Bound in Béxar County: Slavery in San Antonio

Martha Childress, also known as Martha Childers, was a female enslaver who participated in a number of purchasing, trading, and selling transactions. She first appears as an enslaver in Béxar County Tax Assessment records in 1854 and appears every year until 1860 (except 1858). In the Slave Schedules, she first appears in 1860. In Edgar Johnson’s compilation of all the bills of sale related to slavery in Béxar County entitled African Americans in the Béxar County, Texas Deed Records 1823–1865, she is listed in several entries starting as early as 1845.
 

The following images come from the 1860 U.S Slave Schedules. Martha Childers is listed as enslaving 19 people from the ages of 1 years old to 50 years of age. One notable characteristic about Martha is that she is an example of a female enslaver. There were many female enslavers in the United States. Martha is not listed in the 1850 Slave Schedules, but her husband, George Childers, is listed. In 1860, Martha enslaved 4 men, 6 women, 6 boys, and 3 girls. One can note that Martha seemed to favor owning older women and younger children, likely because they were less likely to run away. Martha's name is highlighted in the portion of the census document where she is listed here. 

U.S Census - Federal Slave Schedules. (1860). Retrieved August 21, 2025, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7668/records/2272613?tid=&pid=&queryId=121d0a00-f2bf-46ef-a89c-0a6580637ebd&_phsrc=LeN39&_phstart=successSource

1860 U.S Federal Census - Slave Schedules . (1860). Retrieved August 21, 2025, from https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/7668/?count=50&f-88100002=Martha+&f-88100003=Childress&residence=_bexar-texas-usa_302&residence_x=_1-0

The first time Martha Childers appears in the Bexar County tax records was in 1854. She was listed as enslaving 20 African Americans valued at $10,000. This is one more captive than what is listed in the 1860 Slave Schedules.

Bexar County Tax Records—1854 . (1854). Bexar County ; Texas County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-WFHV-5?wc=M63Z-PTB%3A161392201%2C161398001%26cc%3D1827575&cc=1827575&lang=en&i=6

By the beginning of the Civil War, in 1862, Martha was holding captive 19 African Americans valued at $11,400. This could indicate some trading for more valuable enslaved people or that the individuals' she held had their value increased.

Bexar County Tax Records—1862 . (1862). Bexar County ; Texas County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-WF47-Z?wc=M638-LNG%3A161392201%2C161392802%26cc%3D1827575&lang=en&i=9&cc=1827575

The information from a deed of sale for an African American woman and her children was found in a book compiled by Edgar Johnson, African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865. The woman was named Annis, and she was sold with her two children Nancy, Josephine and Edmund. They were sold for 1,200 dollars.

Johnson, Ed. (2022). African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865. Independently published. 

A man named Wyatt was purchased for $1,900 on January 8th, 1859 by Childress, and two deeds for him appear here. She is not listed as having someone that age or near it by 1860, so it appears to have not been long before she sold him, or he was able to gain his freedom by running away. 

Johnson, Ed. (2022). African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865. Independently published.