How Do We Know?

About

Samuel Barnard of Deerfield regularly sold the labor of the two enslaved men in his household, Pompey and Titus. They threshed rye and oats, hoed, carted dung, mended fences, and fanned peas and oats. There were several Barnards, and they frequently shared resources, including Pompey and Titus. In the winter of 1740-41, Samuel Barnard’s older brother Joseph carefully recorded “An Accompt of Pompes Work.” On December 17, he fretted that he could “git no work” for Pompey that day but was able to hire Pompey out several other days in December and January, mainly sledding wood. It is worth noting that the winter of 1740-41 was especially severe in a period known for harsh winters. Barnard’s apparent goal of maximizing Pompey’s labor each day failed when his servant got severe frostbite in January while traveling to the Wapping section of Deerfield. Pompey was unable to work for two days as he had to “look after his frozin feet.” Pompey’s injuries apparently prevented him from continuing to sled wood, but he worked through the remaining days of February and all of March threshing, “tend[ing] ye cattle” and going to the mill.

Transcript

1740 An Accompt of Pompes Work
Decb ye 15: I Could git no work for him he thrasht
16 he thrasht Peas
17. Wednisday it Snowd he thrasht Peas
18. Thusday he thrasht Peas
19: Fryday he got a Load wood
20: Satterday he got a Load Wood
22: Monday he got a Load wood
23: Tewsday Lame
24: Wednisday Lame
25: thusday sled Wood for asa Childs
26: Fryday he got a Load wood
27: Satterday it Snowd he got a load wood
29: Monday he got a Load Wood
30: he got a Load wood
31: Wednisday he thrasht
Jany 1: fast
2. Fryday sled for Mr Ashley
3: Satterday he Went for wood & Broak his Sled
5. Monday he thrasht a Little & cut Wood at ye [Pond?]
6: Tusday he frose going to Wappin
7: Wednisday to look after his frosin feet
8: Thusday he thrasht 4 Shoak Ry
9: Fryday he thrasht 4 Shoak Ry
10: Satterday he thrasht 5 Shoak Ry—[&?] then Recd hi[page torn]
12: Monday he thrasht Ry
13: Teusday he thrasht till noon he Cart [Indewey?] a [page torn]
14: Wednisday Lector tend cattle til I fan
15: Thusday thrasht with Samll
16: Fryday tend ye Cattle
17: Satterday tend ye Cattle
19: Monday Carrey Corn in to thrash
20: Teusday he trod out ye Corn with horses
21: Wednisday he Ca[reed?] up the Corn & went to mill
22: Thusday he went to mill all day
23: Fryday he Did Something at Faning he Larnt a litt[page torn]
24: Satterday he thrasht oats for Samll