Bell County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Bell County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Bell County
In 1860 the census counted 1,005 enslaved people in Bell County, 21% of everyone living there. Seven years later 17 freedmen registered to vote there, 2% of the county's voters. 14 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,005
- Enslaved in 1860
- 21%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,111
- Registered voters
- 17
- Freedmen
- 2%
- Freedmen
- 12 years
- Median time in Texas
- 28
- Register pages
Help finish Bell County. 1 freedman registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhen they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Bell County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 3 |
| 1850s | 8 |
| 1860s | 5 |
Surnames of freedmen in Bell County
Bell County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 16 names in the Bell County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aryes, James | United States | 1846 | |
| Baggett, William | United States | 1849 | 5 |
| Brown, Robert | United States | 1859 | 9 |
| Dennis, John | United States | 1863 | |
| Dockey, Lewis | United States | 1859 | |
| Eubree, G.A.C. | United States | 1851 | |
| Fullbright, Robert | United States | 1864 | 4 |
| Hubert, Charles | United States | 1848 | 20 |
| Long, Edmond | United States | 1868 | |
| McFarland, Dick | United States | 1856 | |
| Moore, Chapman | United States | 1857 | |
| Preston, Alexander | United States | 1857 | 10 |
| Reagan, Henry | United States | 1850 | 17 |
| Robinson, Aaron | United States | 1856 | |
| Watson, Dame | United States | 1865 | |
| Wyat, Henry | United States | 1861 | 7 |
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. Bell County's entries fill 28 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Bell County was formed out of Milam County by 1850.
Questions about the Bell County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Bell County, Texas?
Search the Bell 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 Bell County in 1867?
17 freedmen registered in Bell County between 1867 and 1870, 2% of the county's 1,111 registered voters.
Was slavery widespread in Bell County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,005 enslaved people in Bell County, 21% of everyone living there. In 1867, 2% of Bell County's registered voters were freedmen, 17 of 1,111. 14 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Bell County: Milam County, Lampasas County.
For African American genealogy beyond Bell County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Bell County