Marriage Contract (Jones/Low)

On May 28, 1783, Mary Jones, widow of Chatham County, and Philip Low, also of Chatham County, entered into a marriage contract, with William West and John Houstoun of Georgia and James Sharp of South Carolina as her trustees. Becauseas Mary Jones was possessed of “an Estate consisting of Lands and Negroes within this state,” put into trust for her were “thirty seven negroe Slaves, named January, April, May, June, August, September, October, November, December, Midway, Jupiter, Phoebus, Sue, Sunday, Monday, Rachael, Raska, Moll, Lucy, Rose, Sandy, Mag, Sunbury, July, Kate, Rinah, Flora, Will, Flora, Mingo, Hannah, Peggy, Caesar, Brutus, Bacchus, Nanny and Lilly,” as well as a 1000-acre plantation known as Rice Hope, in St. John’s Parish in Liberty County. Mary Jones was said to be the widow of John Jones of Liberty County. Inheritance conditions were specified. Witnessed by Mary Senior, Joseph Law.

Appended to the document was a statement that actual physical possession of the plantation was delivered “by Twig and Turf and other requisite forms” by Mrs. Mary Jones to William West, on behalf of the trustees, on May 28, 1783. Possession of the enslaved persons named was also given at the same time. Thomas Bradwell, Joseph Law, and Mary Senior signed the document as witnesses. On February 11, 1791, Joseph Law Senior and Thomas Bradwell appeared before a Justice of the Peace to swear that they saw Mary Jones and Philip Law sign the marriage contract. Recorded in Liberty County Superior Court on February 14, 1791.