Contract Between George W. Ribble and James D. Wade & Ben Brooking, Bob Taylor, et.al.

Freedmen's Bureau Labor Records

Sharecropper Contracts

Labor Contracts

Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands

Ben Brooking signed for Theo (Son) and M. Love sign for two sons

Ribble, George W.

State Archives of Florida, Series L346

1867

Brooking, Ben

Taylor, Bob

Rose, Amos

Wynn, Sidney

Brooking, Allen

Holsey, Miles

Brooking, Thomas

Brooking, Simmeon

Shorter, Frederick

Love, Madison

Love, Henry

Love, Sherod

Love, Enoch

Love, Rivers

Sanders, Elbert

Spy, Thomas

Wade, Robbie

Adlerman, Levi

Winn, Thompson

White, Steven

Martin, Sam

Dorsey, Joshua M.

Turner, Jordan

Turner, M.

Turner, H.

contracts

eng-US

Text

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L346

12

Jefferson County (Fla.)

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74

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Agreement entered into between Geo. W. Ribble and Jas. D. Wade and the freedmen upon the Wirtland Plantation the year 1867. This agreement entered into this the first day of January eighteen hundred and sixty-seven between Geo. W. Ribble and Jas. D. Wade of the first part and the freedmen of the second part, witnesseth: That the said laborers are to receive the third part of all the crops they lived upon the place after they shall have been housed and made ready for market, provided they comply with their part of the agreement hereinafter mentioned. They are to be furnished with houses and each laboring hand shall receive four pounds of pork or its equivalent, and one peck of meal per week. In consideration of which they are to work kindly and faithfully each of the six days of the week, to obey all orders given them by the said Geo. W. Ribble and Jas. D. Wade, to feed and water the stock and give them any other attention required, and in no case lave the plantation or

Use any of the stock or other property without the permission of the owners. No spoliation, depredation, or waste shall be committed by the laborers or their families upon the land, houses, tenements, livestock, crops, garden patches, fences, or other property upon pain of forfeit use out of the pay of the offender or his natural protector to double the amount of the property so despoiled or injured. If any of said laborers shall prove refractory or refuse to comply with the above agreement, they may be immediately discharged in such way as not to damage the parties of the first part of this contract. The laborers on their part agree to be in the field laboring at sunrise and continue thereas, with the exception of one hour and a half at noon, until sunset. They further agree to pick at the rate of one hundred and twenty five pounds of cotton per day until the crop is gathered, but if any of said laborer fail to pick said average of one hundred twenty five pounds of cotton per day, they consent to forfeit all claim

to said allowances of pork or equivalent. Every laborer [losing] time from sickness or any other cause consents to have deducted from his receipts, at the end of the year, an amount proportioned to the time lost. The laborers further bind themselves to keep up the fences and do all other necessary repairs upon the plantation. 1 Ben Brooking, foreman [his X mark] 2 Bob Taylor [his X mark] 3 Amos Rose [his X mark] 4 Sidney Wynn [his X mark] 5 Allen Brooking [his X mark] 6 Miles Holsey [his X mark] 7 Thomas Brooking [his X mark by his father] 8 Simmeon Brooking [his X mark by his father] 9 Steven White [his X mark by his father] [crossed out] 10 Sam Martin [his X mark] [crossed out] 11 Joshua M. Dorsey [his X mark] [crossed out] 12 Jordan Farmer [his X mark] [crossed out] 13 Mag Turner [her X mark] [crossed out] Hawood [?] Turner [his X mark] [crossed out] 14 Frederick Shorter [his X mark] 15 Madison Love [his X mark] Henry Love [his X mark] 16 Sherod Love [his X mark] Enoch Love [his X mark] 17 Rivas Love [his X mark] 18 Isaac Jacob [his X mark] [crossed out] 19 Roby Jacob [his X mark] [crossed out] Elbert Sanders [his X mark] Thomas Shy [his X mark] Witnesses W. H. Taylor John Hunt

Contract approved Jan. 15th, 1867 with the understanding that any laborer who fails to pick the within named amount of cotton forfeits his meat ration for the year, and the party of the first part may change the same to the person so failing. A.B. Grumwell Bt. Capt. & A Com. B.R.F. & A.Lands It is now understood that the clause in the contract which says that the average of 125 pounds of cotton per day shall be construed thus: that for every day any of the said hands shall be engaged in cotton picking, they pick enough over 125 pounds on fair days to make up 125 pounds for the rainy days which prevent them from so picking cotton. Said cotton picking season to be estimated from the 16th of September to conclude on the 10th day of September 1867 during the period between which above dates said amount of 125 pounds shall be picked averaging that for rainy days as well as for fair days, Aug 27th, 1867. Ribble and Wade Levi A. Alsmore and boy [his X mark] Thompson Werner (2 ??) [his X mark] Ben Brooking and sons [his X mark] M. Love two sons [his X mark] Albert Sanders [his X mark] No. 113 Contract Approved Jan 15th, 1867 A.B. Grunwell Bt. Capt. & A. Com. B.R.F. & A.L. Portion of Crops Ribble & Wade