John G. ELAM to Church at Lombardy Grove 1898 Deed

Mecklenburg County
October 24, 1898

Whereas some years ago, John G. Elam and wife signed, sealed, acknowledged and delivered a deed of gift to the Colored Baptist Church at or near old Lombardy Grove church place, conveying to said Church one acre of land bounded on the east by the Goode Ferry road, on the north by the lands then of H. A. Locket now owned by a Mr. Younger of Halifax County and in the south and west by the lands of the said J.G. Elam and whereas the said deed has been destroyed by fire when the house of Duconey Towler was destroyed without ever having been admitted to record: and whereas the members of said church are desirous of having a deed to said one acre of land upon which they have erected a very comfortable church according to their means. And whereas it appears from an examination of the friends of the Circuit Court of this Mecklenburg County that although the said church in its sovereign capacity may have elected trustees to take charge of and hold the title to the property of said church, the said church has failed to have their action in that matter confirmed and notified by being approved by the circuit court of Mecklenburg County as required by law, yet nevertheless the said John G. Elam from the love of God in his heart and his love of his fellow beings and his desire to promote the interests of the Baptist Church desires so far as in him lies to cure or make good any defect. The said church may have in and to the one acre of land which has been hereinbefore described: Now therefore the said John G. Elam party of the first part and Charles Smith, James Moss, Charlie Baskerville, Willie Taylor, Billie Ezell, trustees who have been named or elected by the said Lombardy Grove Colored Baptist Church of the Bluestone Colored Baptist Association and their successors in office forever parties of the second part witnesseth: that for and in consideration of the love of God and the earnest desire of being helpful to mankind and of helping to build up the Church of God on Earth and of promoting his holy religion as taught and promulgated by the Baptist Churches of the United States and of the further consideration of the sum of one dollar in hand paid the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, the said John G. Elam party of the first part do hereby give, grant, bargain and sell and by these presents doth convey unto the said Charles Smith, James Moss, Charlie Baskerville, Willie Taylor and Billy Ezell, trustees who have been named or elected by the Lombardy Grove Colored Baptist Church of the Bluestone Colored Baptist Association and their successors in office forever the one acre of land from the northeast corner of the tract of land upon which the said J.G. Elam now resides to be cut off in a square so as to include the present house which the said church has erected in said one acre of land. The above conveyance is subject however to the following reservations and restrictions that is to say that the said land and the house that has been or such as may hereafter erected therein shall be used entirely for church purposes such as preaching, prayer meeting, Sunday school and such meetings as has for its aim the improvement of the moral and fraternal condition of mankind such as temperance meeting or meetings of that kind and character and the acceptance and wording of this deed by said trustees shall be considered and accepted by them of these provisions of this deed and any violations of these provisions the said acre of land and all improvements put therein shall revert back to the said J.G. Elam or his heirs. The said J.G. Elam in making this deed expressly stipulates that no meeting of a political character shall be held therein and the holding of any such meeting forfeits at once this deed and the land and improvements therein shall revert back to the said J.G. Elam or his heirs. Witness the following signature and seal this 24th day of October 1898.

John G. Elam

Contributed by Jonathan Taylor 30 Dec 2003