Marriage license for Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from Talbot County, Georgia
date: label: Date
content: 1866
name: label: Printed by
content: West Georgia Gazette
label: Subject of
content: Gaston Hall
label: Subject of
content: Dido Howard
label: Subject of
content: Stephen Grimes, American
label: Subject of
content: Marion Bethune
notes: label: Caption
content: The following objects in the Acacia Collection provide a powerful tangible connection to the African American experience and the story of the development of the nation. The collection features objects made by, owned by, used by and in some instances cherished by members of the community of enslaved African Americans and free people of color. From indigo dyed coverlets, to intricately designed quilts, from early instances of traditional basketry to the craftsmanship of Edgefield potters, and from the investment in slavery with Confederate bonds to the telling documents related to the slave trade, all are important pieces in telling the story of Slavery and Freedom in the nation.
label: Description
content: This is a marriage license between Gaston Hall and Dido Howard from 1866. It consists of a rectangular piece of paper with both pre-printed and handwritten text. Across the top margin is pre-printed text “Georgia” followed by a blank space with handwritten text “Talbot” and pre-printed text “County.” Further down the page pre-printed text reads “You are Hereby Authorized/ to Join” and in handwritten text “Gaston Hall (freedman and /Dido Howard (freedwoman).” This is followed by pre-printed text “In the Holy State of / MATRIMONY/ According to the Constitution and Laws of this State, and for which this shall be your/ sufficient License./ Given under my hand and Seal, this 18 [handwritten] day of Dec [handwritten] 1866 [handwritten]/ Marion Bethune [handwritten] Ordinary.” Two narrow horizontal lines divide the page into a separate section with pre-printed text and faded handwritten text. It reads “Georgia, [blank] County,/ I do hereby certify, that Gaston Hall (freedman)[handwritten]/ and Dido Howard (freedwoman) [handwritten] were duly joined in Matrimony, by me, this 22 [handwritten] day of December [handwritten] 1866 [handwritten]/ Stephen Grimes, J.P. [handwritten].” The license is outlined by a decorative pre-printed paisley border. There is a handwritten note on the reverse side on the upper right margin “[Gaston Hall/ Dido Howard].” There are numerous small smudge marks throughout the front page of the document.
place: label: Place used
content: Georgia, United States, North and Central America
label: Place collected
content: United States, North and Central America
topic: label: Topic
content: African American
label: Topic
content: American South
label: Topic
content: Emancipation
label: Topic
content: Families
label: Topic
content: Government
label: Topic
content: Marriage customs and rites
label: Topic
content: Reconstruction, U.S. History, 1865-1877
label: Topic
content: Slavery
setName: label: See more items in
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection
label: Classification
content: Slavery and Freedom Objects
label: Classification
content: Documents and Manuscripts
label: Exhibition
content: Slavery and Freedom
label: On View
content: NMAAHC (1400 Constitution Ave NW), National Mall Location, Concourse 3, C3 053
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of African American History and Culture
identifier: label: Object number
content: 2017.108.10.1
objectType: label: Type
content: marriage licenses
objectRights: label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Public domain
label: Restrictions & Rights
content: Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
physicalDescription: label: Medium
content: ink on paper (fiber product)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W (2017.108.10.1 doc): 10 9/16 × 8 5/16 in. (26.8 × 21.1 cm)
label: Dimensions
content: H x W x D (2017.108.10.1 overall): 20 × 16 × 7/16 in. (50.8 × 40.6 × 1.1 cm)