Gillespie County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Gillespie County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Gillespie County
In 1860 the census counted 33 enslaved people in Gillespie County, 1% of everyone living there. Seven years later 17 freedmen registered to vote there, 3% of the county's voters. Most were born in Alabama, Texas and Virginia, and 14 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 33
- Enslaved in 1860
- 1%
- Of the county in 1860
- 521
- Registered voters
- 17
- Freedmen
- 3%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 15 years
- Median time in Texas
- 14
- Register pages
Where Gillespie County's freedmen were born
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Gillespie County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 2 |
| 1840s | 6 |
| 1850s | 6 |
| 1860s | 3 |
Surnames of freedmen in Gillespie County
Gillespie County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 17 names in the Gillespie County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brazilio, Crockett | United States | 1857 | 11 |
| Brown, Paris | United States | 1842 | 11 |
| Dearing, Washington | United States | 1837 | 14 |
| Edmunds, Juan | United States | 1854 | |
| Eus, Wiley | United States | 1852 | 2 |
| Gay, Willis | United States | 1867 | |
| Henry, John | Texas | 1852 | |
| Loss, Jacob | United States | 1848 | |
| Louis, Richman | United States | 1852 | 3 |
| Patridge, Henry | United States | 1865 | |
| Peters, Samuel | United States | 1845 | |
| Pheril, Peter | United States | 1840 | 26 |
| Russel, Silas | United States | 1847 | 19 |
| Thornson, Berry | Alabama | 1865 | |
| Wallis, Henry | United States | 1839 | |
| Washington, George | United States | 1847 | 6 |
| Washington, Henry | Virginia | 1859 |
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. Gillespie County's entries fill 14 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Gillespie County was formed out of Bexar County by 1850.
Questions about the Gillespie County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Gillespie County, Texas?
Search the Gillespie 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 Gillespie County in 1867?
17 freedmen registered in Gillespie County between 1867 and 1870, 3% of the county's 521 registered voters.
Where were Gillespie County's freedmen born?
Alabama (1), Texas (1) and Virginia (1) were the birthplaces reported most often; 1 was born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Gillespie County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 33 enslaved people in Gillespie County, 1% of everyone living there. In 1867, 3% of Gillespie County's registered voters were freedmen, 17 of 521. 14 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Gillespie County: Bexar County, Llano County, Mason County.
For African American genealogy beyond Gillespie County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Gillespie County