Williamson County, Texas · 1867 voter registration
Williamson County, Texas: freedmen, slavery and the 1867 voter registration
Slavery in Williamson County
In 1860 the census counted 891 enslaved people in Williamson County, 20% of everyone living there. Seven years later 205 freedmen registered to vote there, 19% of the county's voters. Many were born in Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
- 891
- Enslaved in 1860
- 20%
- Of the county in 1860
- 1,082
- Registered voters
- 205
- Freedmen
- 19%
- Freedmen
- Tennessee
- Largest birthplace
- 1 years
- Median time in Texas
- 28
- Register pages
Help finish Williamson County. 4 freedmen registered here in 1867 and their records are still waiting to be added.
Become a reviewerWhere Williamson County's freedmen were born
| Birthplace | Registrants | % |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 40 | 20% |
| Texas | 23 | 12% |
| Virginia | 23 | 12% |
| South Carolina | 22 | 11% |
| Arkansas | 18 | 9% |
| Mississippi | 13 | 7% |
| Georgia | 12 | 6% |
| Missouri | 11 | 6% |
| Kentucky | 10 | 5% |
| North Carolina | 10 | 5% |
| Alabama | 8 | 4% |
| Louisiana | 8 | 4% |
| Maryland | 2 | 1% |
When they arrived in Texas
Decade each registrant reported arriving in Texas, as recorded in Williamson County.
| Decade | Registrants |
|---|---|
| 1860s | 190 |
Surnames of freedmen in Williamson County
Williamson County genealogy: search the register by name
The first 50 names in the Williamson County register, alphabetically. Each opens a search for that name.
| Name | Birthplace | Arrived | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ake, Cyrus | Arkansas | 1868 | 1 |
| Ake, Henry | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Ake, Isaac G. | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Ake, Robert | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Ake, Thomas | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Alexander, James | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Allen, Burrel | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Allen, Hilliard | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Anderson, Len | Len Anderson | 1866 | 1 |
| Armstrong, Joseph | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Armstrong, Richard | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Babcock, Charles | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Bailey, Henry | Kentucky | 1866 | 1 |
| Baker, Joseph | Kentucky | 1868 | 1 |
| Banks, William | Georgia | 1868 | 1 |
| Beal, Joseph | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Beal, Leander | Texas | 1866 | 1 |
| Beals, Daniel | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Bishop, Nelson | Missouri | 1866 | 1 |
| Bitticks, Sam | Louisiana | 1866 | 1 |
| Bitticks, Sam | Texas | 1868 | |
| Blair, Henry | North Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Bowser, Randall | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Brown, George | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Bull, William | Missouri | 1866 | 1 |
| Caldwell, Abraham | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Caldwell, Augustus | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Caldwell, John | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Caldwell, Terry | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Campbell, Samuel | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Clark, Peter | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Clay, Henry | Arkansas | 1866 | 1 |
| Clayton, Aleck | Mississippi | 1868 | 1 |
| Cleaveland, Benjamin | South Carolina | 1867 | 1 |
| Cleveland, Benjamin | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Cleveland, Joseph | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Cleveland, Ned | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Coleman, Ben | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Collins, Lewis | Virginia | 1866 | 1 |
| Cook, Mark | North Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Cox, Dan | Tennessee | 1868 | 1 |
| Creyton, Charles | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Creyton, James | Georgia | 1866 | 1 |
| Creyton, Timothy | Tennessee | 1866 | 1 |
| Creyton, Young | Georgia | ||
| Crisp, Harden | North Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
| Daniel, John | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Davis, David | Mississippi | 1866 | 1 |
| Davis, Gus | Louisiana | ||
| Davis, Henry | South Carolina | 1866 | 1 |
Every freedman who registered in Williamson CountySearch Williamson 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. Williamson County's entries fill 28 pages of the handwritten register. Race was recorded for part of the statewide register, so the freedmen count is the number identified.
Williamson County was formed out of Milam County by 1850.
Questions about the Williamson County records
How do I find African American ancestors in Williamson County, Texas?
Search the Williamson 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 Williamson County in 1867?
205 freedmen registered in Williamson County between 1867 and 1870, 19% of the county's 1,082 registered voters.
Where were Williamson County's freedmen born?
Tennessee (40), Texas (23) and Virginia (23) were the birthplaces reported most often; 23 were born in Texas.
Was slavery widespread in Williamson County, Texas?
In 1860 the census counted 891 enslaved people in Williamson County, 20% of everyone living there. In 1867, 19% of Williamson County's registered voters were freedmen, 205 of 1,082.
Keep looking
Counties that share a boundary history with Williamson County: Milam County.
For African American genealogy beyond Williamson County, browse the register by birthplace, search it by name or follow the migration map.
All countiesBrowse by birthplaceSee the migration mapSearch Williamson County