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| James Arnold to Josiah Evans, 7
Jun 1831 |
This mortgage gives us a glimpse into the life of a tenant farmer/sharecropper
in the early 1800s, which, contrary to some impressions, most of our ancestors
were. The deal between James Arnold and Josiah Evans was for Arnold to farm
some of Evans' land, then pay him a set cash price ($9.50 per year), part of
the corn harvest, and to pay for some of the farming expenses. Evidently the
farm didn't produce as expected (perhaps poor weather, poor management, etc.)
and Arnold had to mortgage his personal property to Evans to cover the debt. We
don't know if Arnold was able to pay Evans or if Evans took the cows, etc., as
payment. However, Arnold did stay in the area for a least another decade before
moving to Rockcastle County and living with his son William. Evans died in
1836.
In 1830 the Arnold household consisted of James and his wife Elizabeth, plus
ten children ranging in age from three to 18.
To contrast Arnold and Evans in a material sense, in 1831 Evans owned 36 tracts
of land totaling 3,998 acres in three counties (Pulaski, Laurel, and Whitley).
In the 1830 census he was listed with 24 slaves. His Gothic Revial house,
listed on the National Historic Registry, still stands today.
"Know all men by these presents that I, James Arnold of the county of
Pulaski and state of Kentucky, hath this day bargained, sold, and delivered
unto Josiah Evans of the county aforesaid the following property, to wit,
seventeen head of cattle, eight grown cows, one old black cow with a white face
name White Face, a brindle & white cow named Pink, one other brindle &
white cow named Flour, one other with cow with a black head named Rose, one
white cow with a red head & neck named Jentle, a young red cow with a white
face named White Face, a red cow named Cherry, a [unreadable word] cow brindle
& white named Hart, a three-year-old heffer a brown coullor with a white
back, a heffer brindle couller 2 years of age, the other spotted red and white
two years of age, six young calves of six of the cows above described, 15 head
of sheep, 13 head of hogs, to feather beds & furniture, two large pots
& six cheers, which property above named have I this day sold to Josiah
Evans for the sum of $30 case and 15 ½ barrels of corn, the above sum of
$30 is due to said Evans from me as follows $15.12 paid to Benjamin Barnes
constable for the purchase of some cattle, $13.50 for the use of said Evans's
property 4 years, $3.30 for the use of a sugar camp & kettles 2 years, also
$4.42 for oats and whiskey, 15 ½ barrels of corn, a balance of the rent of
plantation for the year 1830 & in satisfaction of the above named sums of
money & corn, I warrant & defend the before named property to the said
Evans as his own against the claims of the world, void on condition that if the
said Arnold should well & truly pay Evans the sum of $30 and 15 ½
barrels of corn by the 25th of December next Evans agrees to release to Arnold
his title to said property, otherwise to close and make the money & corn or
its value out of said property. Witness this 9th day of Apr. 1831."
James Arnold made his mark
Witnessed by Thomas D. Crow, Milford Gilmore, and John Bobbit Jr. |
Deed Book 7, p.460
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