This series consists of records which document the early history and development of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island and printed, typed, and handwritten histories of the diocese or some particular aspect of its role in the life of Rhode Island. The latter were usually produced to commemorate a significant event or anniversary in the history of the diocese such as its centennial or bicentennial. Some records in this series pre-date the official founding of the diocese in 1790, but are included because they document the early development of the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island.

Topics represented include diocesan finances, the diocesan archives, real estate transactions, diocesan missions, organizations such as the Board of Trustees of Churches and Glebes, and the Churchmen's Club of Rhode Island, the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church, lists of clergy in the diocese, religious services, and the ordination of the Rev. James MacSparran, perhaps the most notable Anglican clergyman in colonial Rhode Island.

Types of records represented include correspondence, minutes of meetings, committee reports, biographical sketches of prominent figures in diocesan history, prayer books, catechisms, baptismal lists, burial lists, confirmation registers, deeds, mortgages, lists of clergy serving in the diocese, Diocesan Record Books, private registers of church services held by itinerant ministers serving the diocese (1787-1817), Journals of the Proceedings of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States, and an 1862 pastoral letter from the Episcopal bishops to the "Clergy and Laity of the Confederate States of America."

There is some overlap of record type and subject matter between this series and Diocesan Administrative Files. The distinction between the two is that this series contains records of an historical nature and histories of the diocese, while Diocesan Administrative Files series contains more current records documenting the administrative functions of the diocese.

This series consists of records deposited with diocesan headquarters by parish and mission churches of the diocese. The bulk of the records are from churches which were disincorporated, though there are some printed materials (e.g. parish histories and anniversary programs) sent to the diocese from still active parishes. The records do not appear to be complete for any of the disincorporated churches and some churches may have closed without making any provision for the preservation of their records. Since the diocese had no systematic method of collecting and preserving the records of disincorporated churches, there are gaps in the collection.

These materials represent the only known existing records of the disincorporated churches and include deeds, bequests, baptismal, birth, burial, and marriage registers, pew rental registers, registers of church services, bank statements, minutes of meetings of the vestry and other parish organizations, correspondence, printed and typed parish histories, programs, brochures, ledgers, account books, acts of incorporation, charters, deeds of donation and requests to consecrate, and photographs of buildings and congregations. The early parish registers of baptisms, births, burials, and marriages are particularly significant in that they often represent the only source where such information can be located.

Some parishes in this series are also represented in the Parish Administrative Files series. Records in this series are historical in nature or histories of the parish in question, while those in Parish Administrative Files series document the administrative relationship between the parish and the diocese.

This series consists of handwritten and printed sermons by Episcopal priests from Rhode Island. The sermons are among the oldest records in the collection, with all but one dating from the eighteenth century.

Among the sermons in this series are ten by Rev. James MacSparran and thirteen by the Rev. Samuel Fayerweather, two of colonial Rhode Island's most notable ministers. MacSparran and Fayerweather served successively as rectors of St. Paul's Church in Narragansett from 1721 to 1774. Other prominent eighteenth century clergy represented include Rev. George Pigot, first rector of King's Church in Providence, and the Rev. William Smith, rector of Trinity Church in Newport, who was instrumental in organizing the Diocese of Rhode Island in 1790.

This series contains materials relating to the eleven bishops of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. (See Historical Note for the names of the bishops of Rhode Island). Although all eleven bishops are represented, the quantity of records varies widely from bishop to bishop. A greater quantity of records exists for the twentieth-century bishops James De Wolf Perry, Granville Bennett, John Seville Higgins, Frederick Hesley Belden, and George Nelson Hunt, while there are only a few items from the episcopates of eighteenth century bishops Samuel Seabury and Edward Bass.

Included are correspondence, sermons, biographical sketches, photographs, wax impressions of the bishops' seals, consecration and installation programs, certificates of election as bishop, personal journals, prayer books, pastoral letters, programs for memorial services, appointment calendars, and newspaper clippings.

John Seville Higgins was the ninth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, serving from 1955 to 1972. During his episcopate and since his retirement, Higgins has been a prolific writer, and the unofficial historian of the diocese. This series contains both his published and unpublished work from college term papers to books on the Anglican faith.

Included are articles, addresses, sermons, college term papers, books, histories of various aspects of St. John's Cathedral and the Diocese of Rhode Island, letters to the editor of secular and religious publications, and a typewritten autobiography entitled One Man's Journey. The autobiography is especially interesting in that it combines a description of Higgins's life, particularly his childhood in England, with developments in the Episcopal/Anglican Church in both England and the United States. It also traces Higgins's clerical life from a young minister in the midwest to the pinnacle of his career as the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

Copies of Higgins's printed and typed articles on various aspects of the diocese and of St. John's Cathedral also appear in the Histories/Historical Records series of this manuscript group and in Manuscript Group 94, St. John's Church/Cathedral, Series II.

This series contains the printed and bound proceedings of annual and special conventions of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. The proceedings, known as the Directory and Journal, are published each year by the diocese.

Proceedings for the years 1790-1832 inclusive are summarized in one volume. The following years are missing: 1900-1909 inclusive, 1911-1913 inclusive, 1915-1932 inclusive, 1935, 1950, 1951, 1953-1962 inclusive, 1966, and 1969.

This series contains photographs of events, people, and places significant to some aspect of the life of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island. Included are photographs of such events as celebratory dinners, church services, conventions, and meetings. Among the photographs of people are prominent clergy and laity of the diocese, as well as photographs of choirs and class photographs of St. Dunston's School. Photographs of places include St. Andrew's, St. Dunstan's and St. Michael's Schools, as well as several diocesan residential and office buildings.

Photographs relating to the Episcopal Diocese are also located in other series in this collection. Photographs of the bishops of Rhode Island are located in Series IV and photographs of individual parish churches are located in Series II. Photographs of the Cathedral of St. John are located in Series V of Manuscript Group 94, St. John's Church/Cathedral.

The Scrapbooks Series consists of bound scrapbooks compiled by diocesan staff members and containing photographs, brochures, programs, and newspaper clippings relating to the activities of the Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island.

This series contains the administrative records of the diocesan headquarters and the bishop. The bulk of the records date from 1970 to 1990 and document the episcopates of Bishops John Seville Higgins, Frederick Hesley Belden, and George Nelson Hunt. Topics include diocesan committees such as the Executive Committee and the Diocesan Council, regional and national Episcopal organizations such as the Provincial Synod and the House of Bishops, interfaith organizations such as the Rhode Island State Council of Churches, foreign and companion dioceses, mixed marriages, missions, the ordination of women, charitable and public interest groups such as the Episcopal Charities Fund, Planned Parenthood, and the Sanctuary for Central American Refugees, clergy transfers and examinations, and the diocesan budget.

Types of records represented include correspondence, publications including Ad Clerum (the diocesan newsletter), minutes of meetings, committee reports, bank statements, audit reports, budget work sheets, canonical examination forms, clergy transfer forms, proceedings of the national House of Bishops, and pastoral letters. The Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island and its bishops have been active in the social and political as well as religious life of Rhode Island, and this activism is documented in the records. Of particular interest are the files on Planned Parenthood and Sanctuary for Central American Refugees. Also of interest are the files on the topics of mixed marriages and the ordination of women, which document the Episcopal Church's evolving attitudes on these subjects.

There is some overlap of record type and subject matter between this series and the Histories/Historical Records series. The distinction between the two is that the Histories/Historical Records series contains printed and typed histories of the diocese (e.g. Centennial and Bicentennial Histories) and historical records (e.g. early financial records, deeds, mortgages, and records of early diocesan organizations), while the records in this series document the more recent administrative functions of the diocese.

This series consists of records which document the relationship between the bishop and active diocesan parishes for which he is responsible. Topics include visits of the bishop to the parish, financial status and financial problems of parishes, the resignation of ministers, the selection of ministers, building programs, expansion and merger plans, problems and disagreements among the parishioners, parish programs, celebrations, and special events.

Types of records included are correspondence, pastoral letters, visitation data sheets, parish budgets, parish histories and other parish publications, building plans, and blueprints, annual reports, and newspaper clippings. There is some overlap of both types of records and subjects in this series and in the Diocesan Parishes series. The distinction is that the bulk of the records in the Diocesan Parishes series are from disincorporated parishes and document a broad range of internal parish activities, while the bulk of the records in this series are from still active parishes and document the administrative relationship between the parish and the bishop.

Change in church titles, locations, and ownership are sometimes encountered in these records. A primary example is St. Paul's Church (box 95, folders 68-70). A Church of England congregation built a church originally located on Shermantown Road in what was then referred to as Narragansett. This building was moved to Wickford, R.I. in the Town of North Kingstown. This building was used by the parish until 1848 when a new church building was built. After being used for storage, the old church building was restored and donated in 1914 to the Diocese of Rhode Island. The church is variously known as St. Paul's Narragansett, St. Paul's Wickford, and the Old Narragansett Church. A memo explaining these events can be found in the parish folders.

This series consists of printed forms listing people baptized, confirmed, or received into the Episcopal faith by the bishop on his visits to parishes throughout the diocese. The majority of lists are for confirmations and receptions and many of the parishes are lacking lists for the years 1947-54 and 1968-70.

Though the format of the baptism/confirmation/reception reporting form changed through the years, the information reported remained constant. It includes the name, address, date of birth, and previous ecclesiastical affiliation of the person to be baptized, confirmed, or received, the date on which the ceremony took place, and the name of the parish church in which it took place.