Medina County, Texas · 1867 voter registration

Medina County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration

Slavery in Medina County

In 1860 the census counted 106 enslaved people in Medina County, 6% of everyone living there. Seven years later 17 freedmen registered to vote there, 5% of the county's voters. Most were born in North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas, and 14 reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Map of Texas counties in 1870 with Medina County highlighted
Medina County on the 1870 county map
106
Enslaved in 1860
6%
Of the county in 1860
317
Registered voters
17
Freedmen
5%
Freedmen
North Carolina
Largest birthplace
13 years
Median time in Texas
8
Register pages

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Where Medina County's freedmen were born

Reported birthplaces of Medina County registrants
BirthplaceRegistrants%
North Carolina133%
Tennessee133%
Texas133%

When they arrived in Texas

Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Medina County.

Reported arrival decades for Medina County registrants
DecadeRegistrants
1830s
1
1840s
6
1850s
7
1860s
1

Surnames of freedmen in Medina County

Medina County genealogy: search the register by name

The first 15 names in the Medina County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.

Medina County registrants, by surname
NameBirthplaceArrivedGap
Blevins, GeorgeTennessee184718
Bradford, SamuelUnited States184416
Brakins, NelsonNorth Carolina1858
Clark [Klark], John F.United States184219
Fullmore, HardieUnited States1855
Fullmore, WrightUnited States1855
Glover, Armstead1857
Grant, IsaacUnited States1855
Hodge, SamuelUnited States1837
Jackson, SamuelTexas1843
Jackson, ThomasUnited States1866
King, HenryUnited States1858
Sullivan [Salavan], ThomasUnited States1857
Thomas, WilliamUnited States184817
Washington, CharlesUnited States1848

Search Medina 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. Medina County's entries fill 8 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.

Medina County was formed out of Bexar County by 1850.

Questions about the Medina County records

How do I find African American ancestors in Medina County, Texas?

Search the Medina 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 Medina County in 1867?

17 freedmen registered in Medina County between 1867 and 1870, 5% of the county's 317 registered voters.

Where were Medina County's freedmen born?

North Carolina (1), Tennessee (1) and Texas (1) were the birthplaces reported most often; 1 was born in Texas.

Was slavery widespread in Medina County, Texas?

In 1860 the census counted 106 enslaved people in Medina County, 6% of everyone living there. In 1867, 5% of Medina County's registered voters were freedmen, 17 of 317. 14 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.

Keep looking

Counties that share a boundary history with Medina County: Bexar County.

For African American genealogy beyond Medina County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.

All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Medina County