Marriage Contract (Irvine/Darling)

On September 13, 1787, Charles Irvine entered into a marriage contract with Elizabeth Darling, seamstress, daughter of the late Andrew Darling of Sunbury. Her trustees were James Dunwoody, Artemas Baker, John Screven and John Graves, Esquires, all of Georgia. Put into trust for her were “the following Negroes or slaves, good and chattels, that is to say, the Negroes or slaves named Charity, Charlotte, Peggy, Creese, Friday with all their issue and increase,” plus 15 head neat cattle, other livestock and assorted furniture, as well as a 250-acre tract of land in Liberty County bounded on the east by land of Ann Elizabeth Irvine and west by John Goulding. Any other property, real or personal, that might come to her in the future was to be included, except, as agreed between the parties, her share of land on the Crooked River in Camden County that might come to her from her uncle’s estate, as well as his lots in Sunbury and her share of a 5-acre lot near Savannah belonging to her mother’s estate, which was to be used to fulfill her portion of the estate’s debts. They were both to profit from the “labour of the said Negroes or slaves” during the couple’s natural lives, but she was to have the choice of whom to leave them to in her will. Witnessed by Anne Bulloch, K. Powell, J. Powell. 

On March 17, 1788, her trustees acknowledged receipt for her of “the following property left and given her by the last will and testament of her mother Jane Low viz. One Negroe Fellow named Bob one boy named [hard to read] one young wench Rachel and a fellow named Jupiter, falling to her by a marriage settlement made between her said mother and Andrew Darling. Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on October 28, 1788.