Bee County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Bee County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Bee County
In 1860 the census counted 79 enslaved people in Bee County, 9% of everyone living there. Seven years later 10 freedmen registered to vote there, 8% of the county's voters. Most were born in Virginia, Alabama and Mississippi, and 10 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 79
- Enslaved in 1860
- 9%
- Of the county in 1860
- 125
- Registered voters
- 10
- Freedmen
- 8%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 8 years
- Median time in Texas
- 4
- Register pages
Where Bee County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 4 | 40% |
| Alabama | 2 | 20% |
| Mississippi | 2 | 20% |
| Kentucky | 1 | 10% |
| Louisiana | 1 | 10% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Bee County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1810s | 1 |
| 1820s | 0 |
| 1830s | 0 |
| 1840s | 1 |
| 1850s | 5 |
| 1860s | 3 |
Surnames of freedmen in Bee County
Bee County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 10 names in the Bee County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Everhart, William | Kentucky | 1860 | |
| Green, Moses | Mississippi | 1859 | 2 |
| Kennedy, Stephen | Virginia | 1855 | 10 |
| Mitchell, Frank | Alabama | 1862 | |
| Sittle, Wade | Mississippi | 1846 | 12 |
| Smith, Jacob | Virginia | 1850 | 15 |
| Swims, John | Louisiana | 1859 | 4 |
| Wane, Sammuel | Alabama | 1861 | 5 |
| White, Thomas | Virginia | 1859 | |
| Yancey, Abner | Virginia | 1817 | 43 |
Sources and county history
Figures come from the 1867 to 1870 Texas voter registration held by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. The 1860 population figures come from Population of the United States in 1860, printed by the Census Office in 1864. Bee County's entries fill 4 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Bee County was formed out of Goliad County by 1860.
Questions about the Bee County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Bee County, Texas?
Search the Bee County records by surname, then open the entry to read the original handwritten register page. Each entry gives the man's name, his birthplace and the year he reached Texas. Spellings vary, so try the sound of a name as well as its spelling, and names appear in the order men came to register, so a family can sit pages apart.
How many freedmen registered to vote in Bee County in 1867?
10 freedmen registered in Bee County between 1867 and 1870, 8% of the county's 125 registered voters.
Where were Bee County's freedmen born?
Virginia (4), Alabama (2) and Mississippi (2) were the birthplaces reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Bee County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 79 enslaved people in Bee County, 9% of everyone living there. In 1867, 8% of Bee County's registered voters were freedmen, 10 of 125. 10 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Bee County: Goliad County.
For African American genealogy beyond Bee County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Bee County