Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 8.djvu/107

 TTie Wedding in Ye Days Lang Syne.

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��before many witnesses, that she was in no way in possession of her former husband's estate of whatever kind soever neither possession or reversion." An excellent Deacon married an elderly

matron, Dorothea, and before the

Justice of Peace "Ye s^ Dorothea de- clared she was free from using any of her former husband's estate, and so ye s*^ Nathaniel [the Deacon] received her." The following declarations are not without interest. " Ye sd John B — declared before marriage that he took ye sd Hannah naked and had clothed her &, that he took her then in his own clothes separate from any interest of her former husbands." Again a groom declares : " And he takes her as naked and destitute, not having nor in no ways holding any part of her for- mer husband's estate whatever." We have also the declaration of a widower on marrying a widow in 1702, who had property in her own name, probably gained by will, " that he did renounce meddling with her estate." These dec- larations evidence that the widow relin- quished, and that the groom received her without the least design upon the estate. It has been intimated that in a few instances these declarations became a " sign," but we can hardly credit it. The " rich " widow was taken out of the matrimonial problem.

The following affidavit is spread on the town records of Amesbury :

" Whereas Thomas Challis of Amesbury in ye County of Essex in ye Province of ye Massachsetts Bay in New Eng- land, and Sarah Weed, daughter of George Weed in ye same Town, County and Province, have declared their inten- tion of taking each other in marriage before several public meetings of ye people called Quakers in Hampton and Amesbury, and according to yt good order used amongst them whose pro- ceeding therein after a deUberate con-

��sideration thereof with regard to ye righteous law of God and example of his people recorded in ye holy Script- ures of truth in that case, and by en- quiry they appeared clear of all others relating to marriage and having consent of parties and relations concerned were approved by said meeting.

Now these certify whom it may con- cern yt for ye full accomplishment of their intention, this twenty-second day of September being ye year according to our account 1727, then they the s'^ Thom= Challis and Sarah Weed appeared in a public assembly of ye afores^ peo- ple and others met together for that purpose at their public meeting-house in Amesbury afores'^ and then and there he ye s^ Thom^ Challis standing up in ye s'd assembly taking ye s'l Sarah Weed by ye hand did solemnly declare as followeth :

Friends in ye fear of God and in ye presence of this assembly whom I de- clare to bear witness, that I take this my Friend Sarah Weed to be my wife prom- ising by ye Lord's assistance to be unto her a kind and loving husband till death, or to this effect ; and then and there in ye s^ assembly she ye said Sarah ^Veed did in like manner declare as follweth : Friends in ye fear of God and presence of this assembly whom I declare to bear witness that I take this my Friend Thom^ Challis to be my husband prom- ising to be unto him a faithful and lov- ing wife till death separate us, or words of ye same effect. And ye s'^ Thom* Challis and Sarah Weed, as a further confirmation thereof did then and there to these presents set their hands, she assuming ye name of her husband. And we whose names are hereto sub- scribed being present amongst others at their solemnizing Subscription in manner afores'^ have hereto set our names as witness."

Then follow the names of groom and bride, relatives on either side, and then the names of members in the assembly^ first the " menfolks," then the " women- folks." The names all told are forty- one. Among them is that of Joseph

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