Contract Between William H. Banks & Jessee Jackson

Freedmen's Bureau Labor Records

Sharecropper Contracts

Labor Contracts

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Banks, William H.

State Archives of Florida, Series L346

1867-12-10

Jackson, Jessee

contracts

eng-US

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L346

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Jefferson County (Fla.)

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State of Florida Jefferson County December 10th 1866 Agreement entered into this the Tenth day of December, eighteen hundred and sixty- six between William H Banks of the first part and Jessee Jackson freed man of the second part. Witnesseth, That the aforesaid Jessee Jackson hath this day hired himself to the said William H. Banks for the term of one year from the first day of January next, that is from the first day of January until 25th day of December, eighteen hundred and sixty-seven. The said Jessee Jackson is to live on the Hopeful Plantation in Jefferson County Florida (now the property of J. M. W. Hill, but leased for a term of years to the aforesaid W. H. Banks), there to take charge of the blacksmith shop tools of and to do the blacksmith work of the plantation for the year 1867 or any other Blacksmith work which the aforesaid William H. Banks may direct him the said Jessee Jackson to do, either personally or through his agent Mr. Jobe Gamble. Should it so occur that after the crop is [laid] by and there is no smith work to be done, there in that case the said

Jessee Jackson is willing and agrees to do such other work as he may be directed to do on the plantation either by his Employer William H. Banks, whos[e] agent [is] Mr. Jobe Gamble, such as picking cotton or other plantation work such as repairing wagons, carts, etc. The Said Jessee Jackson agrees and binds himself to take charge of all the plows, axes, and all such farming implements as on placed in or under his charge and to give them out only as directed by William H, Banks or Mr. Jobe Gamble to the hands belonging to the plantation, for the purpose of doing William H, Banks’ work, that he will not loan them out or give them out for any other purpose than for said William H. Banks’ work, unless so instructed to do by proper authority that is by Mr. Gamble or said William H. Banks, that he will keep tools in order and taker proper care of them. The said Jessee Jackon further agrees and binds himself to be polite and respectful and obedient both to William H. Banks, his employer, and to Mr. Jobe Gamble his (Banks’) agent. That he will obey their orders and in all cases respect their commands. In case of disobedience of orders or for disrespectful conduct or insolence or [impertinence] to either his employer or the employer’s agent or for idleness and inattention, or improper conduct of any kind, to his work or business, it shall be in the power of the aforesaid Banks to discharge the aforesaid Jessee Jackson[‘s] employment at any time during the year and

that in case said Jessee Jackson should be discharged for improper conduct of any kind, he shall forfeit such an amount of wages as the Agent of the Bureau may determine. It is agreed and understood that the aforesaid Jessee Jackson, employee of the second part is to find his own provisions, or that is the said Banks is to furnish him and family with provisions and he to pay said Banks for them out of his wages at the end of the year, at the market prices, at the time the provisions are sold to him. It is agreed that said Banks shall furnish the said Jessee Jackson and his family with a house to live in for the year that is until the twenty-fifth day of December 1867. For and in consideration of the above agreement and the faithful compliance thereof, the said William H. Banks agreed and binds himself to pay over to the said Jessee Jackson or his heirs or legal executors or administrators the sum of five hundred dollars in currency on or before the first day of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight. It is further agreed that the said Jessee Jackson shall labor faithfully during the year, six days in each week, and that he will in no instance leave the plantation on which he is to work, without the express permission of William H. Banks, his Employer, or Mr. Jobe Gamble, his agent, except on Sundays and in such case to return early on Monday morning following. Witnesses Mr. Banks Burrett Sanders [his X mark] William H Banks Jessee Jackson [his X mark]

Office S. A. Com. B.R.F. & A.L Monticello, Jefferson Co, Fl Dec 27/66 Approved A.B. Grumwell Bt. Capt. & S. A. Com. B.R.F. & A.Lands William H Banks Jessie Jackson Money Wages Approved April 3, 67 A.B. Grumwell Bt. Capt. & S. A. Com. B.R.F. & A.L.