Madison County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Madison County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Madison County
In 1860 the census counted 675 enslaved people in Madison County, 30% of everyone living there. Seven years later 254 freedmen registered to vote there, 40% of the county's voters. Many were born in Alabama, Texas and Mississippi, and 250 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 675
- Enslaved in 1860
- 30%
- Of the county in 1860
- 638
- Registered voters
- 254
- Freedmen
- 40%
- Freedmen
- Alabama
- Largest birthplace
- 15 years
- Median time in Texas
- 16
- Register pages
Where Madison County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 41 | 16% |
| Texas | 38 | 15% |
| Mississippi | 27 | 11% |
| Virginia | 25 | 10% |
| Georgia | 24 | 9% |
| Louisiana | 21 | 8% |
| North Carolina | 19 | 7% |
| South Carolina | 19 | 7% |
| Tennessee | 17 | 7% |
| Arkansas | 12 | 5% |
| Maryland | 7 | 3% |
| Florida | 2 | under 1% |
| Kentucky | 2 | under 1% |
| Missouri | 1 | under 1% |
| New York | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Madison County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1820s | 1 |
| 1830s | 11 |
| 1840s | 81 |
| 1850s | 88 |
| 1860s | 75 |
Surnames of freedmen in Madison County
Madison County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Madison County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abreham, Zique | Georgia | 1848 | 4 |
| Adams, Cuff | Alabama | 1852 | 8 |
| Alexander, Robert | Louisiana | 1863 | 3 |
| Alford, Riley | North Carolina | 1856 | |
| Ashley, David (Daniel) | North Carolina | 1861 | 4 |
| Austin, Antny | Mississippi | 1865 | |
| Bailey, Ben | Alabama | 1852 | 13 |
| Baily, Jefry | Georgia | 1840 | |
| Baily, Mack | Texas | 1848 | 3 |
| Bartley, Acmen | Georgia | 1855 | 11 |
| Beckham, William | South Carolina | 1864 | 4 |
| Bell, Moses | Virginia | 1864 | 5 |
| Benjamin, Bird | Tennessee | 1851 | |
| Bidy, Jefferson | Alabama | 1844 | |
| Bird, Robert | Alabama | 1849 | 19 |
| Bizor, Jack | Virginia | 1859 | 9 |
| Blackburn, James | Virginia | 1861 | 7 |
| Boeman, Alex | Texas | 1847 | 20 |
| Bonor, Robert | Virginia | 1851 | |
| Brassell, George | Georgia | 1859 | 1 |
| Brassell, Joseph | Georgia | 1859 | 1 |
| Brooks, Cezar | Alabama | 1851 | 9 |
| Brooks, Leander | Texas | 1846 | 22 |
| Brown, James | Mississippi | 1863 | |
| Brown, Joseph | Mississippi | 1863 | 5 |
| Bryont, Alford | Alabama | 1845 | 23 |
| Bussett, Charles | Mississippi | 1864 | |
| Byers, Frank | South Carolina | 1849 | |
| Car, Peter B. | Virginia | 1854 | 3 |
| Carter, Green | South Carolina | 1851 | 17 |
| Cartright, Zekiel | Texas | 1848 | 20 |
| Chandler, Sam | Tennessee | 1842 | 22 |
| Childers, John | Arkansas | 1852 | 11 |
| Clay, Henry | Louisiana | 1849 | 8 |
| Clinsey, Albert | Alabama | 1852 | 8 |
| Cliven, Charles | Alabama | 1855 | 12 |
| Coalman, Elick | Texas | 1845 | |
| Coleman, Andrew | Texas | 1848 | |
| Cooper, W. | Mississippi | 1863 | |
| Crawford, A. | South Carolina | 1863 | 1 |
| Crawford, Moses | South Carolina | 1864 | |
| Curry, Leven | Mississippi | 1852 | 3 |
| Curry, William | Georgia | 1857 | 10 |
| Danels, Baitman | Tennessee | 1860 | 7 |
| Danels, Gery | Alabama | 1862 | 4 |
| Dickenson, Isack | Louisiana | 1861 | |
| Dickinson, James | Louisiana | 1861 | |
| Dicson, November | Georgia | 1825 | 41 |
| Donaho, Thomas | Texas | 1842 | 25 |
| Dunn, Andrew | Arkansas | 1852 |
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. Madison County's entries fill 16 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Madison County was formed out of Grimes County by 1855.
Questions about the Madison County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Madison County, Texas?
Search the Madison 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 Madison County in 1867?
254 freedmen registered in Madison County between 1867 and 1870, 40% of the county's 638 registered voters.
Where were Madison County's freedmen born?
Alabama (41), Texas (38) and Mississippi (27) were the birthplaces reported most often; 38 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Madison County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 675 enslaved people in Madison County, 30% of everyone living there. In 1867, 40% of Madison County's registered voters were freedmen, 254 of 638. 250 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Madison County: Grimes County.
For African American genealogy beyond Madison County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Madison County