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FIRST GENERATION 1. John Martin was born in 1712. He died on 20 Sep 1798 in York County, South Carolina. He was buried in Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery, Clover, York County, South Carolina. The Martin Family. From the McConnell Book, page 73: The Martins are numerous, and widely distributed throughout the English speaking nations. "John" seems to be the favorite Christian name. I had occasion to examine the United States Census of North Carolina, taken in the year 1790. 1 found that there were thirty-one John Martins in that state, taken in that census. My mother's name was Annabel Martin. She was one of ten children. She was born in the Era of Rooseveltian families. Ten seemed to have been the favorite number. The founder of my mother's family came from Ireland, and settled in Cumberland County, Pa. He was a Presbyterian, and very likely was from Belfast, and a part of that great emigration through - that city from Ulster Province, during the first half of the eighteenth century. I do not know that he was a Scot. He might have been, for the Martins are everywhere. Legend says simply that he was Irish, and by this I understand, that Ireland was his native home. I do not know the Christian name of the founder of this family in America, nor do I know the name of his wife. He had two sons, John and William. William Martin was killed and scalped by the Indians during the, French and Indian War. John married Mary McDowell. Of this union there were born three children, Sarah, James and Josiah Martin. They were occupying a fort some distance from Harrisburg during the early part of this war. John Martin had his family in the fort at that time. He and his brother left the fort for some purpose, leaving his wife and children in the fort. They were attacked by Indians, William was killed, John was made prisoner, taken to the Indian settlements and kept there until the close of the war,-- some two and a half or three years. After the treaty of peace, he was released. While with the Indians, just at what time I am not informed, he was adopted by the head of an Indian family. During all this time, he never heard from his wife and children. 0n his way to the fort after his release, he met his wife and children going to their home. Such was his anguish at this long separation from his wife and children, not know had become of them, that his hair became perfectly white. His reunion with his wife and children must have presented a pathetic scene. I have not any certain information as to what be came of the father of John and William Martin. Much research has been made with the view to ascertain not only his given name but his fate during the French and Indian war. In the History of Cumberland County, Pa., by I. D. Rupp, Lancaster 1846, there is this statement "Killed by French and Western Indians, April 23m 1757 --John Martin and William Blair, near Maxwell Fort, Conochoocheaque." Again, from the same work, "May 12, 1757 - John Martin and Andrew Paul both old men, taken from Conochoocheaque." It was customary in those days to name the first son born, after the father. It is probable that the founder of his family bore the christian name of John or William. In that event the John Martin spoken of by Rupp in the above quotation, may have been the one in question. And more than likely the latter one, as he was an old man. Mary E. Baker, one of tile lineal descendants of Josiah Martin, who has made a great deal of research concerning the Martin family, writes me as follows: "I think I told you one tradition that the two brothers John and William were attacked by Indians, William killed and John made prisoner, --- this during the infancy of my ancestor, Josiah, your ancestors, James and Sarah, being older. He was born in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, about 1756, he says, that is, during the French and Indian War. In examining the Pennsylvania Magazine of history, I found a list of killed and wounded at Paxton, with this entry, "William Martin killed and scalped, October 1st, 1757." Paxton is about thirty miles from Harrisburg on the Dauphin County side of the Susquehanna, just across from Cumberland. Fort Hunter was between Paxton and Harrisburg, about six miles from the latter. Grandmother always said her father 'lived on a big river in Pennsylvania.' The locality suits tradition very well. In studying county histories I found a letter written by the Commander of a fort in that vicinity, I think it was October 3, 1757, in which he tells of being out a day or two before when a shot was fired, and hastening to the spot the body of one William Martin was found. He bad been out hunting chestnuts. The Indians escaped. One tradition is that they had gone together to look after their cabin and goods in the settlement. The reason for being out of the fort may have been mere supposition in either case." The tradition of the killing of William and the imprisonment of John Martin is well established. Miss Baker was the grand-daughter of Marilla Martin Baker, the latter was the daughter of Josiah Martin, the infant son of John Martin at the time these events occurred. Marilla Martin Baker was born in 1799 and lived to be ninety-four years old. Josiah Martin, her father, was born in 1756; his father, John Martin, was living as late, as 1786, which is shown by a deed executed by him and his wife, Mary Martin, at that (late, which is on record in the office of the clerk of the Superior Court of Lincoln County, North Carolina. This old lady lived with her son, Nathan Martin Baker, the father of Mary Ellen, during many of the last years of her life. It fell to the lot of Mary Ellen to take care of her grandmother and hence was thrown in her company a great deal. The old lady retained her memory and mind to a remarkable degree to the end of her life. It was from these conversations, that Miss Baker was able to give me the information contained in her letter as above set forth. Her grandfather, John Martin, who lived to a ripe old age undoubtedly told his grand-daughter many times of the events happening to him and his brother during the French and Indian War. The wonder is that something more was not told concerning the founder of the family in America. Some time after the treaty of Peace in 1763, but not later than 1766, John Martin emigrated from Pennsylvania to North Carolina with his family and settled on the waters of Crowder's Creek in what was then Tryon County. The place where he settled was right under shadow of King's Mountain, near the South Carolina line. In 1778, Tryon County was divided into the counties of Lincoln and Rutherford; and Tryon as a County name ceased to be used. Lincoln County embraced the territory of the waters of Crowder's Creek so that John Martin and family became residents of that county. In 1847, Gaston County was created out of that portion of the territory of Lincoln, which lay next to South Caro-lina; so that Crowder's Creek is now in Gaston County. The records of the old Tryon County as far back as 1769 are now a part of the records of Lincoln County. These records contain various real estate conveyances made by John Martin and his son James and his grandson, William Martin, which will be noticed later on. These conveyances show that John Martin settled there not later than 1766. They also show that lie was still living ill 1786. He executed a deed of that date which is of record in the clerk's office of the Superior Court of Lincoln County. Sarah Martin, the oldest of the three children of John Martin and Mary McDowell Martin, married John Barber. James Martin, the second of John Martin's children, married Sarah Baird. Josiah Martin (sometimes spelled Josias) the youngest of the three children, married Mary McClary. I am the lineal descendant of both Sarah Martin Barber and James Martin. My grandfather and grandmother were first cousins, -- the grandmother being the daughter of Sarah Martin Barber and the grandfather being the son of James Martin and Sarah Baird Martin. This makes it necessary to enter upon quite an extensive genealogical field. It involves the family of John Barber, the family of Sarah Baird, -- in other words, to give my ancestral connections fully, I will have to give the different generations of these families. Josiah Martin was my grandfather's uncle and hence my great great great uncle. The Tomahawk used to scalp William Martin, brother of John, has been handed down from generation to generation in the Martin family. See the pictures below; the inscription on the tag attached to the tomahawk is listed below: "This "TAMAHAWK", which contributed to the death of one of the early settlers (being one of my relatives) has been handed down seven (7) generations approximately 175 years, beginning about the year 1757 when the incident occurred. This weapon is handed down to the oldest son in the family or the oldest daughter if there be no sons, from the preceding holder. I came in possession of the TAMAHAWK from my grandmother Martin in the year 1922 when she passed away. My grandmother Martin's maiden name was a McClain being a second cousin to Rear Admiral McClain of the United States Navy. My father never came in possession of the TAMAHAWK due to my father preceding my grandmother in death a few months. J. F. Martin" (written about 1932 by James Franklin Martin, 1901-1975) The TAMAHAWK is now in the possession of Jack B. Martin of Hazard Kentucky, son of J. F. Martin. See Photos: TAMAHAWK TAMAHAWK - Close-up York Co, SC: MARTIN, JOHN (estate) administrators are Elizabeth Martin, Joseph Palmer and James Martin, 3 Aug 1802; $20,000 bond; Bk. B-141 Mary McDowell (daughter of James McDowell and Mary McPeters) was born in 1724. She died on 17 Jul 1801 in York County, South Carolina. She was buried in Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery, Clover, York County, South Carolina. John Martin and Mary McDowell had the following children: +2 i. Sarah Martin. +3 ii. James Martin. +4 iii. Josiah Martin.