Has anyone come across any information on families that were tenant farmers in the 1830's and 40's? I am looking for information on how the farmers agreements would be made with the land owners, whether they were verbal or written. When looking for a Frederick FRANK in the Middle Paxton tax records, Frederick is listed as a tenant from 1834 to 1837 on the property of John GARMAN est. In 1837 the land is sold to William ETERLINE. From about 1837 to about 1839 Frederick occupies the property of Daniel HAIN and by 1840 occupies the property of John KLIPPLE. I would like to have a better understanding of what it meant to be a tenant farmer. My thoughts are that you may just be helping with the land owners farm work, but then I think you would be considered hired labor. I could also see a land owner who is not farming the land himself would keep the land under cultivation by renting it out. As a tenant listed on the tax records, Frederick Frank owns at least two horses and three cattle. He later moves to Perry county, continuing to be listed as tenant farmer. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. Marcia Fronk

Growing up on a farm in the 1940s and 1950s, tenant farmers in effect rented the land they farmed and went "shares" with the owner of the land. I don't recall the percentage breakdown, but I'm sure it varied a certain amount from lease to lease. People who were hired, were called "hired hands," and they were paid probably a weekly or monthly wage for their work. I would say with confidence that the terms "tenant" and "hired hand" connoted two distinct categories. Dave Salyers dbs11282@eathlink.net ----- Original Message ----- From: "Houston" <houston4@netcarrier.com> To: <PAPERRY-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 5:35 PM Subject: [PA-Perry] Tenant farming in the 1830's and 40's > Has anyone come across any information on families that were tenant farmers in the 1830's and 40's? I am looking for information on how the farmers agreements would be made with the land owners, whether they were verbal or written. > When looking for a Frederick FRANK in the Middle Paxton tax records, Frederick is listed as a tenant from 1834 to 1837 on the property of John GARMAN est. In 1837 the land is sold to William ETERLINE. From about 1837 to about 1839 Frederick occupies the property of Daniel HAIN and by 1840 occupies the property of John KLIPPLE. > I would like to have a better understanding of what it meant to be a tenant farmer. My thoughts are that you may just be helping with the land owners farm work, but then I think you would be considered hired labor. I could also see a land owner who is not farming the land himself would keep the land under cultivation by renting it out. As a tenant listed on the tax records, Frederick Frank owns at least two horses and three cattle. He later moves to Perry county, continuing to be listed as tenant farmer. > > Any thoughts on this would be appreciated. > > Marcia Fronk > > > ============================== > Gain access to over two billion names including the new Immigration > Collection with an Ancestry.com free trial. Click to learn more. > http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=4930&sourceid=1237 >