Lucy ____ Martin
3
December 1761 (Virginia) – 2 January 1834 (Jessamine Co., KY)
With so many people diving into
family history, without any instruction, many on-line trees are copied and
repeated. That said, every one of us
started as a newbie/fledgling genie at some point. Unfortunately, new researchers, who grab
anything on-line as truth end up tangled in briers.
There are several married
Lucy’s to John Martin’s in Virginia before 1800. So what is fact about this Lucy ___ Martin?
Lucy was born 3 December 1761, as
carved on her gravestone on what in the 1960’s was called the Clyde Hayden
Cemetery on Logana Road in Jessamine County, Kentucky. On-line databases call it Bronaugh Cemetery. I
visited the cemetery and photographed all the stones in the mid 1970’s. I can provide relationship to Lucy to all ten
stones within the small burial plot. George
Bronaugh married her daughter Sarah.
Lucy died 2 January 1834 in Jessamine County.
Lucy resided in Spotsylvania
County, Virginia with her husband, John Martin. They had at least 10 children
between 1780 and 1813. Martin died there in 1813. Four of their children were
still underage when he died and Lucy became their guardian.
Lucy is named as James Hawkin’s
granddaughter in his will in Orange County, Virginia, written 26 February
1786. There are a few other deeds for
James Hawkin’s. Many Hawkins researchers
have suggested he was the son of Nicholas Hawkins but give no further information.
James Hawkins, along with John and Lucy Martin witnessed a deed by Mary Poteet,
wife of John Poteet and mother of John Penny in Spotsylvania County, Virginia
in 1784. (Vol 1, Wm Crozier, 1978 p 378 Mary m---Penny 2 John Skeaths/Skeats…3….)
Lucy, along with the Bronaugh’s and
other family members are in Fayette County, Kentucky, by 1820, while probate
matters are still being settled back in Spotsylvania County, Virginia. A daughter Phebe, died before August of 1824
in Fayette County.
In March,1821 she agreed to
exchange land in Spotsylvania County, Virginia for land in Shelby County,
Kentucky with a George Baggott. (Spotsylvania dbk W-384 & Shelby, KY dbk
S-155) Son, John B. Martin acted as POA and it appears the land was for the
benefit of the younger sons William and Thomas.
I have yet to finalize a title search in Shelby County on how the
property was disposed or when.
By 1823 Lucy Martin appears on the
tax lists of Jessamine where she lives out the reminder of her life. She received several slaves from her
Grandfather Hawkins and several from her marriage with John Martin.
Misconception! On-line trees, as I mentioned in paragraph
one state that John Martin married Lucy TODD.
It is fact that a John Martin did marry a Lucy Todd but this marriage
nor Lucy Todd are the Lucy in Jessamine County, Kentucky. The Martin-Todd marriage took place 5
November 1742 in St. Paul’s Parish which at that time was in King George
County, Virginia. That John Martin
resided in Caroline County, Virginia.
The Lucy ___ Martin of this study was not even born at the time of this
marriage. Remember she is born in
1761. A horrible blunder to attach to
the Spotsylvania John and Lucy Martin. Two separate families. Lucy would be 19 years old when her first son, James H. Martin was born circa 1780.
There
is also a deed in 1780, the year the first son, James H. Martin is born, citing
John Martin and wife. However, the deed leaves the wife’s name blank which can
only leave us to use speculation that this is Lucy. 1780, April 20 John Martin Spotsylvania County and [BLANK]
his wife to James Marye of said county 800 pounds for 100 acres in St. George Parish. No witness.
Yes, Lucy was thirteen years
younger than John Martin and thus he may have had an earlier marriage. However,
his probate records, census count and deed documentation do not mention any
other children before 1780.
Speculation. Even
if the tombstone of Lucy has been repeatedly misread, it is very worn, and she
was closer in age to John Martin, she still could not be the Lucy that married
in 1742.
Confusion. There
is another John Martin - Lucy marriage.
This marriage takes place between John Martin and Lucy Layne August 1779
in Goochland County, Virginia by Rev. Douglas. Thomas Martin witnessed the
marriage. This marriage is closer in
time frame to our subject, but again, is NOT the Lucy of this blog post. Lucy Layne’s father, Jacob, consented to her
marriage to John Martin of Goochland County.
Thanks to the Douglas Registry we also know that John and Lucy Layne
Martin had three daughters baptized in the 1780’s – Judith, Sarah and
Molly. Judith married a Benjamin Duvall
in Goochland in 1816. I have found no
Duvall in any of the documents reviewed for our subject, to date. Our subject’s
daughter also named Sarah was not born until 1789 (married George Bronaugh). The
Bronaugh’s were in Spotsylvania along with our subject.
The Martin’s of Goochland County
are extensive and there have been several early studies of the various John
Martin’s in that county. Much was reported in the now defunct Martin Family Quarterly. During the time frame of 1780-1813 I find
overlaps and variants that lead to the conclusion that this family cannot be in
both counties at the same time. Nor did
I find any interaction with a Hawkins family.
When I began genealogy, I itched to
fill in every blank on the largest pedigree chart I could obtain. The years of have marched by and I learn more
each day. The goal is much more exciting.
It is the story of each individual.
Lucy, granddaughter of James Hawkins, traveled from Virginia to Central
Kentucky with her family, leaving her husband's grave and most likely other family
behind. Seven generations later my roots
are deeply planted in Kentucky. Each
Martin story is colorful.
The day I stood over Lucy __ Martin’s
grave I felt peace. We later visited her
grandson, Wilson Martin’s farm, in Lincoln County. Again, I had that feeling of being at home. It does sadden me
that careless grasping to fill a blank have led many down the wrong path about
who she is. I am sure there are more clue’s and stories to be told. I will not
give up on Lucy nor that stone wall (in central Kentucky we have beautiful
stone fences not brick walls). Please
feel free to email me at deliverancefarm@gmail.com.
