George Martin (1618 - bef. 1686)

Born 1618 in England

Husband of Hannah (Unknown) Martin — married before 1644 (to before 1646) in Salisbury, Norfolk, Massachusetts Bay Colony [uncertain]

Husband of Susannah (North) Martin — married 11 Aug 1646 in Salisbury, Essex, Massachusetts Bay Colony

Descendants

Died before 23 Nov 1686 before age 68 in Salisbury, Essex County, Massachusetts Bay Colony

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George Martin migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Directory, by R. C. Anderson, p. 221) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

George Martin was born about 1618 by his own deposition.^[1] And, according to Maj. Robert Pike, “George had come over as a servant to Samuel Winsley about the time that Salisbury was first settled”^[2][3][4] …in 1638,^[5] and he bought land in Salisbury about 1643.^[3] He also received land in Amesbury in 1640.

By 1644, he married first Hannah (Unknown) in Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. ^[6]

Child of George Martin and Hannah (Unknown)

1. Hannah Martin b. 1 Feb 1643/4, Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony^[7]

On 11 Aug 1646, he married second, Susanna North in Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony.^[8][6]

Children of George Martin and Susannah North

All born in Salisbury, Massachusetts Bay Colony. ^[7]

1. Richard Martin, b, 29 Jun 1647; m. Mary Hoyt, aft. 15 Mar 1670; d. abt. 11 Mar 1729, Amesbury
2. George Martin b. 21 Oct 1648; d. bef. 19 Jan 1684
3. John Martin, b. 26 Jan 1651; m. Mary Weed, 1675; d. 6 Oct 1693, Amesbury
4. Hester Martyn, b. 7 Apr 1653; m. John Jameson, 15 Mar 1669, Amesbury; d. 1695, Amesbury
5. Jane Martin, b. 2 Nov 1656; m. Samuel Hadley, 11 Aug 1676, Amesbury; d. aft. 24 Feb 1704, Amesbury
6. Abigail Martin, b. 10 Sep 1659, m. James Hadlock, 3 Dec 1679, Salem; d. 2 Jul 1716, Amesbury
7. William Martin, b. 11 Dec 1662; m. Mary Stone, 1697, Amesbury
8. Samuel Martyn, b. 29 Sep 1667; d. bef. 1684 in Amesbury

Various sources describe him as a blacksmith, land surveyor, and a frequent buyer and seller of land in Amesbury and Salisbury.^[2][9][3] He took oath of fidelity in 1646.^[2]

Robert Pike Petition Controversy

The controversy originated as a protest in several towns over General Court punishment of Robert Pike for his outspoken criticism of Quaker Persecutions. In 1673, "George Martin of Salisbury, Massachusetts, was one of 15 out of 47 from 5 Towns who signed a petition to the General Court in 1653 to revoke the sentence against Lieutenant Robert Pike."^[10] It later became a contest between the authority of the General Court vs. the right of a British subject to petition the Court. The General Court confirmed its authority by reaffirming Pike’s original fine and also assessing fines to those settlers who refused to withdraw their petition signatures. George Martin was one of the few who defiantly refused to recant.

Court Appearances

Although George and Susannah were frequently involved with the Essex County Court as early as 1647, more serious troubles began after the birth of their last child:

1. 1669, William Sargent, Jr. accused Susannah of witchcraft. In response, George Martin sued him for slander, adding two counts for saying, (1) Susannah killed her newborn infant, and (2) Martin’s son was a bastard and the other an imp.^[11] While a later court dismissed the witchcraft charge, it found Sargent guilty of unproven accusations of " fornication and infanticide.” The court awarded George and Susannah "a white wampam peague or the eighth part of a penny damage.”^[12]
2. Later in 1669, Susannah lost on a charge by Christopher Bartlett that she called him a liar and a thief.^[13]
3. More seriously and still in1669, their son Richard was sentenced to be whipped “for abusing his father,” involving an axe.^[14]
4. In 1671, George, Susannah, and her sister. Mary Jones, engaged in lengthy litigation over the estate of their father, Richard North, and, by 1674, their inheritance was lost when the court found against them.^[15]

He died before 23 Nov 1686.^[16] Will dates are shown as 19 Jan 1683/4 and probated on 23 Nov 1686.^{[3][2][17][18]}

Witchcraft Execution of His Widow

On 29 Jun 1692, his widow, Susannah North, was found guilty of witchcraft during the Salem Witchcraft Trials and executed 19 Jul 1692.^[19] (See her profile for more information.)

Research Notes

Disputed Parents: Some online trees claim he was the son of Christopher Martin and Mary Unknown or George Morton and Juliana Carpenter There is no evidence for either set of parents.

Origins Unknown: George Martin's parents and origins are unknown according to the Great Migration Directory by Robert Charles Anderson, published in 2015.“Martin, George: Unknown; 1639; Salisbury, Amesbury [SJC Case #3231; TAG 56:155-59, 58:193-204, 59:11-22].”^[20]

Unrelated to other New England families; first wife not Hannah Green: According to a series of articles in The American Genealogist, there is no reason to believe he is related to any other family of the same name in New England. The same series of articles in TAG (56:155-59; 58:193-204; 59:11-22) also conclude that the maiden name of his first wife Hannah was not Green. It is currently unknown.^[21]

Sources

1. ↑ The American Genealogist. New Haven, CT: D. L. Jacobus, 1937-. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2009 - .) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB283/i/12608/193/0
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3} The pioneers of Massachusetts, a DESCRIPTIVE LIST, drawn from records of the Colonies, towns and churches and other contemporaneous documents : Pope, charles Henry, 1841-1918 : Free Download, borrow, and streaming. (1970, January 01). Retrieved February 09, 2021, from https://archive.org/details/pioneersofmassac00pope/page/303/mode/1up?q=George%2BMartin
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} Hoyt, David Webster. The old families of Salisbury AND Amesbury, Massachusetts ; with some related families OF NEWBURY, HAVERHILL, Ipswich and Hampton. (n.d.). Retrieved February 09, 2021, from https://archive.org/stream/cu31924025963772#page/n254/mode/1up/search/George+Martin
4. ↑ Greene, David L. "Salem Witches III: Susanna Martin," The American Genealogist, v. 58, 1982, no. 4, pages 193-204.
5. ↑ Wikipedia: Salisbury, Massachusetts
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} New England Marriages to 1700. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB1568/i/21175/1004/426895727
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} TAG 59:203-204
8. ↑ Vital records of SALISBURY, Massachusetts, to the end of the year 1849 : Salisbury (Mass.) : Free Download, borrow, and streaming. (1970, January 01). Retrieved February 09, 2021, from https://archive.org/details/vitalrecordsofsa00sali/page/439/mode/1up?q=Martyn
9. ↑ Great Migration 1634-1635, A-B. (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume 1, A-B, by Robert Charles Anderson, George F. Sanborn, Jr., and Melinde Lutz Sanborn. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 1999. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB114/i/7051/377/235168278
10. ↑ The Essex Antiquarian : Sidney PERLEY : Free Download, borrow, and streaming. (1970, January 01). Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://archive.org/details/essexantiquaria02perlgoog/page/n119/mode/2up
11. ↑ “Imp.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, February 10, 2020. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imp.
12. ↑ “Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts : Essex County (Mass.). Quarterly Courts : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/recordsfilesofqu04esse/page/129/mode/1up.
13. ↑ “Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts : Essex County (Mass.). Quarterly Courts : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/recordsfilesofqu04esse/page/184/mode/1up/search/Martyn.
14. ↑ “Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts : Essex County (Mass.). Quarterly Courts : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/recordsfilesofqu04esse/page/186/mode/1up.
15. ↑ “Records and Files of the Quarterly Courts of Essex County, Massachusetts : Essex County (Mass.). Quarterly Courts : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming.” Internet Archive. Salem, Mass. : Essex Institute, January 1, 1970. https://archive.org/details/recordsfilesofqu05esse/page/297/mode/1up.
16. ↑ History of AMESBURY : MERRILL, Joseph. [FROM old Catalog] : Free Download, borrow, and streaming. (1880, January 01). Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://archive.org/details/historyofamesbur00merr/page/112/mode/1up?q=Martin
17. ↑ Estate of George Martin of Amesbury, Essex Probate Docket # 17890. Probate Records of Essex. Archived at Internet Archive.
18. ↑ Massachusetts, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1635-1991 Online at https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/9069/images/004481223_00011?treeid=147090&personid=162170075364&hintid=1042069151770&usePUB=true&_phsrc=vAp3&_phstart=default&usePUBJs=true&pId=3613000
19. ↑ Vital Records from The NEHGS Register. Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2014. (Compiled from articles originally published in The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.) https://www.americanancestors.org/DB522/i/14301/342/0
20. ↑ The great Migration Directory: Immigrants to New England, 1620–1640. (2015). p. 396. Retrieved February 12, 2021, from https://shop.americanancestors.org/products/the-great-migration-directory
21. ↑ TAG 56:155-59; 58:193-204; 59:11-22

See also:

• Delorey, J. I. (1997). A study of George and Susanna Martin. Shrewsbury, Mass. (496 Main St, Shrewsbury) :: J.I. Delorey.
• Watson, Elliot Burnham, M.D. and Rev. Alven Martyn Smith. George Martin of Salisbury, Mass. and his Descendants. Also of the probably related lines of Samuel Martin of FRANCESTOWN, N.H., his brother Jesse Martin of Francestown, n.h.; of Richard Martyn of PORTSMOUTH, N.H., and Ephraim Martin Of Goffstown, N.H., and Bradford, Vt. (n.d.). So. Pasadena, Calif.: Alven M. Smith, 1929. Retrieved February 11, 2021, from https://archive.org/stream/georgemartinofsa00wats#mode/2up
• Find a Grave, database and images (: accessed 13 September 2023), memorial page for George Martin (1618–Nov 1686), Find A Grave: Memorial #43226990, citing Golgotha Burial Ground, Amesbury, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Eric (contributor 46871197). (No gravestone extant.)