The Shemwell Family

"To all whom these Presents may come. Know Ye, that whereas I Mary M'Gehe, Wife of Joseph McGehe, of the county of Bute, in the Province of North Carolina, being dissatisfied with my said Husband, and having eloped from his Bed for upwards of eight Months past; in which Time I have been gotten with Child by another Man, other than my said Husband, with which acknowledge to be now pregnant and being fully determined not to live with more during my Life, nor at any Time here after to cohabit with him the said Joseph M'Gehe; and, in Consideration of the said Joseph M'Gehe delivering into my Possession for my Use, one Hundred and Twenty Pounds Value in Effects, Part of his Estate, which I hearby acknowledge to have received, and therewith fully satisfied, in full of the rateable part of his Estate; and in Consequence said Estate being so delivered, I do hereby covenant and agree with him the said Joseph M'Gehe, that I will never at any Time hereafter, directly or indirectly presume to depend on him as my Husband; nor will I ever hereafter ask, demand, look to, or receive from him the said Joseph, any further Monies, Goods, Wares, Chattles or Estate of any Kind whatosever, but from this Day forward look on myself as divorced from him, and no longer his Wife nor dependent on him in any Manner or Form whatsoever,for any further Livelihood of Sustenance of any kind. And the said Joseph, on his part, doth acknowledge and agree, that the said Mary may and shall have the full Use and Occupation of the above mentioned Effects without Hinderance of Molestation of any Kind by him, or any Person claiming by, from, or under him, but that she shall or may use, sell, and dispose of the said Effects as absolutely, to all intents and Purposes, as she could or might do if she was his Wife, nor had never been married. And I do further agree, that I will never hereafter claim the said Mary as my Wife, but that she may from this day forward be at large,and at Liberty to go any Place or Part of the World she pleases, or any Choice; without Hinderance or Molestation. And further, the (blurred) Intent and Meaning of these Present are, that we the said Joseph and Mary, have this Day most solemnly agreed before God and the World, to no longer be Man and Wife,but for ever hereafter be as if we had never been married, nor joined together as Man and Wife but will live seperate without Aid or Assistance of each other, from this Day forward to the End of our Lives. In Witness whereof, we have hereunto set our Hands and Seals, this 29th Day of 1769." Signed and acknowledged in the Presence of Joseph M'Gehe Mary McGehe