Newton County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Newton County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Newton County
In 1860 the census counted 1,013 enslaved people in Newton County, 32% of everyone living there. Seven years later 162 freedmen registered to vote there, 44% of the county's voters. Most were born in Mississippi, Georgia and Alabama, and 163 reported reaching Texas before 1865.
- 1,013
- Enslaved in 1860
- 32%
- Of the county in 1860
- 365
- Registered voters
- 162
- Freedmen
- 44%
- Freedmen
- Mississippi
- Largest birthplace
- 14 years
- Median time in Texas
- 9
- Register pages
Where Newton County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 59 | 34% |
| Georgia | 21 | 12% |
| Alabama | 17 | 10% |
| Louisiana | 16 | 9% |
| Texas | 14 | 8% |
| South Carolina | 12 | 7% |
| Florida | 8 | 5% |
| North Carolina | 8 | 5% |
| Tennessee | 7 | 4% |
| Virginia | 7 | 4% |
| Kentucky | 2 | 1% |
| Maryland | 2 | 1% |
| Missouri | 1 | under 1% |
| Ohio | 1 | under 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Newton County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1830s | 7 |
| 1840s | 54 |
| 1850s | 83 |
| 1860s | 28 |
Surnames of freedmen in Newton County
Newton County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Newton County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aaron, Taff | Mississippi | 1857 | |
| Adams, Jack | Florida | 1850 | 15 |
| Adams, James | Georgia | 1849 | 18 |
| Adams, Samuel | Georgia | 1849 | 9 |
| Adams, Simon | Georgia | 1849 | 9 |
| Alford, George | Mississippi | 1854 | |
| Allums, Sanmey | Georgia | 1843 | 22 |
| Ashey, Jeff | Georgia | 1847 | 19 |
| Benett, Badey | Alabama | 1847 | 19 |
| Benjamin, Ruben | Alabama | 1858 | |
| Biley, John | South Carolina | 1837 | 9 |
| Blacksher, Samuel | Alabama | 1837 | 25 |
| Blend, Calvin | Georgia | 1845 | 12 |
| Blinett, Primas | Georgia | 1848 | 11 |
| Booker, Debo | Louisiana | 1842 | |
| Booker, Thomas | Louisiana | 1842 | |
| Bradsford, George | South Carolina | 1847 | |
| Brose, Denis | Alabama | 1853 | |
| Brown, Joseph | South Carolina | 1845 | |
| Brown, Manuel | Texas | 1840 | |
| Bryant, David | Florida | 1856 | 9 |
| Bryant, Frank | Georgia | 1856 | |
| Burnett, William | Georgia | 1856 | |
| Burres, Rush | Alabama | 1853 | 13 |
| Cade, Grigg | Georgia | 1858 | |
| Cade, Polk | Florida | 1859 | |
| Cade, William | Georgia | 1859 | |
| Caine, Edward | Georgia | 1854 | 12 |
| Canley, John | Mississippi | 1858 | |
| Cheatham, Joseph | Tennessee | 1847 | 4 |
| Cooper, Aderson | Alabama | 1861 | 6 |
| Davis, Edmon | South Carolina | 1851 | |
| Davis, Tobey | North Carolina | 1857 | |
| DeLoach, Green | Alabama | 1864 | |
| Dening, Henry | Missouri | 1860 | 6 |
| Dickerson, James | Texas | 1855 | |
| Dickerson, Joseph | Louisiana | 1866 | |
| Doye, Abriham | North Carolina | 1858 | |
| Elias, Albert | Florida | 1859 | |
| Elias, Alexander | Mississippi | 1854 | |
| Fancher, Primas | North Carolina | 1861 | |
| Farr, Benjamin | Mississippi | 1859 | |
| Farr, Berry | Mississippi | 1858 | |
| Farr, David | Mississippi | 1858 | |
| Farr, Isaac | Mississippi | 1859 | |
| Farr, Joshuary | Mississippi | 1858 | |
| Filgan, Jobe | North Carolina | 1861 | 4 |
| Foard, Shadrick | Texas | 1847 | |
| Ford, Clark | Mississippi | 1844 | |
| Ford, John | Mississippi | 1866 |
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. Newton County's entries fill 9 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Newton County was formed out of Jasper County by 1850.
Questions about the Newton County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Newton County, Texas?
Search the Newton 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 Newton County in 1867?
162 freedmen registered in Newton County between 1867 and 1870, 44% of the county's 365 registered voters.
Where were Newton County's freedmen born?
Mississippi (59), Georgia (21) and Alabama (17) were the birthplaces reported most often; 14 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Newton County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 1,013 enslaved people in Newton County, 32% of everyone living there. In 1867, 44% of Newton County's registered voters were freedmen, 162 of 365. 163 of them reported reaching Texas before 1865.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Newton County: Jasper County.
For African American genealogy beyond Newton County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Newton County