Dennis Bearden Part 3

Dennis Bearden had two wives and children with each wife. 

I have tried identifying Dennis Bearden's occupation from the federal census records.   Information was enumerated on the 1900 and 1910 Federal Census for Dennis Bearden, didn't own but rented the land he lived on.   He may have been a tenant farmer or sharecropper. After the Civil War, the government agency  Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandon Lands  (Freedman's Bureau) established in 1865 supervised many of the former enslaved to sign labor contracts. The former enslaved (Freedmen) became an employee of a landowner who agreed to work in exchange for pay, clothing and medical care.  This was the precursor for the tenant farmer and sharecropper agriculture system, 

Tenant farmers and sharecroppers both farmed the land owned by another person.  A tenant farmer could contribute capital, own tools, and supplies, rent the land, and housing. The tenant farmer could sell the harvested crop and pay rent to the landlord. Sharecroppers didn't own or contribute anything except their labor.   They had to pay rent for tools, supplies, housing, animals, and seeds. The landlord sold the sharecropper's harvested crop and applied it to the sharecropper's rental account. Tenant farmers and sharecroppers hoped to make enough money from a harvest to pay their debts and earn a profit. If the crop yield or prices were low they remained in debt. Unfortunately, this system historically created a cycle of poverty that was true for Caucasians and Black people. The 1900  in a previous blog post and the 1910 census identify who lived in Dennis' household.  

The 1910 census

"United States Census, 1910", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MPDF-XY1 : Sat Mar 09 08:29:24 UTC 2024), Entry for Dennis Bearden and Dilsie Bearden, 1910.

Transcribed 1910 Pike County, Mississippi Federal census of Dennis Bearden and Dilsie Bearden.

Dennis and his wife Delsie (Dilsie, Delsy) could not read or write. On April 17, 1891, they signed a labor agreement making them sharecroppers. The document is located at the Pike County Courthouse in Magnolia, Mississippi. The title of the record is Conveyance Record Book 11, 1893-1895 page 159(Family Search microfilm #008634974). 

The record as it appears below. Transcriptions and summary of portions of the record are given some words of the document could not be deciphered.

This deed of trust made this 17th day of April 1891. Witnesses that Dennis Bearden and Delsy Bearden, his wife of the first part are indebted to PL Barnes and the in the sum of $70 and forty-two cents. Having interest from said no date was given assign 17th. 1891. Where is said party of the first part from expect said PL Barnes to advance him money and sell supplies and merchandise during the year of 1891 and such finance as may be agreed upon at the time of delivery or-- at the usual and customary credit prices in the county of Pike and state of Mississippi, whereas said party of the first part has agreed to secure the payment of said indebtedness as also any further that may be advanced as for said….

The Party of the first part in consideration of the promises as well as for the for $10 to him paid by Jno Walker. 

The following described property situated in Pike County, Mississippi___ Any and all crops of cotton, corn and other agricultural products to be planted and raised by them in my hands they may employ during the year of 1891 on land belonging to him now…. or any other land that they may rent and cultivate during said year.

In trust, however, that if said party of the first part should on or before the 1st day of January 1892 pay what may be due said PL Barns for money advancement and supplies and merchandise sold all costs incurred on account after said and all cost incurred on account of said deed of trust thru this deed of trust will be void as to the indebtedness, _____ at that time; but in default of said payments or any part thereof or subsequent indebtedness under this contract the trustee will take possession of same property without notice of any kind. And having given ten day notice of the place and time of the sale by posting written notices at____ public place as in said county, sell said property or a sufficiency of said things to make said payment for cash at public auction at PL Barnes store or any place he designates PL Barns and his legal representatives can at any time they may decide_____Trustee in place of  Jno B Walker or any succeeding Trustee.

Dennis and Delsie signed up to work on a designated area of rented land. The land description given was in Pike County in the north half of the northwest quarter section 12, township number 4, range number 9 E 80 acres more or less. This land was owned by Jno (John) B Walker. They bought $70.42 of supplies and equipment from P L Barnes, a store owner, and received a loan of $10 from Jno B Walker. The sum of $70.42 is equivalent to  $2,436.04 and $10.00 is worth $345.93 inflation calculated for 2024. Jno (John) B Walker was responsible for the collection of crops. If Dennis and his wife did not produce enough crops to pay their debts, the property they obtained could be removed without notice and sold. I don't know the amount of profit Dennis ever made for his labor.  He was tied to the land as a sharecropper and, at best, a tenant farmer.  Sharecropping was a different form of enslavement.

--- The Tree Gardener