Records that survive
These are the record series from Washington County that were microfilmed for the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC), with the office that kept each and the earliest and latest years filmed. A span can include gaps. Not every county, or every record in a county, was filmed.
Marriages, births and deaths
- Marriage Record · County Clerk1837–1941
- Divorce Record · County Clerk1895–1943
- Death Record (Justice of the Peace Precincts) · County Clerk1928–1939
- Death Record · County Clerk1929–1965
Deeds and land
- Land Grants · County Clerk1832–1840
- Deed Record · County Clerk1834–1904
- Land Commissioners Record · County Clerk1838–1849
Wills and estates
- Probate Record · County Clerk1837–1910
- (Probate) Will Record · County Clerk1870–1890
Naturalization
- Naturalization Record · County Clerk1844–1914
- (Naturalization) Declarations of Intention · County Clerk1857–1954
- Naturalization Petitions · County Clerk1878–1891
- (Naturalization) Petition and Record · County Clerk1914–1955
Military and pensions
- Discharge Record · County Clerk1917–1966
Tax records
- Tax Rolls · Tax Assessor-Collector1837–1910
- St. Peter's Episcopal Church Parish Register · Tax Assessor-Collector1843–1955
Court records
- District Court Civil Minutes · County Clerk1837–1944
- District Court Final Record · County Clerk1837–1880
- District Court Civil Case Papers · County Clerk1847–1940
Schools
- Scholastic Census · Superintendent of Schools1908–1947
- Scholastic Census (Chappell Hill Isd) · Superintendent of Schools1912–1947
- Scholastic Census (Brenham Isd) · Superintendent of Schools1916–1947
Other records
- Miscellaneous Record · County Clerk1837–1845
- Inquest Record · County Clerk1903–1940
See every reel at the Texas State Library
Source: Texas State Library and Archives Commission, County Records on Microfilm. Texas began statewide registration of births and deaths in 1903, though many went unrecorded until the 1920s.
Where to find the records
- Washington County official website
Hours, addresses and phone numbers for the county clerk, the district clerk and the Texas General Land Office, and any online record search the county offers.
- The county clerk
Deeds, marriage licenses and probate records (wills and estates), plus copies of births and deaths for many counties.
- The district clerk
District court cases, including divorces, and in many counties naturalizations.
- The Texas General Land Office
In Austin: the original files for nearly all land granted from the public domain, from Spanish and Mexican grants through the Republic and the state, since Texas kept its public land.
- Texas State Library: Washington County records on microfilmfree
Every filmed series with its reel numbers. The film can be used in Austin or borrowed through interlibrary loan at many libraries.
- Texas General Land Office: Search Our Collectionsfree
The Land Grant Database and surname index: search original Texas land grants by name and county.
- FamilySearch Catalogfree
Search by place for "Texas, Washington" to find filmed and digitized records, many viewable free online with a FamilySearch account.
Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.
Boundaries and parent counties
Formed from: Austin County, Liberty County
Check the parent counties for earlier records: Austin County, Liberty County
Later formed partly from Washington County: Brazos County, Lee County, Montgomery County
Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1835, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.
Research tip
Texas land was granted by the state, not the federal government, so an ancestor who received land directly from the government will usually have a file at the General Land Office as well as deeds in the county.