The commonwealth., 1904-11-26
WEDDINGS AMONG SLAVES.
Chapter on Courtship and Marriage
of Plantation Negroes Be-
fore the War.


: a plantation adjoining; often goiue
from one to six miles to suit his fancy
He would marry In family where the
owners We're regarded as equal with bis
master He was very particular about
the good name Of the white people with
whose servant be would form a matri-
monial alliance 1t was common for
the negro TO take pattern after his white
masters and mistresses In matrimonial
affairs as well as in other things that
pertained to his life, says the Charlotte
Observer.
| courtship was conducted with great
Eaiiantry. Some would terminate In
month. while others would continue for
whole year or more. The engagement
aiter permission was granted TO the
marriage by the owners of both The man
and the woman. was generally not lon
| ger than few weeks. Generally slack
| time In working the crop was selected,
| that they might have q larger holiday,
but otherwise their nuptials were cele-
brated almost any Saturday evening.
| and have Sunday for the regular recep-
tion day. attend church and show out"
The FIRST Sunday after marriage, the
white people, as well as the black, would
Invariably show out" Many persons
who were not in the habit OF going to |
church would attend on show out" day.
II was customary TO give all the ne |
SroeS on the plantation where the girl /
lived q holiday They spent il in clean |
ing up ana preparing the supper. ana /
having everything In readiness for the
momentous OCCASION Late In the after
noon tue bride was dressed In her finest
apparel, and sat waiting the coming of
her expected husband When he arrived !
--already arsssed-he was ushered into
the presence of his intended. and there
awaited the coming of the priest. II was
not quite dark: blocks sawed off about
three feet long, stood on their ends. held
TIE pine torches that gave a bright light
over the yard, The wedding supper was
already arranged on the table--and here
let me say that it would rank with what
was often seen in the houses of the white
folk, Presently a cammotion was noticed
BY the crowd. the officiating priest had
soae, and Immediately the waiting cou- l
pie marched out Of the humble cabin
mo the hallway of the big house.
Here the marriage ceremony would be
performed with all the dignity and
'olemnity the occasion called for. The
'anity Of the officiating parson ALWAYS
induced him to prolong the ceremony.
md 1t was bedecked with some rare
losers Of rhetoric that never failed to
FoEoke a smile among the sable au-
ience.
After congratulations the next move e
TaS supper, Ths supper was given by t
ae master; pig, or mutton, with few u
At hens, constituted the meats. with Il
read and pies and cakes In profusion, CT
na coffee. No wine or liquors of any
.ird would be tolerated When the 5
east was over they would repair to
)1m prepared for dancing The fiddle "
MI the banjo were the only instruments hi
lie negro loved. and such dancing as Il
'iioWed would put to shame the round d
ances OF the present. The Irish Jig was
favorite with the boys, and was in
ulged in to show the activity of the Ic
ANGER. When the small hours of the In
light were come, the party would dis ST
and for the night. The morrow being W
lnday, and great day for the SHOW OF
ut at church, negroes from consid- sa
able distance would attend to do honor
the wedding party and to crafty their Tn
'riosity OF
1t was seldom that a man was per- ~
Tilted to take wife more than five -
lies from his home, when he was given ~
permlt--a pass-to visit her every Sat- ~
day night till Monday morning. and. '"
from sickness, or any other reason, r
was given special permit to visit
II frequently. The children were e,
aimed by their parents to be respect -
and obedient to their parents and g.,
cir owners. 'u
The master had to much at stake not l..
take oversight that they were kept in on
healthy condition. The value OF a new O.
rn healthy child was considered to be a,
O0 Negro babies we're seldom sick ,aa
d but few died. Where the mother an
orked out In the crop, the cradle was wr
iced under the supervision OF soms a.
G VINO remained at the house. or as ma
lave often seen them left, in the care
the mistress. While slavery contin- no
d never heard of the legality of mar m
ge questioned. have known them Mr
lrried by eminent ministers of the .
rious denominations, but most gen. NC
ally by respectable man of their
n color, who was member of tha Z
lrch. They had no authority by law
celebrate a marriage, but common an,
nsent gave 1t legality. All the churches "a
sognized the validity of such mar fou
ses, and ! am sure that It was never vr,
'ught of In any other light. cur
t was an almost unheard-of thing for
iegro to ask for a divorce. In settling
estates sometimes-th though rarely A
sroes had to be sold. but then an ef- nle
would be made to buy the husband her
1 wife, so as not to separate the cou- ar,
. The parties were always consulted lftr
en- one Of them was sold whether the ;s :
er party wished to be sold and 30 off dea
ether The master tried to accom- mi,
date them. In rare instances they tbn
'eared to be perfectly Indifferent. Mic
speaking of the great body of slaves wit
Shareholders in Mecklenburg coun- its
and take it this is fair average, IN
am sure that 80 per cent. OF them Ua,
re closely attached to each other on sur
ount Of the relationship existiny ha. ! 1,