BEVIL'S
DISTRICT / MUNICIPALITY

of Texas

Texas has been under the jurisdiction of six separate governments since 1685, those of France, Spain, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, The Confederacy, and the United States.

The area that now comprises the State of Texas, with its 254 present day counties, was made up of some thirty-six counties that were created and organized in the days of the Republic of Texas (March 2, 1836 to February 19, 1846). Before 1836 such records as marriage bonds and contracts were issued in the areas called colonies, municipalities, or departments. When the revolution began, there were three departments: Bexar, Brazos, and Nacogdoches and eighteen municipalities (sometimes referred to as districts): Austin, Bexar, Brazoria (formerly called Columbia), Goliad, Gonzales, Harrisburg, Jasper (formerly called Bevil's District), Liberty (commonly referred to as the Atascosito District), Matagorda, Milam (formerly called Viesca), Mina (later called Bastrop), Nacogdoches, Refugio, San Augustine, San Patricio, Shelby (or Teneha), Victoria, and Washington. Additionally, five ones were created by the provisional council in 1835: Colorado, Jackson, Jefferson, Red River and Sabine. A lot of the records of early Texas either have been lost by fire, flood, or they are just plain missing.

The Bevil District or Municipality was names in honor of John Bevil, early settler and alcalde of the area.

1835 Census of Bevil's District