Mariah Morrison, Sarah Morrison, and Mariah Gray, North Carolina, 1868
Item
Title
Mariah Morrison, Sarah Morrison, and Mariah Gray, North Carolina, 1868
Description
Labor agreements between James S. Morrison and these workers -- the first two described as "my former slave" and the latter described as having "formally [sic] belonged to Wm. Gray" -- witnessed by Drusilla Gaither.
Morrison was a plantation owner in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
The name of each worker was written by the same person who wrote the contract; each signed with an X, indicating she was illiterate.
Morrison was a plantation owner in Wilkes County, North Carolina.
The name of each worker was written by the same person who wrote the contract; each signed with an X, indicating she was illiterate.
Transcript
[page 1]
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Sarah my former slave mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Sarah two Dollars per month untill my corn is gathered & wheat & rye sowed next fall for all the time fit to work out including washing to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices or in any thing that we agree upon excepted money.
I Sarah obligate myself to do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison and family & behave myself decently & respectfully untill the time above named for two dollars per month to be paid as above named bad weather I am to work all that I can in & about the house for my board If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages agreed upon by three freeholders. In case of sickness I Sarah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison a reasonable compensation for board and attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Sarah set our hands and affix our seals this 1st of January 186[8]
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Sarah [mark] Morrison [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Mariah my former slave mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Mariah one Dollar per month untill my corn is gathered & wheat and rye sowed next fall for all the time fit to work out to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices. I Mariah obligate myself [to] do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison & his family & behave myself decently & respectfully untill the time above named for one Dollar per month to be paid as above named bad weather I agree to work all that I can in & about the house for my board If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages agreed upon by three freeholders. In case of sickness I Mariah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison a reasonable compensation for board & attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Mariah set our hands and affix our seals this 1st of January 1868
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Mariah [mark] Morrison [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
[page 2]
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Mariah formally belonged to Wm Gray mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Mariah two Dollars per month untill next Christmas for all the time fit to work out including washing to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices or anything we agree on except money.
I Mariah obligate myself to do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison and family and behave myself decently & respectfully untill next Christmas for two Dollars per month to be paid as above named and the board of my child bad weather I agree to work all that I can in and about the house for my board and the board of my child If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages assessed by three freeholders. [In case of sickness?] I Mariah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison [a reasonable?] compensation for board and attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Mariah set our hands and affixe our seals this 27th of January 1868
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Mariah [mark] Gray [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
[text perpendicular to the rest -- would have been on the outside of the folded document:]
Mariah Gray's
Sarah Morrison's &
Mariah Morrison's
Agreement with Jas.
S. Morrison
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Sarah my former slave mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Sarah two Dollars per month untill my corn is gathered & wheat & rye sowed next fall for all the time fit to work out including washing to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices or in any thing that we agree upon excepted money.
I Sarah obligate myself to do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison and family & behave myself decently & respectfully untill the time above named for two dollars per month to be paid as above named bad weather I am to work all that I can in & about the house for my board If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages agreed upon by three freeholders. In case of sickness I Sarah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison a reasonable compensation for board and attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Sarah set our hands and affix our seals this 1st of January 186[8]
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Sarah [mark] Morrison [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Mariah my former slave mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Mariah one Dollar per month untill my corn is gathered & wheat and rye sowed next fall for all the time fit to work out to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices. I Mariah obligate myself [to] do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison & his family & behave myself decently & respectfully untill the time above named for one Dollar per month to be paid as above named bad weather I agree to work all that I can in & about the house for my board If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages agreed upon by three freeholders. In case of sickness I Mariah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison a reasonable compensation for board & attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Mariah set our hands and affix our seals this 1st of January 1868
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Mariah [mark] Morrison [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
[page 2]
N. Carolina Wilks County Jan 1st 1868
We Jas S. Morrison & Mariah formally belonged to Wm Gray mutually agreed to obligate ourselves in a firm contract to hire and be hired on the following Terms (viz)
I Jas S. Morrison agree to give said Mariah two Dollars per month untill next Christmas for all the time fit to work out including washing to be paid in clothing at reasonable prices or anything we agree on except money.
I Mariah obligate myself to do good work and all that I can in reason in the house and out of the house for Jas S. Morrison and family and behave myself decently & respectfully untill next Christmas for two Dollars per month to be paid as above named and the board of my child bad weather I agree to work all that I can in and about the house for my board and the board of my child If I fail to comply with the above agreement I will forfeit and pay all damages assessed by three freeholders. [In case of sickness?] I Mariah agree to pay Jas S. Morrison [a reasonable?] compensation for board and attendance In witness whereof we Jas. S. Morrison and Mariah set our hands and affixe our seals this 27th of January 1868
Jas S. Morrison [seal]
Mariah [mark] Gray [seal]
Test Drusilla Gaither
[text perpendicular to the rest -- would have been on the outside of the folded document:]
Mariah Gray's
Sarah Morrison's &
Mariah Morrison's
Agreement with Jas.
S. Morrison
Date
1 January 1868; 27 January 1868
Coverage
Wilkes County, North Carolina
Source
Is Part Of
Durst family papers (MSS.0461)