Fort Bend County, Texas Genealogy

Guide to Fort Bend County Texas ancestry, family history, and genealogy research page. Birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Texas Online Genealogy Records

Description
The county was named for a blockhouse at a bend of the Brazos River. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Fort Bend County Courthouse 301 Jackson St; PO Box 520 Richmond, TX 77469 Phone: 281.341.8685

County Clerk has birth and death records from 1903, marriage and land records from 1838, probate records from 1836 and court records from 1876

County Clerk

301 Jackson St. Richmond 77469 Phone: 281-341-8652 Fax: 281-341-8669

District Clerk

301 Jackson St. Richmond 77469 Phone: 281-633-7632

Parent County
1837--Fort Bend County was created 29 December 1837 from Austin, Brazoria, and Harris Counties.
 * County seat: Richmond

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Places/Localities
Town/city records in the FamilySearch Catalog



Populated Places
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this county:

‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties. ±Former community annexed by Missouri City. †Former community annexed by Sugar Land.

Neighboring Counties
Austin •  Brazoria  •  Harris  •  Waller  •  Wharton

African American

 * African American Griots ~ USGenWeb
 * AfriGeneas ~ African Ancestored Genealogy
 * Texas African American Genealogy~ Access Genealogy
 * 1865-1870 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records(images) - FamilySearch

Cemeteries
Cemetery records often reveal birth, marriage, death, relationship, military, and religious information.

Additional Cemetery Sources


 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
 * Cemetery Junction ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions

Census

 * 1850 Census Index by Surname ~ USGenWeb
 * 1850 Census Pages ~ USGenWeb

Church
List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas
 * FamilySearch Places

Land

 * Land Survey Abstract Indicies ~ USGenWeb

Local Histories

 * History of Fort Bend County,containing biographical sketches of many noted characters, 1904, by Andrew Jackson Sowell.
 * The Book of Fort Bend County, 1926, compiled by S. A. McMillan.
 * The History of Fort Bend County, 1822-1861, 1939 by Jim L. Bridges.
 * Wharton's History of Fort Bend County, 1939, by Clarence Wharton.
 * Fort Bend County Sesquicentennial, 1822-1972, 1972, by the Fort Bend County Sesquicentennial Association.
 * The Jay Bird Democratic Association of Fort Bend County, 1979, by Pauline Yelderman.
 * Fort Bend County History from the Handbook of Texas Online.
 * Texas Museums ~  List of all museums in Texas  ~  Hidden Ancestors

Maps

 * Historical Maps ~  From the Republic to the Turn of the Century  ~  Hidden Ancestors
 * Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the Texas Genweb site
 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places

Military

 * 1838 - 1900 - Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Military Resources ~ Links to research Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Fallen Heroes ~ Partial Index of casualties from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Honoring Our Veterans ~ Partial index of veterans from Civil War to Operation Enduring Freedom ~ Hidden Ancestors

Mexican-American War

 * 1845 - 1848 - US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $

Civil War

 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * Civil War Indigent Families List ~ USGenWeb
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ USGenWeb

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

World War II

 * WWII Honor List ~ TXGenWeb

Newspapers

 * Home Town News -  Texas Newspaper Index with links
 * Newslink -  Texas Newspaper List (sorted by publication frequency)
 * The Olden Times  -   Historic Texas News Online

Obituaries

 * Fort Bend County Obituary Database searchable, online database of Fort Bend County related obituaries, from the Fort Bend County Libraries.
 * Obituary Resources ~ Links to research and locate obituaries ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * USGenWeb Archives Obituary Project ~  Texas
 * Afrigeneas ~ African American death notices, obituaries and funeral programs compiled by users from current newspapers and historical sources
 * Obituary Depot ~ Texas Newspaper Citations
 * Obituary Project ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * Obituary Daily Times ~ Citations to over 15,000,000 obituaries (Ancestry)

Probate
Online Probate Indexes and Records


 * 1800–1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800–2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~ Ancestry.com (subscription)

Taxation

 * 1846-1910 Texas, County Tax Rolls 1846-1910 at findmypast ($) — index and images

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1903-1935 Texas, Birth Certificates (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1997 Texas Birth Index (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1926-1995 Texas Births, 1926 - 1995 at MyHeritage ($) — index

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1802-2010 Texas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 Texas Marriage Collection at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837-1965 at FamilySearch — index and images
 * 1837-1973 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837-1977 at FamilySearch — index
 * 1837-1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2005 Texas Marriage Records - Hidden Ancestors
 * 1966-2010 Texas, Marriages - FamilySearch record collection
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1890-1976 Texas Death Records [with images] Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976. The name index has been created by FamilySearch and is tied to images of the Texas death certificates. Few certificates are available prior to 1903.
 * 1903-1973 Texas Deaths and Burials (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903-1982 Texas Death Certificates at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903-2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1964-1998 Texas Death Index [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * 1977-1986 at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1968-2005 Texas Divorce Records ~ Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968-2011 Texas Divorces at [http://home.ancestry.com/ Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966-2016 Texas Marriages and Divorces at MyHeritage ($) — index


 * 1850-1930 USGenWeb Census Project Texas

Societies and Libraries
Sugar Land Historical Society 302 Oyster Creek Sugar Land 77478-3225 Website

Ft. Bend County Genealogical Society PO Box 274 Richmond 77469 Website

George Memorial Library (has extensive genealogy and history department on the second floor) 1001 Golfview Dr Richmond, TX 77469 Telephone Number: 281-342-4455 website

Family History Center

 * Bear Creek Texas West Family History Center
 * Katy Texas Family History Center
 * Richmond Texas Family History Center

Websites

 * Fort Bend County Archives ~  USGenWeb
 * Fort Bend County~ TXGenWeb
 * TXGenWeb project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.
 * Fort Bend County Libraries
 * Oral Histories