Transcribed from handwritten Bethany Baptist Church records by Eddie Mikell, all rights reserved. E-mail mikell@virginia.edu for purchasing information on Lawrence County and Jefferson Davis County publications available on CD and hard copy. Now available on e-bay! (wow, $475 for a church.... Eddie) An obligation or bond of James Mears for building The Bethany Meeting House. MISSISSIPPI STATE LAWRENCE COUNTY Know all men by these presents, that J. James Mears have this day agree with the undersigned trustees to build by the name of Bethany and have bound myself to build said house after the following form viz. A framed house forty-six feet long and thirty feet wide. The sides to be of good hart (heart) pine, one four square, the floor to be well laid, three doors with shutters hung on iron hinges, with one stock lock, thirteen windows hung in like mannter, the weather boards to be put up rough, and to be eight inches wide and five-eights thick, the roof to be of pine hart or chestnut shingles, four inches wide and eighteen inches long, and to show six inches and to be wither ciphered or rounded, the roof to have one foot eve, and to have six girders to run through said house. The lumber to be sound and the work all to be done in workman like manner; which said house, I do bind myself to complete on or before the first day of April next, and I bind myself to complete the same agreeable to the above dimensions and in case of failure, I do agree to forfeit my labour, unless prevented by sickness or some other unavaoidable accident. We, the trustees do agree to pay the said Mears four hundred and seventy dollars for building the aforesaid house when completed, agreeable, to this above dimensions. In witness whereof, we have set our hands this 15th day of November, 1822. Williams Sparks Williams Stamps Richard Sparks Charles Slater Levi Noble Witness by W. F. Eszire Joseph Parkman James Mears, the undertaker, witness by W. F. Eszire, Joseph Parkman On the back of the above instrument is found the following receipt: April the 19th, 1823, Rec. of the Trustees, fifty dollars, James Mears. Then on a separate piece of paper is found the following Rec'd of Wm. Stamps and Levi Noble, the Trustees of the Bethany Meeting House, full payment for said meeting house, pulpit and seats. Given under my hand this 25th day of Dec. 1823. Test Wylie White James Mears.