Marriage Trust (Wilkins/Grant)

On October 22, 1840, Joseph C. Wilkins, Liberty County, created a trust for his “beloved wife” Mary Elizabeth Wilkins, via her trustee John T. Grant “to set apart a portion of his estate for her sole use and benefit, as well in consideration of the premises and in view of the fact that he has received from Daniel Grant the father of his wife considerable property in consequence of his marriage as also of the sum of one hundred dollars to him in hand paid by the said John T. Grant.” The trust included “the following negro slaves and their future increase, to wit, Peter and his wife Lucy with their children Distillery, John, Penda, Clem, and Nelly, Billy and his wife Hannah with her two children Charlotte and Hazzard; the following negro men, Pollox, Big John, George, Harry, Jerry, Toby and Quash; slave [one word] Dick and his wife Philada and sister Nanny; Caesar and his wife Sarah and their children Stepney, James, Little Dick, and Hannah; Mariah and her sons Boston and Sam and her infant child; Jacob and his wife Bama with their child Isaac; Matilda and her son Joker; Thomas and his wife Diannah with their child Flora, Scylla, Nella, Cate, Grace and her son Edward together with her adopted daughter Clarinda; and Eliza…” The trust also included a 2000-acre tract of land in Liberty County lying near the Midway Church, part of which was known as Midway Swamp and being formerly known as Hall’s Knowl [sic, Hall’s Knoll], bounded east by lands of Robert Quarterman and Thomas Mallard, south by lands of Robert Quarterman, west by lands of estate of Way, and north by Coleman and the estate of Norman. Joseph C. Wilkins described John T. Grant as his brother-in-law. Witnessed by James Hillyer, W.M. Hart, William S. Mitchell Notary Public. Recorded on December 16, 1840, by Edwd [Edward] Way, Clerk.