Genealogy is where you confuse the dead and irritate the living!
Joy Gough
Collin County was created when Texas became a state, January 1,
1846.
Before statehood what is now Collin County was part of Fannin
County. Any records for before 1846 during the time of the Republic
of Texas are in the Bonham, Fannin County, courthouse. There are
quite a few Collin County records in the Bonham courthouse.
Before the Republic of Texas, before 1836, Collin County was part of
Red River County. Information on Collin McKinney, for whom McKinney
and Collin County were named, is in the Clarksville, Red River
County, courthouse.
The courthouse records are the same throughout the
state. Courthouse records are called primary sources, meaning they
are the original records created at the time or near the time of the
event.
DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE
The District Clerk's office in Collin County is in the current
courthouse on McDonald Street or Hwy 5. The District Clerk's office
holds all records where there is a legal matter where one person
files against another person and requires a judge's legal guidance/
direction/decision. This covers Divorces and Civil and Criminal Law
Suits.
COUNTY CLERK’S OFFICE.
The County Clerk’s office in Collin County is in what was the County
Jail in the 1980s, then the Juvenile Detention facility in the early
1990s, and is now the Courthouse annex. It is the brick building
next to the current courthouse on McDonald Street or Hwy 5.
The county clerk is responsible for the records of births, deaths,
marriages, deeds, plat maps, probate and wills, and a few others.
The more recent deeds are on computers in the clerk’s office..
Records indices
on the computer in the clerk’s office are:
PUBLIC MENU
1 Assumed names
2 Births
3 Deaths
4 Fetal deaths
5. Financial statements
6. Marriages
7. Military discharge
8. Official Bonds
9. Commissioners Court
COMPUTER USE.
Pick the index you want. The computer will ask for a name. Then it
will go to that place in the index. The index will tell you the full
name, a date, and a volume and page number. Go to that roll of
microfilm to find the record itself.
Remember that “Less is Better.” For example, if a person’s name is
William and you put Bill as his name, the computer will not find it.
If you enter just the last name, you will have a better chance of
finding who you want.
You do not have to fill in all the blanks. You must enter part of a
last name. The less information you give the computer, the better
chance you have of finding the information you want.
MARRIAGES
Marriages have been recorded in the county since 1846. They are
indexed and on microfilm in the county clerk’s office.
BIRTHS AND DEATHS
Texas did not start requiring birth and death certificates until
1903. Birth and Death certificates are indexed and on microfilm in
the county clerk’s office. It is possible, sometimes, to find a
birth certificate before 1903. If a person needed a birth
certificate for a passport or social security, he could apply for a
probated birth certificate. This is where someone swore he was
present at the birth of the person. These are on file at the
courthouse.
PROBATE AND WILLS
Probate and wills have been moved to what is also called the
Courthouse annex - the old McKinney hospital on the south side of
Hwy 380 at North Graves Street. It is about 1/4 mile east of US 75
on University Street or US 380 across from the Walmart. The search
procedure is the same for using the other indices.
DEED RECORDS
Texas deeds use metes and bounds, not townships and ranges. Collin
County is divided into the original land grants. There are a few
Spanish land grants in Collin County. These are generally in the
area of Wylie. The city of Wylie is on the de la Pina survey. (See "Units
of Land Measure" under Research Tips.)
There are also land grants given by the state of Texas to veterans
of the Texas War of Independence. These usually contained a league
and a labor of land.
The Peters Colony gave land grants on the western side of the
county. These were generally 640 acres for a married man and 320
acres for a single man. In 1856 preemption claims were given which
were for 160 acres.
A deed will say, “On the waters of ____ creek, on the ___ survey, go
from this tree to that creek to another tree to the place of
beginning.” Early land measurements are in varas, which is a Spanish
unit of measures. They also used chains and links.
All of the county deeds are indexed and cross-indexed in books
called the Direct Index and the Reverse Index. The deeds for Collin
County start on January 1, 1846.
The Direct Index is the seller’s index. The Reverse Index is the
buyer’s index.
DEED INDICES.
The index books are like any other index. There are about 6 books
for the entire alphabet. These books are huge and heavy, 24” x18” x
3.” The first page of the index book states Aa - Ad, page 1. Ae -
Ag, page 2, etc. Be aware that there may be several page 1s and 2s.
To the side of the letters is a list of names that have their own
page number. Adams, Anderson, Armstrong, etc.
On page 2 of the index are listings for groups and organizations. In
the ‘C’ volume are listings for Churches, Cemeteries, Collin County,
corporations. There are also listings for Lodges, Schools, the State
of Texas.
All of the land grants for Collin County should be listed in the
Direct Index under State of Texas.
To see who deeded land for a cemetery, church or school, go to the
Reverse Index. They may be listed only as “church” or “school” and
may take some deduction to see which cemetery, church or school is
being deeded.
When you go to the page indicated in the index, it will tell you
• the buyer’s name
• the seller’s name
• the type of deed
• volume and page number
• the date when it was written
• the date when it was filed
• the name of the land grant it is situated on
• the size of the property.
Look up the volume and page number on microfilm. Sometimes it will
refer you to previous deed.
Remember: The ladies in the courthouse will help you with your
research. However, they are not experts on Collin County history and
may not be able to answer all of your questions. It is not their job
to do your research for you.
Recommended Citation:
"Collin County Courthouse Research Tips," Collin County, Texas
History and Genealogy Webpage by Genealogy Friends of Plano
Libraries, Inc., Joy Gough <http://www.genealogyfriends.org>
[Accessed day of week, month, date , year ].
(c) 1997 Brenda Kellow
Post Office Box 860477, Plano, Texas 75086-0477, USA
www.genealogyfriends.org
GenFriends@
GenealogyFriends.org
Genealogy Friends of the Plano Library, Inc. is a non-profit organization certified under section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are directed to the improvement and expansion of the Plano Genealogy Library, W. O. Haggard Library.