     (The home county of Portsmouth)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Melville
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Melville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Melville
      • Melville is located in Newport County
    • Portsmouth
      (Less than 2 miles to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Portsmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Portsmouth
      • Portsmouth is located in Newport County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 17,108 people
    • Tiverton
      (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiverton
      • Tiverton is located in Newport County
    • Tiverton Four Corners
      (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
    • Tiverton
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiverton
      • Tiverton is located in Newport County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,569 people
    • Lawtons
      (4 miles [6.4 km] to the southwest)
    • Bliss Corners
      (5 miles [8 km] to the east)
    • Middletown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Middletown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Middletown
      • Middletown is located in Newport County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,803 people
    • Middletown
      (5 miles [8 km] to the south)
    • Adamsville
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Little Compton
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Compton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Compton
      • Little Compton is located in Newport County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,462 people
    • Jamestown
      (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Jamestown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Jamestown
      • Jamestown is located in Newport County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 5,482 people
  • Bristol County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Bristol
      (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
    • Bristol
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bristol have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol
      • Bristol is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 21,866 people
    • Coggeshall
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the north)
    • Warren
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Warren have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Warren
      • Warren is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 10,469 people
    • Barrington
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Barrington have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Barrington
      • Barrington is located in Bristol County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,015 people
    • Barrington
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Annawomscutt
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northwest)
  • Kent County
  • Providence County
  • Washington County
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Mount View
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the west)
    • Saunderstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the southwest)
    • Allenton
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Belleville
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Belleville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Belleville
      • Belleville is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Belleville
      • From Portsmouth to Belleville
    • North Kingstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Kingstown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Kingstown
      • North Kingstown is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 26,278 people
    • North Kingstown
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
    • Wickford
      (11 miles [17.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Wickford. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Wickford
      • Wickford is located in Washington County
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Wickford
      • From Portsmouth to Wickford
    • Bridgetown
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the southwest)
    • Wickford Junction
      (12 miles [19.3 km] to the west)
    • Narragansett
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Narragansett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Narragansett
      • Narragansett is located in Washington County
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 15,309 people
    • Narragansett
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the southwest)
    • Exeter
      (14 miles [22.5 km] to the west)
  • New London County (CT)
    • Voluntown
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Voluntown have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Voluntown
      • Voluntown is located in New London County (CT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 2,500 people
  • Windham County (CT)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Oneco
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oneco have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oneco
      • Oneco is located in Windham County (CT)
      • Jump to TripAdvisor's Tourism page for Oneco <3>
    • Ekonk
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Ekonk. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ekonk
      • Ekonk is located in Windham County (CT)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Ekonk
      • From Portsmouth to Ekonk
    • Sterling
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Sterling have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Sterling
      • Sterling is located in Windham County (CT)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 3,764 people
    • Sterling
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the west)
  • Barnstable County (MA)
  • Bristol County (MA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Globe Village
      (6 miles [9.7 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Globe Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Globe Village
      • Globe Village is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • Central Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Westport
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westport
      • Westport is located in Bristol County (MA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,097 people
    • Fall River
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Flint Village
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flint Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint Village
      • Flint Village is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • Ocean Grove
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Ocean Grove have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Ocean Grove
      • Ocean Grove is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • North Westport
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Westport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Westport
      • North Westport is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • Oak Grove Village
      (9 miles [14.5 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Oak Grove Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Oak Grove Village
      • Oak Grove Village is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • Gidleys Corner
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the east)
    • Swansea Center
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the north)
    • Bowenville
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Bowenville. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bowenville
      • Bowenville is located in Bristol County (MA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Bowenville
      • From Portsmouth to Bowenville
    • Acoaxet
      (10 miles [16.1 km] to the southeast)
  • Dukes County (MA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Cuttyhunk
      (20 miles [32.2 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Cuttyhunk have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Cuttyhunk
      • Cuttyhunk is located in Dukes County (MA)
    • Gosnold
      (25 miles [40.2 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Gosnold have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Gosnold
      • Gosnold is located in Dukes County (MA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 75 people
    • Aquinnah
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the southeast)
    • Menemsha
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the southeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Menemsha have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Menemsha
      • Menemsha is located in Dukes County (MA)
  • Norfolk County (MA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Plainville
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Plainville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Plainville
      • Plainville is located in Norfolk County (MA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 9,280 people
    • Burnt Swamp Corner
      (29 miles [46.7 km] to the north)
    • Sheldonville
      (30 miles [48.3 km] to the north)
  • Plymouth County (MA)
    • The following are listed by their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.
    • Mattapoisett
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Mattapoisett have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Mattapoisett
      • Mattapoisett is located in Plymouth County (MA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 6,427 people
    • Lakeville
      (22 miles [35.4 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Lakeville have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Lakeville
      • Lakeville is located in Plymouth County (MA)
      • Population from the 2020 Census: 11,698 people
    • North Lakeville
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Rochester
      (23 miles [37 km] to the northeast)
    • Marion
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the east)
    • Middleborough
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Namasket Village
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Namasket Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Namasket Village
      • Namasket Village is located in Plymouth County (MA)
    • Rock
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: We haven't been able to verify our GPS coordinates for Rock. Although the coordinates have been estimated, they should be in the vicinity.<2>
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Rock
      • Rock is located in Plymouth County (MA)
      • Google driving directions:
      • From your current location to Rock
      • From Portsmouth to Rock
    • South Middleboro
      (26 miles [41.8 km] to the northeast)
    • Briarwood Beach
      (27 miles [43.5 km] to the east)
    • Weweantic
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the east)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Weweantic have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Weweantic
      • Weweantic is located in Plymouth County (MA)
    • West Wareham
      (28 miles [45.1 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for West Wareham have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for West Wareham
      • West Wareham is located in Plymouth County (MA)

For an expanded list of the communities that are closest to Portsmouth, see our County-by-County Page for Portsmouth.

Cemeteries Near Portsmouth ...

Below are cemeteries that are in the vicinity of Portsmouth.

This is a new section and is likely to have errors. If you find an error, such as a missing cemetery or we have the wrong name, please let us know. If you know of them, we would also appreciate learning about previous or alternate names.

If you need information about a burial or interment, photos, transcripts, how to contact the cemetery or local authorities, please visit our selection of Genealogy Websites (see below).

If not found below, our Cemetery List for Portsmouth covers a larger area, with the cemeteries listed in alphabetical order.

The following cemeteries are listed based on their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.

Nearby Communities in 1895 ...

We've built the following list with information that came from an Atlas published by Rand McNally in 1895. The Atlas had details such as the population of the community (which appears to have come from the 1890 Census) and whether there was a post office and/or railroad service available. We also indicate if the community no longer exists and is now historic.<7>

The Rand McNally Atlas shows that Portsmouth had a population of 800 people in 1895 with a post office and no railroad service.

These communities are listed based on their distance from Portsmouth, with the one closest to Portsmouth listed first.

  • Tiverton
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Tiverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Tiverton
    • Tiverton is located in Newport County
  • Bristol Ferry
    (2 miles [3.2 km] to the north)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Bristol Ferry have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Bristol Ferry
    • Bristol Ferry is located in Newport County
  • South Portsmouth
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the south)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Portsmouth have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Portsmouth
    • South Portsmouth is located in Newport County
  • Tiverton Four Corners
    (3 miles [4.8 km] to the southeast)
  • Bristol
    (5 miles [8 km] to the north)
  • North Tiverton
    (5 miles [8 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for North Tiverton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for North Tiverton
    • North Tiverton is located in Newport County
  • Little Compton
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Little Compton have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Little Compton
    • Little Compton is located in Newport County
  • Adamsville
    (7 miles [11.3 km] to the southeast)
  • Newport
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the south)
  • Central Village
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
  • Westport
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the east)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Westport have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Westport
    • Westport is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • Population from the 2020 Census: 16,097 people
  • Flint Village
    (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Flint Village have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
    • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Flint Village
    • Flint Village is located in Bristol County (MA)
  • Continue List   (23 more) ...
    • Fall River
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
    • Brayton Point
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the northeast)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for Brayton Point have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for Brayton Point
      • Brayton Point is located in Bristol County (MA)
    • South Swansea
      (8 miles [12.9 km] to the north)
      • Note: The GPS coordinates that we are using for South Swansea have been provided by the GNIS.<1> The coordinates still need to be verified.
      • Jump to our Gazetteer entry for South Swansea
      • South Swansea is located in Bristol County (MA)

We've also created an expanded list of communities that existed in the 1890's and were located in the area around Portsmouth. See our List of 1890's Communities around Portsmouth.

Newspapers Published in Portsmouth ...

An ongoing effort between the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has resulted in the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP).

To share their results, the partnership has created the Chronicling America website. The goal of this partnership is to assemble a database about the current and historic newspapers of the United States. This includes a growing collection of scanned images from selected papers. All of it available to the public on their website.

Using information that we've taken from the Chronicling America website, we've identified 88 newspapers that have been published in the area around Portsmouth.

Although we're unaware of any newspapers that were published in the immediate area of Portsmouth, there are papers which were published within 12 miles [19.3 km]<6>. A list of those papers, sorted by paper name, can be found on the Extended Newspaper List for Portsmouth.

Websites to Help With Your Genealogy Research ...

When we do our genealogical research, we first visit the websites from Cyndi's List, FamilySearch and Genealogy Trails. These professional and volunteer websites offer the information directly or else point to where you can find it. Their information is open to everyone.

To help you get started, the following links will take you to the pages that are relevant to Portsmouth:

The official website for Portsmouth: www.portsmouthri.com/

The official website for State of Rhode Island: https://www.ri.gov/

Footnotes ...

<1>The location has been supplied by the Geographic Names Information System - which is maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). While these values should be definitive, we found that accuracy can vary and you should double-check the location if accuracy is required.
<2>An 'estimated' location is one where we have been given GPS coordinates, but are unable to verify the accuracy of those coordinates. That said, we have some confidence that we have placed the marker near the actual location. A typical reason for being unable to verify a location is that it might be on private property or maybe historic and gone without an obvious trace.
<3>While we're fans and frequent users of TripAdvisor, you should know that we're also members of the TripAdvisor affiliate program.
<4>The Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission (RIHCC) has created and maintains a database of cemeteries. More information about the RIHCC can be found on their website: rihistoriccemeteries.org.
<5>The Find-a-Grave website is an excellent research tool with information about a cemetery's location and interments. They also offer a forum for their members which can provide additional help. More information about Find-a-Grave can be found on their website: findagrave.com.
<6>Our distances are not driving distances, but are calculated as a 'straight-line' (or point-to-point) distance. A straight line distance ignores things like rivers, canyons, lakes, et cetera - it's truly a line from Point A (ie- Portsmouth) to Point B.Our distance measurements begin at a specific point in Portsmouth. The point we use is located at these GPS coordinates - Latitude: 41.6008, Longitude: -71.2499    
<7>We use the term 'Historic' broadly and it generally means that the community no longer exists. However, it can also mean that the community might still exist, but was significantly larger or had a more 'official' existence in the past than it does now. Unfortunately our sources of data have proven to be unreliable. If you can provide us with more specific information about Portsmouth, please let us know so that we can improve our accuracy.




 

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This page was last modified/updated: 22 Apr 2025