Texas, Mills County Clerk Records - FamilySearch Historical Records

Record Description
This Collection includes records from 1841 to 1985.

This collection consists of the following:


 * Commissioner's Court records
 * District Court records (includes Divorce records)
 * Land records
 * Naturalization records
 * Probate records
 * Vital records

The county was organized and created 15 March 1887 from Comanche, Brown, Hamilton, and Lampasas counties. The court minutes are generall handwitten in bound volumes. Probate records are usually loose, handwritten pages that have put together in an envelope called a packet. Vital records are usually handwritten on preprinted pages.

For a list of records by categories and dates currently published in this collection, select the Browse link from the collection landing page.

These records begin as early as 1841 and generally continue through 1935 with some continuing on until 1985.

Citation for This Collection
The following citation refers to the original source of the information published on FamilySearch.org Historical Record collections. Sources include the author, custodian, publisher, and archive for the original records.

Suggested citation format for a record in this collection.

Record Content
Key genealogical information to be found in the birth and delayed birth records is:


 * Date of the record
 * Child’s name, gender and race
 * Legitimacy
 * Child's birth date and place of birth
 * Father's full name, age, race and occupation
 * Mother's maiden name, age, race and occupation
 * Parents' nationality
 * Parents' residence
 * Live birth or stillborn
 * Number of living children of mother
 * Name of informant

Key genealogical information to be found in the marriage records is:


 * Names and ages of bride and groom
 * Marriage date and place
 * Name of person performing the ceremony

Key genealogical information to be found in the death records is:


 * Precinct, county and state where death occurred
 * Full name and gender of deceased
 * Date and place of death
 * Cause of death
 * Age of deceased in years, months and days
 * Race, occupation and marital status of deceased
 * Date and place of birth
 * Names of parents and their birthplace
 * Residence of deceased
 * Name of spouse
 * Name of informant
 * Burial date and place of interment
 * Name of undertaker

Biographical information to be found in probate cases is:


 * Name of the testator or deceased
 * Names of heirs, such as spouse, children, other relatives, or friends
 * Name of the executor, administrator, or guardian
 * Names of witnesses
 * Dates the documents were written and recorded (used to approximate event dates since a will was usually written near the time of death)
 * Description and value of personal property or land owned by the deceased

How to Use the Record
To search the collection, select "Browse through images" on the initial collection page ⇒ Select the "Record Category" ⇒ Select the "Record Description" which takes you to the images.

Look at the images one by one comparing the information with what you already know about your ancestors to determine which one is your ancestor. You may need to compare the information about more than one person to make this determination.

To begin your search you will need to know the following:


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

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.

Using the Information
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 that can lead you to other records about your ancestors. Add this new information to your records of each family. For example:


 * Use the marriage date and place as the basis for compiling a new family group or for verifying existing information.
 * Use the birth dates or ages along with the place of birth to obtain birth records and parents' names.
 * Use the residence and names of the parents to locate census, church, and land records.
 * Use the occupations listed to find other types of records such as employment or military records.
 * Use the parents' birth places to find former residences and to establish a migration pattern for the family.

Tips to Keep in Mind

 * The name of the officiator at the event may be a clue to their religion or area of residence in the county.
 * The name of the undertaker or mortuary could lead you to funeral and cemetery records, which often include the names and residences of other family members.
 * 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.
 * The information in the records is usually reliable, but depends upon the reliability of the informant.
 * Earlier records may not contain as much information as the records created after the late 1900.
 * There is also some variation in the information given from one record to another record.

Unable to Find Your Ancestor?

 * Check for variant spellings of the surnames.
 * Check for an index. Local genealogical and historical societies often have indexes to local records.
 * Search the indexes and records of nearby counties.

Known Issues with This Collection
For a full list of all known issues associated with this collection see the attached Wiki article. If you encounter additional problems, please email them to [mailto:support@familysearch.org support@familysearch.org]. Please include the full path to the link and a description of the problem in your e-mail. Your assistance will help ensure that future reworks will be considered.

Related Websites

 * Mills County, Texas Website
 * Mills County Cemetery List
 * USGenWeb Mills County Births 1926-1934 (transcribed)
 * USGenWeb Mills County Deaths 1964-1984 (transcribed)
 * USGenWeb Mills County Marriages 1966-2002 (transcribed)
 * USGenWeb Mills County Divorces 1968-2001 (transcribed)

Related Wiki Articles

 * Mills County, Texas
 * Texas Vital Records

Citing FamilySearch Historical Collections
When you copy information from a record, you should list where you found the information. This will help you or others to find the record again. It is also good to keep track of records where you did not find information, including the names of the people you looked for in the records.

Citation Example for a Record Found in This Collection
"Texas, Mills County Clerk Records, 1841-1985." digital images, FamilySearch (http://familysearch.org: accessed 4 April 2012). Deed record, v. 24, 1905-1906 &gt; Image 44 of 644 images, J. F. Slack and J. A. Morris, deed transfered April 23, 1887: citing County Clerk Records. Land records, Deed record, v.24, 1905-1906., image 44; Mills County Clerk, Goldthwaite, Texas. Mills County Courthouse, Goldthwaite, Texas.

A suggested format for keeping track of records that you have searched is found in the wiki article Help:How to Cite FamilySearch Collections.