We have seen Jack Williamson as a blacksmith in Wilson in the late 1800s. However, prior to establishing his business in town, he was a sharecropper. The contract below sets out in detail Williamson’s arrangement with white farmer Jacob H. Barnes to work a farm Barnes owned on Hominy Swamp.

The contract’s terms (which read like a set-up for failure):

• Barnes would provide the land and a house on it, rent-free.
• Williamson would “plant and properly cultivate” 30 acres of cotton on land designated by Barnes.
• Williamson would plant additional acreage “with the force he employs” in corn and cotton, at Barnes’ designation.
• Williamson would plant “seed oats” on 15 acres “on the left side of the path leading from his house to Hominy Swamp,” then cut and store it.
• Williamson would plant peas on all the uplands planted in corn.
• Williamson would store all crops harvested.
• Williamson would furnish, feed, and pay all labor [this likely meant Williamson would put his family to work, with — or without — pay.]
• Williamson would furnish the feed for his team of work animals; compost all the land planted in cotton; furnish all farming utensils; furnish any guano that “Barnes shall consider most advisable to use”; would clean out all the ditches; and would repair all fences.
• Barnes would own all the cotton seed Williamson produced.
• Williamson’s two-thirds of the crop would remain in Barnes’ control until Williamson repaid all advances made in provisions, fertilizer, money, etc.
• Barnes had sold Williamson one bay horse mule and one cart for $135, which, while in Williamson’s possession, would remain Barnes’ property until paid for.

Barnes and Williamson signed the contract on 2 February 1875, with Frank W. Barnes as witness.

Deed book 10, page 215-216, Wilson County Register of Deeds, Wilson.