Compiled by Teresa Martin Klaiber 2020
Tree
after tree after tree repeat that Jane, wife of Henry Martin (1681-1748) is the
sister of Anthony Samuels. It is
repeated on Ancestry, MyHeritage, FamilySearch and the IGI.
I
worked closely for many years with the late Kay Roberts Martin. She was astute and created the FTDNA Martin
project. She also steered me to the
correct Samuel heritage within the Martin family. I miss her.
It was one of those wonderful serendipity moments, that after long
correspondence, we ended up at the same conference in Berea, Kentucky many
years ago. The conference had nothing to
do with our Martin ancestors but yet there we stood, with both of us laughing
and hugging as my red headed cousin (her husband, Roger Martin) looked on
baffled. I will never forget that
moment. She “married in” but was truly
a part of our Martin network.
The
trouble started with the discovery of Anthony Samuel’s will recorded in St.
George’s Parish, Spotsylvania County, Virginia 3 April 1744. It is truly a wonderful document which cites
father James Samuel Sr. along with other family members including “my sister's two children John Martin and Mary Martin”.
Please note that nowhere in that document does
Anthony give his sister’s name. Only that he has a niece Mary and nephew John
Martin. People jumped to the conclusion
that this had to be Jane the wife of Henry Martin and mother of John Martin who
died between July 1747 and December 1748 in St. George’s Parish.
Henry Martin (1681-1748) had five known
siblings (Isaac, John Jr., Mary, Benjamin & Elizabeth). Brother John Martin Jr. first appears on the
tax rolls of Essex County, British America in 1715. He had property on the north side of
Beverly’s Run adjacent to brother Isaac Martin in the 1720’s.[i][ii] The property is recorded in King & Queen
County.
John Martin, brother to Henry died early, as
did Henry’s son John who died between
July 1747 and Dec 1748 in St. George Parish, Spotsylvania County. John Martin, brother of Henry, death occurred
between 19 January 1740 and 16 June 1744 in Essex County. In his will he cites his wife Mary, children
John and Mary, William, George, Sarah and James.
With names and dates so close it is easy to
make mistakes.
James Samuel the father of Anthony Samuel, and Mary
MARTIN (wife of John Martin Jr. (1693-1740/41) died in St. Anns Parish,
Essex and left a will 16 May 1759. He is
a contemporary of Jane Martin wife of Henry Martin. James Samuel was born circa 1690 and Jane
Martin about 1685.
Mary Samuel Martin left her probate March
1785, also in Essex County. Her son John Martin (yep another John) was
administrator. Mary Samuel Martin’s
estate was divided after expenses between son John, James, George and a
daughter then married to Ralph Farmer. Mary
married John Martin who was approximately 16 years her senior.
Henry Martin, son of John and Mary Johnson
Martin, brother-in-law of Mary Samuel Martin, was taxed in 1715 in Essex
County, British America. His first lands
were in St. Anne’s Parish at Beverley Park[iii]. He had lands along the
Po River in Spotsylvania County[iv]. The first mention of
Jane as his wife is in June 1726 when he sold land to a William Roane[v]. When Henry died and wrote his will in
Spotsylvania County 19 April 1748 he left his estate to Jane during her natural
life except for 100 acres to beloved grandson John Martin son of John Martin
deceased. He then spells out bequeaths
that are to be made after the death of wife Jane.
From documentation we know that Jane was alive
in August 1749. She is not mentioned
again. Son Benjamin sells properties that involved his father’s estate
beginning in 1754. If Jane was still living
she would have been in her late 70’s.
To date there is no indication of the surname
or family of Jane, wife/widow of Henry Martin, though speculation and repeated
online information cite her as a Samuell/Samuel. If she was a sister of Anthony and Mary Samuel,
Jane was not cited in Anthony Samuel’s 1744, in any document of Anthony Samuel who
died in 1731,l nor in the will of James Samuel later in 1759.
Women have often felt like they their identity
is lost when they “marry in.” While
Colonial Virginia was required to register marriages in church parish records,
the records of St. George, St. Anne’s and surrounding parishes are missing. I wrote about John Martin 1748-1813 wife Lucy (granddaughter
of James Hawkins) and the mistakes that have been made concerning her maiden
name in May 2017.
I am already seeing zealous descendants
repeating a deed citing a John Martyn/Martin as the son of John Martin (wife
Mary Johnson) without reading all the documentation. The wife of that John Martin signs as
Margaret not Mary[vi]. Further study indicates that John Martin with
wife Margaret is either a Dayne or Dutchman.
Our Martin DNA does not appear to support that[vii] nor does Margaret appear
to be the same person as Mary Johnson Martin.
Peter Johnson freed his own son-in-law from his indenture or servitude.[viii] There is a third Martin, in the correct time
frame, in Rappahannock that was also in servitude: Henry Martin, son of Henry
Martin of St. Andrew’s, Middlesex, England brought over by John Withey and
given to his son August Withey. Henry is
another common given name in our line and needs further review.
I do miss Kay Roberts Martin, who “married in”
and adopted the Martin’s as her own, who taught me to question every tiny
needle in that haystack and was on the cutting edge of DNA for genealogy in its
infancy. Kudos to all that look at every piece and try not to put the round
piece in a square hole.
[i] "John
Martin of Essex Co., Virginia Near Beverly Run," Martin Family
Quarterly, Vol XIII, # 3 (Nov 1986): Page 143.
[ii] Virginia
Colonial Land Office Grants. Library of Virginia Archives.
[iii] "John
Martin of Essex Co., Virginia Near Beverly Run," Martin Family
Quarterly, Vol XIII, # 3 (Nov 1986): Page 175.
[iv] James Roger
Mansfield, A History of Early Spotsylvania (Orange, Virginia: Green
Publishers, 1977), .
[v] Mason Polly
Cary, Gloucester Records From Other Virginia Counties (N.p.: Clearfield
Press, n.d.), page 107
[vi]
Virginia, Rappahannock. Dbk 7 p 408-9; dkb 8 p 4-5.
Writ 25 7ber [Sept.] 1668. Jury find that Jno. Martyn was at the tyme of his
death seized of 268 acres in
Rappa. County by patt. 26 June 1667, also that Jno. Martyn was an alien, a
Dutchman or Dayne by birth, and
therefore find the land escheat.
[viii]
Virginia, Rappahannock, film 007645186 section 2 p 17
