Henderson County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Henderson County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Henderson County
In 1860 the census counted 1,116 enslaved people in Henderson County, 24% of everyone living there. Seven years later 294 freedmen registered to vote there, 28% of the county's voters. Many were born in Alabama, Tennessee and Mississippi, and 284 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,116
- Enslaved in 1860
- 24%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,047
- Registered voters
- 294
- Freedmen
- 28%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 11 years
- Median time in Texas
- 27
- Register pages
Help finish Henderson County. 1 freedman registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Henderson County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 52 | 18% |
| Tennessee | 38 | 13% |
| Mississippi | 36 | 12% |
| South Carolina | 34 | 12% |
| Virginia | 34 | 12% |
| Georgia | 33 | 11% |
| North Carolina | 22 | 8% |
| Texas | 13 | 4% |
| Kentucky | 11 | 4% |
| Arkansas | 8 | 3% |
| Louisiana | 7 | 2% |
| District of Columbia | 2 | under 1% |
| Maryland | 2 | under 1% |
| Florida | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Henderson County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 4 |
| 1840s | 41 |
| 1850s | 179 |
| 1860s | 69 |
Surnames of freedmen in Henderson County
Henderson County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Henderson County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abbey, Allen | Texas | 1844 | 22 |
| Aldridge, Alford | Alabama | 1862 | 4 |
| Alexander, Allen | Mississippi | 1864 | |
| Alexander, Manuel | Tennessee | 1862 | |
| Allen, Cisero | Louisiana | 1857 | 8 |
| Allen, John | Alabama | 1851 | |
| Allen, Robert | Louisiana | 1852 | 5 |
| Anderson, John | South Carolina | 1845 | 22 |
| Anderson, Travis | Tennessee | 1857 | |
| Anderson, William | Virginia | 1857 | |
| Baker, George | Virginia | 1858 | |
| Barber, William | Florida | 1854 | 14 |
| Barett (Benett), James | Maryland | 1853 | 10 |
| Barker, Armsted | North Carolina | 1857 | |
| Barlow, Peter | Georgia | 1860 | |
| Barron, Anderson | South Carolina | 1852 | |
| Barron, Samuel | South Carolina | 1855 | 6 |
| Battle, Abner | Georgia | 1852 | 15 |
| Bethell, Thadeus | Virginia | 1842 | 11 |
| Birdine, Jefferson | Georgia | 1860 | |
| Blough, Thomas | Texas | 1845 | 10 |
| Bowman, Archy | Virginia | 1861 | 2 |
| Box, Alexander | Georgia | 1853 | 11 |
| Boyd, Jack | Louisiana | 1848 | 15 |
| Boyd, Luke | Texas | 1853 | 11 |
| Brantley, Washington | North Carolina | 1859 | |
| Bridges, Thrasher | Mississippi | 1861 | |
| Brisco, John | Georgia | 1858 | |
| Brookins, Dennis | Mississippi | 1854 | |
| Brookins, George | Texas | 1837 | 15 |
| Brookins, Rodrick | Texas | 1854 | |
| Brooks, John | Virginia | 1863 | |
| Brooks, Thomas | Maryland | 1854 | |
| Brownfield, James | Georgia | 1858 | |
| Bunn, William | Georgia | 1857 | |
| Burton, Peter | Virginia | 1853 | 13 |
| Burton, Richard | North Carolina | 1854 | 1 |
| Butler, Jefferson | Mississippi | 1856 | |
| Butler, John | North Carolina | 1849 | |
| Byers, Washington | Alabama | 1856 | |
| Cain, James | Mississippi | 1864 | 3 |
| Cain, Peter | Virginia | 1864 | |
| Calahan, Robert | South Carolina | 1852 | 15 |
| Caldwell, Pleasant | South Carolina | 1856 | 10 |
| Calhoun, Ralph | Kentucky | 1859 | |
| Campbell, Louis | Mississippi | 1859 | |
| Campbell, William W. | Tennessee | 1852 | |
| Carbin, Ned | Virginia | 1858 | |
| Carbin, William | Virginia | 1859 | |
| Carder, Peter | Alabama | 1855 |
Every freedman who registered in Henderson CountySearch Henderson 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. Henderson County's entries fill 27 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Henderson County was formed out of Nacogdoches County by 1850.
Questions about the Henderson County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Henderson County, Texas?
Search the Henderson 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 Henderson County in 1867?
294 freedmen registered in Henderson County between 1867 and 1870, 28% of the county's 1,047 registered voters.
Where were Henderson County's freedmen born?
Alabama (52), Tennessee (38) and Mississippi (36) were the birthplaces reported most often; 13 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Henderson County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,116 enslaved people in Henderson County, 24% of everyone living there. In 1867, 28% of Henderson County's registered voters were freedmen, 294 of 1,047. 284 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Henderson County: Nacogdoches County.
For African American genealogy beyond Henderson County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Henderson County