Contract, Plantation Rental

Contract, Plantation Rental

Object number1998.055.12

DateJanuary 1, 1844

Mediumpaper and ink

DimensionsOverall: 15 1/4 x 13 1/4 in. (38.7 x 33.7 cm)

Credit LineOld State House Museum collection

Terms

Contract
Contract

DescriptionWritten on brown paper with black ink. Document was folded into 13.25 x 7.625. Attached to the document is a Certificate of Record with the signature of the Circuit County Clerk. In the document J.W. Ridgel agrees to rent a plantation from Elijah Sparks. The plantation includes a mill and gin, horses, and 13 slaves.

Certificate of Record is typed. It is 4.4375 x 7.75. It has an embossed insignia in the lower left corner.

Transcription:

Front Side

"State of Arkansas
Bradley County
Acknowledgement of an agree
[-]ment entered on to
this the 1st day of January and thousand eight
hundred & forty four between J W Ridgel
of (?) and (?) & Elijah Sparks after
others hath of the county & state above
mentioned each of us lend our (?)
our hands & assign to each other in
the personal same of ten thousand
dollars the payment well & (?) to
be mad[e]

The (?) of this
(?) is such that J W Ridgel
has this day rented or leased to E
Sparks his plantation and negroes to (?)
(?) (?) Bab Bab Leander George
West Bell Elandre Suse Lela & (?)
(?) & Mary & eight head of horses and
(?) & all of my (?) and all my
farming tools mill & gin and a (?)
of (?) & fodder for the present year
and my stake of hogs and the said E.
Sparks agrees on his pact for the use for five years
of the above named property to pay to the said
Ridgel one thousand dollars annually for
five years and return to said Ridgel at
the expectation of the above mentioned time
the same quantity of hogs & horses
and further more of the said Sparks
should fail to pay me the thousand
dollars as it falls due by bad (?)
(?) the said Ridgel has at in his (?)
to discharge Sparks at the end of any
year with the five years, and the said
Sparks is to treat the negroes well and be at
all eschews my (?) of death of (?) (?) can
(?) to be (?)..."

Reverse side, continued...

"and further more the (?) is to be
(?) to Ridgels [sic] debt every year
until he receives his thousand
dollars, (?) of the above named partners
should (?) comply with the above
contract (?) this obligation to be void
otherwise to remain in full force
(?) under our hands & seals this
the 1st day of January on AD 1844
J.W. Ridgel Seal
Elijah Sparks Seal
(?) (?) M.B. Nichols"

Status

Not on view

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