Erath County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Erath County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Erath County
In 1860 the census counted 118 enslaved people in Erath County, 5% of everyone living there. Seven years later 21 freedmen registered to vote there, 6% of the county's voters. Many were born in North Carolina, Kentucky and Louisiana, and 19 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 118
- Enslaved in 1860
- 5%
- Of the county in 1860
- 331
- Registered voters
- 21
- Freedmen
- 6%
- Freedmen
- North Carolina
- Largest birthplace
- 8 years
- Median time in Texas
- 9
- Register pages
Where Erath County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | 6 | 29% |
| Kentucky | 2 | 10% |
| Louisiana | 2 | 10% |
| Mississippi | 2 | 10% |
| South Carolina | 2 | 10% |
| Tennessee | 2 | 10% |
| Alabama | 1 | 5% |
| Arkansas | 1 | 5% |
| Maryland | 1 | 5% |
| Missouri | 1 | 5% |
| Virginia | 1 | 5% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Erath County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 2 |
| 1850s | 9 |
| 1860s | 10 |
Surnames of freedmen in Erath County
Erath County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 21 names in the Erath County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cathy, Aaron | Louisiana | 1857 | 3 |
| Cathy, Granberry | Louisiana | 1857 | 3 |
| Check, Lark | North Carolina | 1855 | |
| Clark, Elijah | Mississippi | 1863 | |
| Collins, George W. | North Carolina | 1865 | |
| Ellis, Mack | North Carolina | 1847 | 11 |
| Follis, Alfred | Kentucky | 1866 | |
| Grans, Perry | South Carolina | 1853 | 6 |
| Graves, Spencer | South Carolina | 1853 | 7 |
| Harris, Willis | Missouri | 1862 | 4 |
| Jinkins, William | Maryland | 1863 | |
| London, Edward | Kentucky | 1859 | |
| Mansiker, James | Tennessee | 1864 | 2 |
| Motheral, Green | North Carolina | 1861 | |
| Motheral, William A J | Tennessee | 1861 | |
| Peterson, Luke | Mississippi | 1856 | 10 |
| Rhenbottom, Samuel | Arkansas | 1858 | 5 |
| Sherman, James | North Carolina | 1855 | 1 |
| Smith, John | Virginia | 1846 | 19 |
| Thompson, James | Alabama | 1863 | |
| Williamson, Temus | North Carolina | 1863 |
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. Erath County's entries fill 9 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Erath County was formed out of Bosque County by 1860.
Questions about the Erath County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Erath County, Texas?
Search the Erath 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 Erath County in 1867?
21 freedmen registered in Erath County between 1867 and 1870, 6% of the county's 331 registered voters.
Where were Erath County's freedmen born?
North Carolina (6), Kentucky (2) and Louisiana (2) were the birthplaces reported most often.
Was slavery widespread in Erath County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 118 enslaved people in Erath County, 5% of everyone living there. In 1867, 6% of Erath County's registered voters were freedmen, 21 of 331. 19 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Erath County: Bosque County.
For African American genealogy beyond Erath County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Erath County