Fayette County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Fayette County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Fayette County
In 1860 the census counted 3,786 enslaved people in Fayette County, 33% of everyone living there. Seven years later 1,169 freedmen registered to vote there, 42% of the county's voters. Many were born in Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee, and 1,088 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 3,786
- Enslaved in 1860
- 33%
- Of the county in 1860
- 2,799
- Registered voters
- 1,169
- Freedmen
- 42%
- Freedmen
- Virginia
- Largest birthplace
- 13 years
- Median time in Texas
- 70
- Register pages
Where Fayette County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Virginia | 236 | 21% |
| Alabama | 159 | 14% |
| Tennessee | 137 | 12% |
| North Carolina | 120 | 10% |
| Georgia | 105 | 9% |
| Mississippi | 99 | 9% |
| Texas | 87 | 8% |
| South Carolina | 64 | 6% |
| Kentucky | 45 | 4% |
| Missouri | 28 | 2% |
| Louisiana | 24 | 2% |
| Maryland | 17 | 1% |
| Arkansas | 15 | 1% |
| Africa | 2 | under 1% |
| District of Columbia | 2 | under 1% |
| Delaware | 1 | under 1% |
| Florida | 1 | under 1% |
| Illinois | 1 | under 1% |
| Ohio | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Fayette County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1800s | 1 |
| 1810s | 0 |
| 1820s | 3 |
| 1830s | 52 |
| 1840s | 246 |
| 1850s | 578 |
| 1860s | 298 |
Surnames of freedmen in Fayette County
Fayette County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Fayette County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| , Archey | Virginia | 1861 | |
| , Ben | Unknown | 1859 | 8 |
| , Daniel | North Carolina | 1852 | |
| , Frank | Virginia | 1860 | 5 |
| , George | Alabama | 1828 | 39 |
| , Hancock | Missouri | 1845 | 22 |
| , Harmon | Texas | 1846 | |
| , Hobgrove | Virginia | 1862 | |
| , Isaac | Texas | 1841 | 6 |
| , Isaac | Tennessee | 1845 | 23 |
| , Jack | Virginia | 1861 | 1 |
| , Jackson | Virginia | 1851 | |
| , Jackson | Arkansas | 1849 | 10 |
| , Jerry | South Carolina | 1859 | 8 |
| , Jesse | Virginia | 1859 | |
| , John | Georgia | 1851 | |
| , Lee | Alabama | 1850 | |
| , Martin | Georgia | 1860 | 7 |
| , Nelson | Texas | 1845 | |
| , Patrick | Georgia | 1850 | |
| , Peter | Georgia | 1861 | |
| , Simon | Tennessee | 1859 | |
| , Stephen | North Carolina | 1847 | |
| , Titus | Mississippi | 1861 | |
| Adams, Abram | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Adams, Daniel | Kentucky | 1861 | |
| Adams, Eason | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Adams, Ellis | North Carolina | 1865 | |
| Adams, Henry | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Adams, John | North Carolina | 1865 | |
| Adams, Mannel | North Carolina | 1865 | |
| Adams, Thomas | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Adams, Turner | Georgia | 1866 | |
| Adams, Wesly | Illinois | 1843 | 6 |
| Admun [?], Bing | Texas | 1842 | 13 |
| Albert, Iceam | Georgia | 1846 | 21 |
| Albert, Prince | South Carolina | 1837 | |
| Alexander, Jeff | Mississippi | 1853 | 14 |
| Alfred, John | Mississippi | 1859 | |
| Allen, Albert | Alabama | 1863 | |
| Allen, Charles | Unknown | 1846 | 11 |
| Allen, Henry | Texas | 1860 | |
| Allen, John T | Missouri | 1861 | |
| Allen, King | Alabama | 1855 | |
| Allen, William | Arkansas | 1857 | 1 |
| Allsop, David | South Carolina | 1845 | 20 |
| Allston, Matt | South Carolina | 1867 | |
| Alonzo, Henry | Tennessee | 1851 | |
| Amos, Luck | North Carolina | 1863 | 3 |
| Anderson, Abram | Georgia | 1848 | 1 |
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. Fayette County's entries fill 70 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Fayette County was formed out of Mina County by 1840.
Questions about the Fayette County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Fayette County, Texas?
Search the Fayette 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 Fayette County in 1867?
1,169 freedmen registered in Fayette County between 1867 and 1870, 42% of the county's 2,799 registered voters.
Where were Fayette County's freedmen born?
Virginia (236), Alabama (159) and Tennessee (137) were the birthplaces reported most often; 87 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Fayette County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 3,786 enslaved people in Fayette County, 33% of everyone living there. In 1867, 42% of Fayette County's registered voters were freedmen, 1,169 of 2,799. 1,088 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
For African American genealogy beyond Fayette County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
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