John Swanson Yarbrough Archives Marriage Records Last Updated on Saturday, 25-Nov-2006 13:37:08 MST

Ouachita Parish, Louisiana - May 21, 1806:  Swanson Yarbrough Witness to a Marriage Contract for John Williams and July or Julia Roy (Roi)
 
 

Marriage Contract from U.Texas Natchez Trace Collection

The following marriage contract is in the Natchez Trace Collection of the
University of Texas.  (It is also in the Louisiana Archives microfilm copy of
that material.)  The document is listed on p.188 of  the  Calendar of the
Natchez Trace Collection . . . 1759-1813, J. Riffel, compiler.
Accession #N 1999-1 as “Ouachita: 21 May 1806 (English & French, 2.)
Cover page, only, utilizes  French.  Spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
are those found in the document.

1806 Marriage Contract – Ouachita Parish, LA – Transcript

Cover Page:

John Williams    50
       &
Julia Roy           50

Contract de Mariage eutre

John Williams et Julia Roy _____ 21 May  /06
Next Page:
“Marriage articles of agreement entered into this twenty-first* day of May in
the year of our Lord One Thousand eight hundred and Six between John
Williams,  Son of Samuel Williams, and Betsy Damerel, Stipulating for himself,
and Miss Julie Roy Daughter of Auguste Roy annd mariannne Moron Stipulating for
herself.  this agreement Witnesses that the parties in the presence and with the
consent of their parents and Friends to wit on the part of the sutur (suitor ?)
Thomas Barlow and James Trulock, and on the part of the future Spouse Charles
Fetin ** and Michel Levillain all inhabitants of this County have voluntarily
agreed to this contract of marriage and the following conventions.

First the parties promis to take each other by naure (nature ?) and Sacrement of
matrimony and to celebrate the Same before whatever Church they think most
proper the first opportunity that may offer or at any time when it Shall be
required by either of them or their parents and friends.

Second until Such Solemization Shall take place the contracting parties hereby
pledge themSelves to act towards each other one all times and in all respects as
becomes them under So Sacred an engagement

Third it is agreed between the parties that no particular Stipulation  Shall be
made exsecting (excepting ?) their property and the Succession in case of the
death of either entirely leaving these matters in the wise provision of the law
of their country in which they have the fullest confidence.

In Confirmation of which the parties have Signed the present before J.P.
Alexandre Breard one of the Justices of the peace for the county of Ouachita the
day and year above written.  _______

The following  names and signatures  or marks (as noted) then follow:

her mark
Julie Roy

his mark
John Williams

Auguste    Roy
Thos. Barlow
M. Levillain
Cls Betin
James Truelock
C.A. Ramie
Swanson Yarbrough
A. Breard JP

* “fifteenth” crossed out – “Twenty-first” written above in text
** note that name of “Fettin” appears in text – name appears to be written by
witness as “Betin”
 
 

Received From Ann Peyton

Subject: Re: Ouachita Parish - Julie Roy and John Williams
Date: 8/23/2005 11:24:43 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]

Renee:

I'm delighted to know that my research has helped.  Feel free to post the marriage contract  on your site.  So far, I have located no Yarbrough's  in my family. I am a descendant of that marriage of John Williams and Julie Roi (Roy)  through their daughter Mariah's (also listed in some records as Maria)  1st marriage.   Mariah's dates are 1816-1894.   She married   Lorenzo Addison Griffing who died in March of 1839.  ( Their son, John Williams Griffing - my great-great grandfather- was killed during the siege of Vicksburg.)

She then married a cousin, T.J. Stewart and continued to live in what became Union Parish.  (Union was originally a part of Ouachita Parish.)  Julie or Julia's father/ family had been in the Monroe area for some years by that time.  Her older sister married twice -  look at any materials about Louise Lamy and maybe you will find another connection.

I was alerted several years prior to the record becoming available by Dr. Williams who has done extensive research on that area of a family story that the University of Texas - Austin had the contract.  Louisiana finally paid the University of Texas to microfilm and make an inventory of several boxes of  so-called "Natchez Trace" materials in honor of the celebration of the Louisiana Purchase.  I am delighted that the names on the contract helped someone else -- I hoped it would.  Perhaps your ancestor is listed in other works  in the volume of Natchez Trace records that I noted as a source for the contract.

Dr. Williams has published 2 of a proposed  3 volume set  of a text entitled Founding Families of the Ouachita Valley.  Unfortunately, he has not gotten to the end of the alphabet.

Incidentally,  I checked the 1790 census of the fort where Monroe is  now located.  No "Yarbrough" appears.  The John Williams noted in the contract was also born in NC.

Ann Peyton

Renee's Notes: Union Parish, Louisiana was carved from Ouachita Parish in 1839.  Monroe, Louisiana (originally Ft. Miro and sometimes referred to as Ft. Monroe) is in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana.  Both Present Ouachita and Union Parishes border the state of Arkansas.
See the Louisiana County Formation Maps