Ellis County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Ellis County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Ellis County
In 1860 the census counted 1,104 enslaved people in Ellis County, 21% of everyone living there. Seven years later 342 freedmen registered to vote there, 28% of the county's voters. Most were born in Virginia, and 1 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,104
- Enslaved in 1860
- 21%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,239
- Registered voters
- 342
- Freedmen
- 28%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 20 years
- Median time in Texas
- 32
- Register pages
Help finish Ellis County. 341 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Ellis County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 1 | 100% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Ellis County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 1 |
Surnames of freedmen in Ellis County
- Tarrant 1
Ellis County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 1 names in the Ellis County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrant, Charles | Virginia | 1847 |
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. Ellis County's entries fill 32 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Ellis County was formed out of Robertson County by 1850.
Questions about the Ellis County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Ellis County, Texas?
Search the Ellis 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 Ellis County in 1867?
342 freedmen registered in Ellis County between 1867 and 1870, 28% of the county's 1,239 registered voters.
Where were Ellis County's freedmen born?
Virginia (1) was the birthplace reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Ellis County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,104 enslaved people in Ellis County, 21% of everyone living there. In 1867, 28% of Ellis County's registered voters were freedmen, 342 of 1,239. 1 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Ellis County: Robertson County.
For African American genealogy beyond Ellis County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Ellis County