Fort Bend County, Texas Genealogy

United States Texas  Counties F  Fort Bend County

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.

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
Arcola | Beasley | Fairchilds | Fulshear | Houston (mostly in Harris County) | Katy (mostly in Harris and Waller Counties) | Meadows Place | Missouri City | Needville | Orchard | Pleak | Richmond | Rosenberg | Simonton | Stafford | Sugar Land | Thompsons | Weston Lakes

Neighboring Counties
Austin •  Brazoria  •  Harris  •  Waller  •  Wharton

African American

 * Texas 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

 * Fort Bend County Cemeteries ~  USGenWeb Archives Project
 * Tombstone Transcription Project ~ Partial transcription of cemetery tombstones ~ USGenWeb
 * Texas Historic Cemeteries ~ Partial indexes to historic cemeteries
 * African American Cemeteries Online ~ Partial index/transcriptions of African American cemeteries
 * Cemetery Junction ~  Links to cemetery transcriptions

Individual cemeteries:


 * Morton Cemetery, Richmond BillionGraves
 * San Grabiel Cemetery, Richmond BillionGraves

Census

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

Church

 * Texas Christian Church Directory~ ChurchAngel
 * Catholic Parishes in Texas

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

Military

 * 1838-1900 Texas Muster Roll Index Cards at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1845-1848 US American Volunteer Soldiers Mexican War at Ancestry.com — index $
 * WWII Honor List ~ TXGenWeb
 * Civil War Indigent Families List ~ USGenWeb
 * Confederate Pension Applications ~ USGenWeb
 * 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
 * 1861-1865 Civil War Service Records of Confederate Soldiers - FamilySearch
 * 1861-1865 Texas, Civil War Service Records of Union Soldiers - FamilySearch

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 including interactive search function

Probate
Online Probate Records


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


 * Search Tax, Criminal, Land and Wills Records ~  Ancestry.com  (subscription)

Birth
Online Birth Indexes and Records


 * Texas, Birth Certificates, 1903-1935 (images and index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997 (index)- FamilySearch

Original Birth Records on Microfilm

Marriage
Online Marriage Indexes and Records


 * Texas Marriage Records 1966 - 2005  -  Hidden Ancestors
 * Texas County Marriage Records, 1837-1977 - FamilySearch. Index to a variety of marriage records (registers, licenses, intentions to marry, etc.) from select counties in Texas.
 * Texas, Marriages, 1837-1973  -  FamilySearch record collection
 * Texas, Marriages, 1966-2010  -  FamilySearch record collection
 * 1814 - 1909 and 1966 - 2011 Texas Marriage Collection 1814-1909 and 1966-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $
 * 1837 - 1977 Texas Select County Marriage Index 1837-1977 at Ancestry.com — index $

Original Marriage Records on Microfilm

Death
Online Death Indexes and Records


 * Texas Death Records 1890 – 1976 [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.
 * Texas, Death Index, 1903-2000 (index) - FamilySearch
 * Texas Death Index 1964 to 1998 [no images] Name index to Texas Statewide Death Certificates or four million people who have died since 1964.
 * Texas Deaths and Burials 1903 - 1973 (index) - FamilySearch
 * 1977 - 1986 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1903 - 1982 Texas Death Certificates 1903-1982 at Ancestry.com — index and images $

Original Death Records on Microfilm

Divorce

 * Texas Divorce Records 1968 - 2005     Hidden Ancestors
 * 1968-2010 at FamilySearch.org — index
 * 1968 - 2011 Texas Divorces 1968-2011 at Ancestry.com — index $


 * USGenWeb Census Project Texas 1850 - 1930

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

Ft. Bend County Genealogical Society P.O. Box 274 Richmond 77469

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

Family History Center

 * Richmond Texas Family History Center (Sugar Land)


 * Society Hill ~  Links and addresses to Texas genealogical and historical societies

Web Sites

 * 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.
 * Hidden Ancestors Information on Texas genealogy research as well as genealogy research in general.
 * USGenWeb Texas Archives Vital statistics, maps, obituaries, Bible records, tombstone transcriptions and many other records.
 * Fort Bend County Libraries
 * Fort Bend County Libraries