Marriage Contract (Ward/McIver)

On February 13, 1812, William Ward, planter of Liberty County, entered into a marriage contract with Miss Euphemia Semor McIver, spinster, with John Stevens, Alexander McIver and James Dunwody as her trustees. William Ward put into trust for her “the following negroes, to wit, Nanny and child Martha, Cate, Sandy, Maria, Nero child, Little Toney, Sambo, Clem and Tamar, Nicholas, Nancy, Saul, George, Little Nancy, Celey [alt: Celie], and the future issue and increase of the female slaves.” 

Ward also put into the trust a 330-acre tract of land in Liberty County that was formerly part of the “estate of McIver.” The estate’s land had been comprised of three adjoining tracts amounting to 722 acres, bounded south and southeast by John Kell’s land, east by land formerly owned by James Anderson, north and north east by lands of Richard Baker and Hargreaves, northwest by Hargreaves, west and southwest by Anderson’s land and Alexander McIver, known as Briery Bay. A division of the land between Euphemia McIver and Alexander McIver had been agreed to on June 26, 1811, and was marked by yellow paint. 

Ward also agreed that any property Euphemia were to come into possession of in the future would also be put into the trust. 

Witnessed by Wm [William] McWhir, Elizabeth Dunwody, Jas. [James] Smith. Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on April 20, 1812. 

Appended to this indenture was one dated March 28, 1812 in which William Ward stated that by marrying Miss. Euphemia Semor McIver, heir of the Est. Mrs. Elizabeth McIver (late Elizabeth Bettis), he had become legal heir to the portion of the estate which she had inherited. He quit-claimed this right to James Smith, who had been Euphemia McIver’s guardian. Witnessed by James Dunwody. Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on April 20, 1812.