Houston County Genealogy, Wills, Estates, and Marriages
Houston, Peach, and Bibb County records should be simultaneously researched by the genealogists to locate threads of family information. Houston County, Georgia was established in 1821 from Indian lands and was named after Governor James Houstoun. Families came to Houston County from Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, and from Houston County migrated after the Civil War into Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and especially Texas.
Early Settlers: William Amos, Daniel Adams, Simon Barden, James Burnsides, David Clark, Curtis Daniel, Jeremiah Dupree, Thomas Doles, James Everett, James Grace, Michael Howard, James Killen, John Lafoy, Joshua Mercer, Jesse Pollock, and James Vinson.
Houston County Marriages
- 1820 to 1850
- Marriage Book B, 1852-64 (index of brides and grooms)
- Houston County Marriage Book C, 1875-1898 (index of brides and grooms)
Houston County Wills 1827 to 1855
Indexes to Houston County Probate Records
- Will Book A, 1827 to 1855.
- Will Book B, 1855-1896.
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book A, 1824-1833
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book B, 1833-1848
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book C, 1847-1851
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book D, 1852-1853
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book E, 1853-1854
- Annual Returns and Vouchers, Book F, 1854-1855
Miscellaneous Records
- Clark, Dempsey, LWT
- Strong, Christopher (will)
- Vinson, James (will)
Online Images of Wills and Bonds (1834-1869)
Testators: Babb, Abner Barnett, George Baxter, Reuben Bayne, Charles Beard, Robert Beck, William Bennett, Emily Bentley, Jesse Berry, James Bishop, Ephraim Bishop, Phillip Black, Silvey Bonner, Smith Bowden, Jesse Boynton, Elijah Brannon, Littleberry Brown, Andrew Brown, Sabra Brown, William Brumfield, Charlotte Calloway, William Cardin, James Carnes, Eli Carter, Amelia Cash, John Chapman, Button Childs, John Cleavland, Jacob Clements, David Cloud, Ezekiel Coker, Ezekiel Colvin, John Cook, Samuel Cothren, Jesse Cothren, Jesse Craig, Fred Crockett, John Crumbley, Ferdinand Dailey, John Dailey, Rachel Danill, James Davis, Abner Dodson, Joshua Dorsey, John Driver, Amy Duffey, John Evans, Pleasant Fargason, Johnson, David Freeman, Noah Fryer, James Fulleton, Thomas Gallman, Henry Gardner, Thomas Garrett, Mariah George, David, Sr. Gilbert, James Green, William Griffin, William Hail, Francis Hammond, Samuel Hand, Joseph Hanson, Samuel Hardy, Carrie Harper, Rhoderick Hartsfield, Godfrey Hearne, Osborne Heflin, Wiley Sr. Henderson, Richard Hennesey, John Hudman, John Ingram, John Jackson, John Jackson, Nathan Johnson, Elisha Johnson, Stephen Kimbell, Benjamin Kimbell, Christopher Kimbell, David Knight, Charles Knowles, James Latta, Anna Lavender, William Lee, Solomon Legar, Ann Lemon, Alexander; Lewis, George Lights, Joseph Little, Dorothy Little, Zabud Lovejoy, John Lowe, Edmond Lyle, John Martin, Thomas McBride, Andrew McCants, David McClendon, Samuel McCord, William McCutchen, Elisha McKee, Mary McNair,Samuel McRight, James Merritt, Henry Miller, Charles Sr. Milner, A. Mitchell, William Moore, Isaac Moore, John Moore, Samuel Moore, Willis Moseley, Benjamin Moseley, Silas Nolen, James Owens, John Owens, John Owensby, Thomas Pair, Thomas Pattillo, James Pendley, John Phillips, Arrington Phillips, Hiram Pool, James Pool, Temperance Presley, John Prickett, Jesse Primrose, Lucy Ragland, Sarah Ragland, William Rape, Allen Rape, Margaret Ray, Elizabeth Ray, John Sr. Richardson, Jordan Roan, Leonard Roane, Leonard Robinson, Archibald Roper, Jeremiah Rowan, Robert Sr. Ruff, Daniel Russell, James Sims, George Smith, Gary Smith, Parks Spruice, John Steel, Robert Stegall, Samuel Stephens, Joshua Stilwell, Elijah Strickland, Huldah Strickland, Solomon Stroud, William Tanner, Joseph Tauggle, William Travis, Jesse Turner, Benjamin Turnipseed David Varner, John Vincon, Elisha Wade, John Ward, Allbrittain Ward Watson, James Waugh, Alexander Weems, Samuel Wesley, Pittman Wiggins, Christopher Willard, Royal Wilson, Joshua Wolf, Peter Yarbrough, Thomas Young, George
Online Images of Wills 1867-1896 are included on the website, but the names are not mentioned here for lack of space
Online Images of Wills 1867-1896 are included on the website, but the names are not mentioned here for lack of space
Marriages
- Contracts found in Deeds and Other Documents
- 1822 to 1850
Indexes to Probate Records
- Wills and Bonds, 1822 to 1834
- Wills, Book A, 1834 to 1869
- Wills, Book B, 1869 to 1896
- Wills, Book C, 1897-1917
- Annual Returns 1836-1840
- Annual Returns 1840-1853
- Annual Returns 1851-1861
- Annual Returns 1861-1878
- Annual Returns 1877-1906
- Guardians Bonds 1838-1871
- Guardians Bonds 1868-1946
- Inventories and Appraisements 1821-1838; 1823-1840; 1860-1888
- Lunacy Records 1897-1809
- Sales 1839-1858; 1860-1888; 1888-1941
- Vouchers 1852-1856; 1856-1878; 1880-1891
Miscellaneous Wills and Estates
- Ellis, Daniel
- Ellis, J. A., estate
- Ellis John A.
- Owens, John
- Owens, Vines H.
Traced Genealogies of Henry County Families
- Dodson
- Ellis
- McClendon
- Smith
Military Records
Confederate
- Confederate Pension Rolls 1861-1865 (includes disabled soldiers, indigent soldiers, indigent widows, and widows of deceased soldiers
Georgia Militia Records
- 1863 Militia Records
- Georgia Militia Records (see Military)
Where to Find Rare Genealogy Books
Local libraries regularly conduct book sales. For the historian, attending these sales sometimes turns up surprises. There are still books in public hands dating from the mid-1800s are very rare and fragile but are disposed of by libraries for that same reason and the fact that the modern age no longer considers such books as essential to learning. Sometimes libraries have duplicates of genealogy books for sale.
Genealogists Search Many States
All of a person’s ancestors did not reside in one State. After coming to this country, they moved around with great regularity. That is because the land was so important to survival. The habit of allowing fields to remain fallow for two years or more was helpful, but not enough. A good rich, loamy soil was required to sustain generations of families. In Virginia, it was tobacco that quickly depleted the soil, and soon as the American Revolution, families were on the move. Genealogists, look to the land grants of these soldiers (for service) and subsequent land lotteries in Georgia. Many families drew and won land in the lotteries, according to the number of persons in the family. That is why it is important to examine Tax Digests, which list the number of acres and the county. We trace the movement of our ancestors through deed records, tax digests, land grants, and lotteries. As families moved along, it becomes necessary to examine the county records everywhere that they resided. This is where marriage records were recorded, deeds given, and estates probated. Also, a close examination of local cemeteries and churches is indicated. Why? Because burial records and church registers also tell the story. Georgia Pioneers has a vast collection of county records and includes the states of Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. It is easy to search from one state to the next using the same portal.