Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, elected by the General Council and commissioned by the Governor, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any claims presented to him by the Auditor (also created by this ordinance).
The Comptroller first appeared as a constitutional officer in the first state Constitution of Texas (1845), elected for a two-year term by a joint ballot of the House and Senate. A constitutional amendment in 1850 abandoned this method of selection in favor of election by the voters of the state. The term of office was increased to four years by the Constitution of 1866, returned to two years by the present Constitution of 1876, and finally increased once again to four years by a constitutional amendment adopted in 1972. (Article IV, section 1)
The Comptroller is the central accounting officer or chief fiscal officer of the state, and as such is responsible for maintaining effective methods for accounting for the state’s funds. He or she is the state’s principal tax administrator and collector of tax revenue. The Comptroller must also provide the research and statistics necessary for revenue estimating and certification.
Confederate pensions applications | Republic pension records
Confederate pension applications, 1899 to 1979
Example Confederate Pension Application cover: Application number 24838
Creator: Texas. Comptroller’s Office
Title: Confederate pension applications
Dates: 1899 to 1979
Abstract: Beginning in 1899, the Texas Legislature authorized pensions for eligible, indigent Confederate veterans residing in Texas, and their widows. The Confederate pension applications files provide detailed documentation of these persons, as well as the process. This subseries consists of more than 54,600 Confederate pension applications files created by the Texas Comptroller’s office, dating 1899-1979. Each file contains an application to the State of Texas for a Confederate pension, plus supporting documents. Accepted applications comprise roughly 89 percent of the total; rejected applications comprise roughly 11 percent of the total; and there are 62 Confederate Home applications.
The contents of each file vary but nearly always include a four-page application containing the basic information listed below, plus affidavits of witnesses to the military service, an affidavit of a physician as to disabilities if applicable (especially prior to 1909), certificates of the county judge and county commissioners who approved the application at its initial level, and (between 1909 and 1930) a certificate of the state and county assessor as to the value of any property. Also usually included in the file is a request from the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions to the U.S. War Department (Adjutant General’s office) for proof and details of military service, accompanied by the official reply. Beginning in 1917, most files also contain a mortuary warrant application and a copy of the warrant for payment. Other materials may include: additional affidavits and interrogatories relating to any of the requirements for eligibility; correspondence between the Comptroller or Commissioner of Pensions and the applicant, relatives, or friends; original discharges; death certificates; printed material, including newspaper clippings; etc. For a more detail description of the process and records please see the online finding aid at the link given below.
Records in the TDA are organized by application number, with most additional descriptive information provided by Ancestry.com. Descriptive information provided by Ancestry includes name variations for applicants. Variations in groups of descriptive information have been retained to maximize search options. Most widow applications include both the widow and veteran names as the applicant. An online database is available to assist users in locating the application number using confirmed applicant name.
Applications and associated descriptive information are being uploaded to the TDA on a continuing basis. Beginning September 2021, every three months an additional set of applications will be made available to the public interfiled with already available records. Applications will be made available in the order they were provided, which may not coincide with strict numeric or alphabetical order.
Click here to access the searchable Index to Confederate Pension Applications
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Republic pension records, 1870-1920
Creator: Texas. Comptroller’s Office
Title: Republic pension records
Dates: 1870-1920
Abstract: The Office of Comptroller of Public Accounts was initially created by the General Council of the Provisional Government of Texas on December 29, 1835, elected by the general council and commissioned by the governor, for the purpose of examining and approving or rejecting any monetary claims presented to him by the auditor. These functions continued under the governments of the Republic of Texas and the State of Texas. The Texas State Legislature authorized pensions for persons who rendered military service to the Republic of Texas (and their widows) and signers of the Declaration of Independence, to be administered by the Office of the Comptroller. These records document those pensions, consisting of claims files and indexes. The types of records in this series include the following: affidavits of service (usually handwritten, detailed accounts), transcripts of county court rulings on the validity of the claim, certifications of continuing indigence, certified copies of muster rolls (occasional), powers of attorney, pension certificates, oaths of identity, and/or widow’s applications (1883 or later), plus 15 indexes and/or lists of pensioners. Although the service for which the pensions were granted included 1832-1837 and 1842, the pensions themselves date 1870-1920.
Instructions on how to use the online database for the Republic claims, plus links to that database, are at https://www.tsl.texas.gov/arc/repclaims/rephowto.html.
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Click here to access the online finding aid
