Chambers County, Texas Genealogy

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



Description
The county was named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, a major general in the Texas Revolution. The County is located in the southeast area of the state.

County Courthouse
Chambers County Courthouse 404 Washington Anahuac, TX 77514 Phone: 409.267.8309

County Clerk has birth records from 1903, death records from 1908, marriage, probate court and land records from 1875 and divorce records from 1910 County Clerk

P.O. Box 728 Anahuac 77514 Phone: 409-267-8312 District Clerk

P.O. Drawer NN Anahuac 77514 Phone: 409-267-8276

History
1821--The first permanent settlement began in 1821 when the Spanish established a fortress at Anahuac and allowed American colonists to enter.

Parent County
1858--Chambers County was created 12 February 1858 from Jefferson and LibertyCounties.
 * County seat: Anahuac

The county was named for Thomas Jefferson Chambers, (1802-1865), a lawyer and land speculator, was born in Orange County, Virginia, on April 13, 1802, the youngest of twenty children of Thomas Chambers and the ninth of his second wife, Mary (Gore).

Boundary Changes
See an interactive map of Chambers County border changes.

Record Loss
1875--Chambers County Courthouse in Wallisville and most, if not all, county records were destroyed by fire on December 2, 1875.

1935--Chambers County Courthouse in Anahuac destroyed by fire on April 28, 1935. All records were saved.

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 ±Water surface only; land in adjacent county

Neighboring Counties
Galveston •  Harris  •  Jefferson  •  Liberty

African American

 * 1865 - 1870 Freedmen's Bureau Field Office Records, 1865-1870(images) - FamilySearch

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

Census
1840 Cove Census - TXGenWeb

Court

 * Petition of Settlers -  TXGenWeb

Naturalization and Citizenship

 * 1906-1989 — index and images

Local Histories

 * Chambers County Families- index of names -  TXGenWeb
 * Chambers County: A Pictorial History, 1988 by Margaret S. Henson and Kevin Ladd.
 * Chambers County History from the Handbook of Texas Online
 * Chambers County Bibliography - TXGenWeb

Maps
Texas Counties Map. Click on the county to go to the TXGenWeb site

Texas Revolution

 * 1842 - Republic of Texas Militia 1842 - TXGenWeb

Mexican-American War

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

Civil War
Online Records
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1861 - 1865 - at FamilySearch — index
 * 1838 - 1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards 1838-1900 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * Chambers County in the Confederancy - TXGenWeb
 * Confederate Pension Applications Index - USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Confederate Indigent Families - USGenWeb Archives Project

World War I

 * 1917 - 1920 - at FamilySearch — index and images

Newspapers

 * Newspaperarchive.com ($) has historical newspapers available on-line. Their database has Galveston newspapers from the early 1800's.

Probate
Online Probate Records


 * 1800 – 1990 at FamilySearch — images
 * 1800 – 2000 Texas Wills and Probate Records 1800-2000 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * 1903 - 1935 Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * 1903 - 1997 Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index) - FamilySearch
 * Chambers County Births - USGenWeb Archives Project

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * 1802 - 2010 Texas, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 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 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1966 - 2010 Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010 - FamilySearch record collection

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * 1890 - 1976 Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [with images] Name index and images of statewide death certificates, 1890-1976
 * 1903 - 1973 Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index) FamilySearch
 *  1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1903 - 2000 Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1964 - 1998
 * 1977 - 1986  at FamilySearch.org — index

Divorce

 * 1968 - 2010  at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * Chambers County Divorces - USGenWeb Archives Project

Websites

 * Chambers County TXGenWeb site
 * TXGenWeb Project. May have maps, name indexes, history or other information for this county. Select the county.
 * The catalog is genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) This catalog is different than the indexed Historical Records.