Texas, Matagorda County Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

What is in the Collection?
The collection consista of records from Matagorda County in Bay City, Texas. It includes District Court, Divorce, and Naturalization Records. This collection is being published as images become available.

Collection Content
The content varies by record type. You may find any of the following:


 * Name of Petitioner
 * Name of Court
 * Date and place of Birth
 * Occupation
 * Where Petitioner emigrated from
 * Date of Emigration
 * Full name of spouse
 * Sometimes date of marriage
 * Spouse' Birthplace
 * Place of Residence
 * Names of children, children's birth dates and birth places
 * Date of Naturalization
 * Date of Arrival
 * Names of Witnesses
 * Date Signed

How Do I Search the Collection?
To begin your search it is helpful to know the following:


 * The approximate date and type of event.
 * The name of the primary individual or individuals

Search the Collection
To search the collection you will need to follow this series of links: ⇒Select the "Browse" link in the initial search page ⇒Select the Record Category ⇒Select the Record Type, Volume or Case No., Year Range which takes you to the images

Look at each image comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine if the image relates to them. You may need to look at several images and compare the information about the individuals listed in those images to your ancestors to make this determination. Keep in mind:
 * There may be more than one person in the records with the same name.
 * You may not be sure of your own ancestor’s name.
 * Your ancestor may have used different names or variations of their name throughout their life.

What Do I Do Next?
When you have located your ancestor’s record, carefully evaluate each piece of information given. These pieces of information may give you new biographical details. Add this new information to your records of each family. The information may also lead you to other records about your ancestors. The following examples show ways you can use the information:


 * Use the age to calculate a birth date.
 * Use the names, ages and residence church and census records.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * Occupations listed can lead you to employment records or other types of records such as military records.
 * The name of the officiator at a christening, marriage, or burial may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * Compile the entries for every person who has the same surname as the bride or groom, this is especially helpful in rural areas or if the surname is unusual.
 * Continue to search the records to identify children, siblings, parents, and other relatives who may have been born, married, or died in the same county or nearby. This can help you identify other generations of your family or even the second marriage of a parent. Repeat this process for each new generation you identify.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * When looking for a person who had a common name, look at all the entries for the name before deciding which is correct.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1800s.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

What If I Can't Find Who I'm Looking For?

 * Look for variant spellings of the names. You should also look for alias names, nicknames and abbreviated names.
 * Check for a different index. There are often indexes at the beginning of each volume.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Related Websites

 * Matagorda County, Texas Free Public Records Directory
 * Matagorda County, Texas Court Records Directory
 * Matagorda County, Texas Family History and Genealogy
 * Matagorda County Records

Related Wiki Articles
Matagorda County, Texas

Citing this Collection
Citing your sources makes it easy for others to find and evaluate the records you used. When you copy information from a record, list where you found that information. Here you can find citations already created for the entire collection and for each individual record or image.

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