R.I. Gen. Laws § 33-6-11: Death of devisee in tail in lifetime of testator.

Where any person to whom real estate shall be devised an estate tail, or an estate in quasi entail, shall die in the lifetime of the testator, leaving issue who would be inheritable under the entail, and any issue shall be living at the time of the death of the testator, the devise shall not lapse but shall take effect as if the death of the devisee had happened immediately after the death of the testator, unless a contrary intention shall appear by the will.