Enslaved People Named: John, Sally, Richard, Ellick, Chloe, Vicy, Ben, Ralph, Polly, Quamina, Nancy, Henry, Adam, Mary, Jupiter, Tamar, Doctor, Isaac, Friday, Lewey, Anna, Tabby, Mitchel, July, Lucy, old Harry, Anny [alt: Annie], Sylvia, Lisa, little Tamar, Lucy, Cumbah, Patty, Edward, Agrippa, Kate, Adam, Suckey, Phoebe, Grace, Eliza, Amos, Brister, Frederick, ? Rufa ?, Cilla, Charles, Caroline, Troup, old Sally, little Sally, old Suckey, Sue, Suckey, Clarinda, Cornelia, Clara, Dennis, Betsey, Betty, Dick, Phil, Suckey, London, Edward
On October 2, 1835, Joseph T. Simmons and his wife Mary R. Simmons, previously Mary R. Shrine, of Washington County, entered into a marriage settlement creating a trust for her with her trustees, William Morel and Bryan Morel, of Chatham County, Nathaniel F. Harris, M.D., Washington County, and Charles J. Jenkins, Richmond County.
Mary R. Simmons had previously been entitled to a “large estate, both real and personal,” which came from several sources:
–her mother, the late Ann Rutherford, previously Ann Morel.
–property left her mother by her [Mary’s] maternal grandfather, the late John Morel of Chatham County, who had left property to his daughters.
—1/5 of her late husband, William A. Shrine’s estate
Mary inherited her mother’s property after she had already married William A. Shrine, as her mother’s only child. On November 27, 1823, William A. Shrine and Mary had entered into a marriage settlement via her trustees, Thomas N. Morel, John Morel, William Morel, Dr. Robert Coleman, and John G. Rutherford, putting all her property, both present and future, into trust for her and to be inherited by her children. Mary had four children from her former husband, William A. Shrine, and they were still living: Alfred, John, Charles and Eugenia.
Since by virtue of their marriage Joseph T. Simmons had become possessed of Mary’s property, he created this trust to turn the property back over to her.
Put into the current trust for Mary R. Simmons were several tracts of land on Ossabaw Island, having previously belonged to the late John Morel, described as lots 5, 6, 7 and part of lot 8. [NOTE: More details about the land were given.] There were also small parcels of land on Ossabaw Island, called Cabbage Garden Hammock, Bradley’s Hammock, Horse Hammock, and Braddock’s camp.
In addition, Joseph T. Simmons put into the trust for his wife: “the following negro slaves, to wit, John, Sally, Richard, Ellick, Chloe, Vicy, Ben, Ralph, Polly, Quamina, Nancy, Henry, Adam, Mary, Jupiter, Tamar, Doctor, Isaac, Friday, Lewey, Anna, Tabby, Mitchel, July, Lucy, old Harry, Anny [alt: Annie], Sylvia, Lisa, little Tamar, Lucy, Cumbah, Patty, Edward, Agrippa, Kate, Adam, Suckey, Phoebe, Grace, Eliza, Amos, Brister, Frederick, ? Rufa ?, Cilla, Charles, Caroline, Troup, old Sally, little Sally, old Suckey, Sue, Suckey, Clarinda, Cornelia, Clara, Dennis, Betsey, Betty, which are all the negroes and their increase set apart and divided from the estate of the said John Morel, deceased, by the partitioners thereof, as the part, share and portion of the said Nathaniel Green Rutherford and Ann his wife together with the future issue and increase of the above mentioned female slaves and also such equitable interest be the same more or less which the said Mary R may have in and to said property real and personal by reason of the aforesaid undertaking and agreement of the said William A Shrine.”
Joseph put into the trust “all that undivided fifth part or portion of the estate both real and personal (whether consisting of lands, tenements, negroes, credits or any other things whatsoever) of William A. Shrine late of said county deceased, to which the said Mary R. is or was at the time of her last marriage entitled, and which may hereafter be divided, allotted and set apart to her as her share…and also the following negro slaves, which have already been divided allotted and set apart to the said Mary R. As her share or portion of the negroes whereof her said late husband William A. died possessed to wit Dick, Phil, Suckey, London and Edward and the future issue and increase of the said female Suckey.”
The trust was to be maintained for the mutual support of Joseph T. and Mary R. Simmons during their lives together. If he survived her, then the trust would be used for their surviving children, whether by her first husband or Joseph. At her death, his interest in the trust was to convey to her children. If Mary were to survive all her children, then all the property in the trust would be disposed of by her will.
Property in the trust could be sold or otherwise disposed of, and new property added to it, upon request by Joseph and Mary to the trustees.
Recorded in Bryan County Superior Court on November 4, 1837.
Bryan County, Georgia, Deeds & Mortgages, v. E-G 1830-1853, Book E (1830-40), page 263-270; digitized microfilm accessed through catalog, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4K-VSGF-K : 25 Jul 2024), image 151-155 of 682; microfilm #007899047, citing original records of Bryan County Superior Court.