Marriage Bond~George Michael Murr and Eadie/Esther Earnhart

 Transcription of a Marriage Bond

George Michael Moor/Murr and Eadie Earnhart

14 January 1789

 

Document	Marriage bond payable to Samuel Johnston, Governor (North Carolina)
Date	14 January 1789
Groom	Geo. Michl. (George Michael) Moor
Bride	Eadie Earnhart (first name uncertain; see notes)
Penalty	Five hundred pounds
Witness	J. Alexander
Source	Image supplied by researcher; county and repository citation to be added

Courtesy of Marie Hamilton Morganroth

Line for line, original spelling, abbreviations and capitalization retained. The two passages highlighted on the original image (the names of the parties and the date) are in bold.

We acknowledge ourselves indebted to Saml. Johnston Esqr.

Govr. & his successors in office in the sum of five

hundred pounds void on condition no legal

objections appear to a marriage to be celebrated

between Geo. Michl. Moor & Eadie Earnhart

otherwise to be of full force & virtue as witness

our hands & seals 14th Janry. 1789.

Geo Michael Moor [seal]

Test. J. Alexander

Christian Shrote

Modern Reading

We acknowledge ourselves indebted to Samuel Johnston, Esquire, Governor, and his successors in office, in the sum of five hundred pounds, void on condition that no legal objections appear to a marriage to be celebrated between George Michael Moor and Eadie Earnhart; otherwise to be of full force and virtue. As witness our hands and seals, 14th January 1789.

Notes on Uncertain Readings

• Surname "Moor": the final letters could also be read as "Moon" or "Murr." Compare with other Moor/Moore/Moser spellings in the county.

• Bride’s given name: read as "Eadie," but the opening letters could be "Eas-" or an abbreviated or looped "Esther." This is the least certain word on the page; verify against other records before relying on it.

• Witness "J. Alexander": the first initial is a flourish and could be "H." or "T." The surname is reasonably clear.

• Second signature, lower right: read as "Christian Shro…"; the ending is lost in the flourish and the paper edge. Possibly Shroat, Shrote or a similar spelling.

• Seal: the curled mark to the right of the groom’s signature appears to be a drawn seal; the "Seal" label is partly obscured.

Historical Context

Samuel Johnston was Governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789, which fits the date of this bond. It is a standard North Carolina marriage bond: the groom and a bondsman pledged the penalty sum, which was forfeited only if a legal impediment to the marriage was later shown.

 

Prepared by Charles Purvis using Claude Sonnett 5.5 Medium.  CPurvis1@gmail.com

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1. Marriage Bond Image Courtesy of Marie Hamilton Morganroth. 

 

Transcribed 20 October 2026. Readings marked uncertain should be checked against the original.