Contract Between William H. Banks & Burrell Saunders, Jonas Saunders, et.al.

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

1867-01-03

Saunders, Burrell

Jackson, Jessee

Johnston, Jerry

Saunders, Jonas

Shakespeare, Manon

Hines, Fanny

Hines, Laura

Saunders, Harvard

Saunders, Rossetta

Saunders, Pheriby

Thomas, William

Saunders, Samuel

contracts

eng-US

Text

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L346

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Jefferson County (Fla.)

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Jefferson County State of Florida Agreement made and entered into, this the third day of January Eighteen Hundred and Sixty Seven between William H. Banks of the first part and the following freed people of the second part, viz: Burrell Saunders, Jonas Saunders, Manon Shakespeare, Pheriby Saunders, William Thomas, Samuel Hines, Fanny Hines, Laura Hines, Harvard Saunders, Rosetta Saunders, Maria Saunders, Beatty Saunders. Witnesseth, That the aforesaid freed men and women of the second part hath and by these presents do bargain and hire themselves individually and respectively to the aforesaid Wm. H. Banks of the first part, for the present year that is from this date until the twenty fifth day of December next, to live with and work for the said Banks. The employees above named agree and promise to labor faithfully and diligently, and do all in their power to promote the interests of all parties concerned in this contract. The employees promise and bind themselves to be respectful and obedient, that they will obey all orders from or emanating from their employer either personally

or through his foreman. It is agreed and understood that all their time is [their] employer's and that they will work as has always been customary in this country before the war, that they will do such work as they may be directed to do in whatever department of the plantation it may be. The employees promise and bind themselves to take proper care of all farming tools of whatever kind entrusted to them and to return them in proper order at the proper time, the employee to be responsible for [replacing? paying for?] implements lost or broken or not returned, unless a proper reason can be shown for the non-return of such implements. The employees agree and promise also to take good and proper care of all stock entrusted to their care. It is agreed that the stock shall all be attended to on Sundays as well as other days, and the man who attends to stock on Sunday shall remain on the place all day. In case of disobedience or

should a laborer absent himself or herself from work twenty five cents per day shall be deducted from his or her wages & or rations which have been issued, and one dollar for lost time. In case a hand loose [sic] a day for his or her own purposes unless given by the employer, he or she shall forfeit one dollar and be charged for rations. No laborer shall at any time absent himself from work without the knowledge and consent of his or her employer. A violation of this rule shall subject any one of the laborers so guilty to be discharged at the direction of the employer. In cases of sickness, all employees shall have a physician whose medical bill the employee shall pay, unless he or she should request the services of the employer [...] cases when able he is willing to render free of charge. No charge or deduction will be made for loss time when a laborer is really sick and requires medical attention, unless the sickness be very long or protracted, say over seven days, then only such deduction as amounts to their actual wages & rations. Any laborer laying up a day or one or two days and not having a physician shall be charged with loss time at one dollar per day and twenty five cents for rations, the dollar to go to the general loss time fund and the charge for rations to go to the employer. W.H. Banks on his part agrees to give the employees before named one third part of all the crops which they make except ground peas and field peas, which will be planted only for the purpose of fattening the hogs. Also one fifth of all the pork which is fatted and killed on the place this year, and the first of January or

as soon thereafter as practicable a division shall be made among the employees. All cottons shall be sent to market by the employer, Wm. H. Banks, and the proceeds (net) of the laborers' portion shall be paid over to them so soon as it is received from the factors or parties to whom it may be sold, a full statement being made at the time of settlement. Bagging & rope for employees to be paid for by them. In testimony whereof, the contracting parties do hereby affix their signatures or designations as herein above stated. Also 3 1/2 lbs Bacon & 1 peck meal [...] each. All differences arising on account of this contract not mutually settled are to be submitted to an arbitration of the B.R.F.&A.L. A.B. Grumwell Bt. Capt. & S.A. Com. B.R.F.&A.L. Wm. H. Banks Jessee Jackson [his X mark] Jerry Johnston [his X mark] Burrell Saunders [his X mark] Jonas Saunders [his X mark] Manon Shakespeare [his X mark] Pheriby Saunders [her mark] William Thomas [his mark] Samuel Hines [his X mark] Fanny Hines [her X mark] Laura Hines [her X mark] Harvard Saunders [his X mark] Rosetta Saunders [her X mark] No. 172 Wm. H. Banks & Freedmen Portion of crops Approved April 3rd, 1867 A.B. Grumwell Bt. Capt. & S.A. Com. B.R.F.&A.L.