The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-01-26
FORM OF NEGRO MARRIAGE.
Cape Elizabeth tMe., Sentinel.

Cape Elizabeth tMe.l Sentinel.
 The form of negro marriage formerly used in Massachusetts One of the most accomplished historical scholars in the country. Mr. Widgate Thorn on o. Boston, has recently discoverd the form of negro marriage prepared ana used by Rev. Samuel Phillips Of Andover. Mass, whose ministry there, beginning in I7Io and ending with his death in I7-I, was a prolonged and eminently distinguished service of more than half of the eighteenth century. His immediate successor was Rev. Johnathan French (I772 Isoo). in the family of whose son. Mir. Thornton found the document at North Hampton, N. H., on the 3rst of December. 1868. is copied exactly from the original
 AfoRAl tok \ NEGRO MARRIAGE
 You {: : do now, in ye Presence of God and these Witnesses, Take K: to be your Wife:
 Promising. that so far as shall be con- sistent with ye Relation which you now Sustain, as a Servant, ye will Perform ye Part of an Husband towards her: And ln Particular, you Promise, that you will Love her: And that. as you shall have ye Oppsrity X Ability you will take proper Care of her in Sickness aud Health in Prosperity X Adversi,y
 And that you will be True K Faithful to her. and will Cleave to her only SD long as God, in his Providence shall con tnue your and her Abode Tn such Place tor Places as that you Can conveniently come toge,her:-Do You thus Promise ::
 You K. do now, in ye Presence of God, and these Witnesses: Take 5: to be your Husband
 Promising. tha, so far as your Present Relation, as a Servant, shall admit, you will Perform the Part of wife towards him: And in particular.
 You Promise, that you will love him And that, as you shall have the Oppority X Ability. you wlfl take proper Care of hlm in Sickness and Health: in Prosperity X Adversl;y:
 And that you will be True X Faithful to him. and viii Cleave to him only So long as God, in his Providence shall con- tinue his and your Abode in Such Place or Places as that you can conveniently come together: Do You thus Promise:
 then, agreeable to your Request and with ye Consent of your Masters and MistIesses, do declare. that you have Ll- cense given you 10 be conversant and h. miliar together, as Husband and wife so long IS Cod shall continue your Places of Abode as aforesaid: And 50 long as you Shall behave yourselves as Il becom- eth Servants 10 doe:
 For. you must, both of you. bear in mlnd, tha, Remain Sall, as really and truly as ever, your Masters Property, and therefore |, will be justly expected both oy God and Man. that you behave and conduct yourselves as Obedient and faithful Servants towards your respective Masters X Mlsiresses for the Time being:
 And finally, exhort & Charge you to beware lest you give place to the Devil, so as to take Occasion from the License now gwen you, io be lifted up with lflde not ot Man only but oi God also tor Il Is written that God resisteth the Proud. put he gIveth Grace io the humble
 shall now conclude with Prayer fo, you. that may become good Christians. and that you may be enabled To conduct as such and ln particer, that you may have grace to behave suitably toward each other. as also toward your Master and Mstresses. Not with Eye Service, as Men lleaseTs. but as ye Ser,,s of Chrt. doing ye Will of C d from ye heart, &c.
 ENDoRSEpl NEGRO MARRiADE.
 Thus the mutual pledges of these poor creatures were formally in terms made subordinate 10 their relations as slaves their personal tidel,ty to each other to depend on their respective places of res ldence tor the time being and their matrimonial privilege. or. "l license to be conversani and familiar together, as Husband and wife. was to continue as long as they lived Tn the same neighbor- hood and during good behavior oth these conditions were of course deter mined by the owners.