Brazos County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Brazos County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Brazos County

In 1860 the census counted 1,063 enslaved people in Brazos County, 38% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,199 freedmen registered to vote there, 59% of the county's voters. 1,061 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Brazos County highlighted
Brazos County on the 1870 county map
1,063
Enslaved in 1860
38%
Of the county in 1860
2,037
Registered voters
1,199
Freedmen
59%
Freedmen
11 years
Median time in Texas
51
Register pages

Help finish Brazos County. 24 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.

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When they arrived in Texas

Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Brazos County.

Reported arrival decades for Brazos County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1810s
3
1820s
12
1830s
42
1840s
279
1850s
372
1860s
464

Surnames of freedmen in Brazos County

Brazos County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 50 names in the Brazos County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Brazos County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Ackert, JoeUnited States18653
Adams, BillUnited States1862
Adams, CalvinUnited States1863
Adams, JamesUnited States1858
Adams, NathanUnited States18469
Addidon, SoulUnited States1866
Addison, Geo.United States1852
Adkins, DanielUnited States184424
Adler, HenryUnited States18632
Alark, AllenUnited States184820
Allen, AlfredUnited States1864
Allen, CharleyUnited States184717
Allen, GastenUnited States1850
Allen, GramvilleUnited States1845
Allen, HarrisUnited States1863
Allen, HubbardUnited States1858
Allen, MackUnited States18642
Allen, ThomasUnited States18633
Allen, ToneyUnited States1850
Ambrester, BonaUnited States18625
Anderson, BenUnited States184523
Anderson, BenUnited States184811
Anderson, Ben.United States184918
Anderson, BryanUnited States1851
Anderson, DavidUnited States1846
Anderson, SingUnited States18643
Andirson, HenryUnited States184915
Andrew, ReddingUnited States18511
Andrich, SammuelUnited States185511
Anthoney, ArchUnited States184713
Armstrong, Robt.United States1862
Armstrong, WesleyUnited States1850
Armstrong, Will.United States1853
Armstrong, WilliamUnited States1834
Arnell, NedUnited States184820
Arter, HenryUnited States184820
Arthinson, WarrenUnited States18643
Ashford, IsaacUnited States1859
Austin, RobertUnited States184720
Avery, Alex.United States1848
Avery, JimUnited States184721
Bailey, AaronUnited States182938
Baker, AndersonUnited States1862
Baling, SterlingUnited States1860
Bargene, DennisUnited States18598
Barnes, FreemenUnited States18501
Barnett, ThorntonUnited States18544
Barris, DickUnited States185414
Barry, AugustusUnited States185115
Barton, AsaUnited States183921

Search Brazos County freedmen records by name

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. Brazos County's entries fill 51 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Brazos County was formed out of Washington County by 1845.

Questions about the Brazos County records

How do I find African American ancestors in Brazos County, Texas?

Search the Brazos 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 Brazos County in 1867?

1,199 freedmen registered in Brazos County between 1867 and 1870, 59% of the county's 2,037 registered voters.

Was slavery widespread in Brazos County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 1,063 enslaved people in Brazos County, 38% of everyone living there. In 1867, 59% of Brazos County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,199 of 2,037. 1,061 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Brazos County: Washington County.

For African American genealogy beyond Brazos County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Brazos County