A Hidden Gem for Texas Genealogists: Bexar County Land Grants & Sales (1736–1837)
If you are researching families from South Texas, San Antonio, or Northeastern Mexico, I recently came across an incredible free resource that deserves a place in every genealogist’s toolbox.
The Bexar County Clerk’s Spanish Archives & Special Collections has made available a Guide to Land Grants & Sales (1736–1837) that serves as an index to hundreds of early land transactions that occurred during both the Spanish and Mexican periods of Texas history.
📄 View the PDF here: https://www.bexar.org/DocumentCenter/View/35461/Land-Grants-and-Sales-LGS
Why This Resource Matters
Land records are among the most valuable genealogical sources available because they often reveal information not found in church or civil records.
This guide indexes land grants and land sales dating from 1736 through 1837, with the majority of records concentrated between 1820 and 1835. The records are organized alphabetically by surname and chronologically by date, making them relatively easy to navigate.
For each entry, the guide provides:
- Folio number
- Grantee (recipient of the land)
- Grantor (seller or issuing authority)
- Date of the transaction
What Can You Discover?
These records can help you:
- Identify where your ancestors owned property.
- Reconstruct family relationships.
- Track migration patterns between Texas and Northeastern Mexico.
- Identify neighbors, associates, and witnesses.
- Document inheritance and property transfers.
- Establish timelines when other records are unavailable.
For those of us researching the interconnected histories of South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, this collection can be especially valuable.
Families You May Encounter
The index contains many familiar surnames associated with the early settlement of Texas, including:
- Arocha
- Amador
- Curbelo
- Cantú
- Calvillo
- Casanova
- Carvajal
- Delgado
- Escalera
- Farías
- Flores de Abrego
- Menchaca
- Múzquiz
- Navarro
- Seguin
Many of these families later established roots in communities throughout South Texas and Tamaulipas.
A Few Interesting Examples
The guide contains entries such as:
- Domingo Flores de Abrego receiving a land grant from the Spanish Government on May 17, 1738.
- Simón and Juan de Arocha receiving a land grant from the Spanish Government on June 20, 1782.
- Juan Francisco Bueno receiving a land grant from the Mexican Government on March 5, 1831.
- Juan K. Allen purchasing land from José Manuel de la Garza in 1835.
These examples demonstrate how the records span both the Spanish colonial period and the Mexican era of Texas history.
How to Use This Resource
- Search for your ancestor’s surname.
- Record the folio number.
- Note the grantor, grantee, and date.
- Obtain the original document from the Bexar County Spanish Archives.
- Carefully extract all names, boundaries, neighbors, and witnesses mentioned in the original record.
Final Thoughts
As genealogists and family historians, we often focus heavily on church records, census records, and civil registrations. However, land records can provide an entirely different dimension to our research by showing where our ancestors lived, how they accumulated wealth, and who they interacted with.
If your ancestors lived in San Antonio or later migrated to places such as Laredo, Reynosa, Camargo, Mier, Monterrey, or other communities throughout South Texas and Northeastern Mexico, this resource is well worth exploring.
