James Hugh Martin (1742 - 1834)

Born 21 May 1742 in Lebanon, Hunterdon, New Jersey

Ancestors

Husband of Martha Ruth (Rogers) Martin — married 1763 (to before 1795) in Lebanon, Hunterdon, New Jersey

Husband of Martha (Loftin) Martin — married 10 Mar 1800 in Stokes, North Carolina, United States

Descendants

Died 31 Oct 1834 at age 92 in Snow Creek Plantation, Stokes, North Carolina, USA

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Lt. Col. James Martin served with Guilford County Regiment, North Carolina Militia during the American Revolution.

James Martin is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 242354
Rank: Colonel

Biography

James Martin, son of Hugh Martin and Jane Hunter was born 21 May 1742 at Lebanon, Hunterdon County, New Jersey.

He attended Princeton University for a short time prior to his father's death in 1761. However, he chose to leave college to work his father's farm/estate.

In 1763 he married his 'cousin' Ruth Rogers, daughter of a Hunterdon County neighbor Thomas Rogers.

It is said that through his brothers, he became friends with James Madison. And, that Madison visited the Martin home in the years he was a student at Princeton. His mother and her youngest children, in 1769, went to live with the Madison family at Montpelier (in Virginia). However, James remained in New Jersey^[1]

James remained in Hunterdon County until May 1774 when he joined his brothers Alexander and Robert and sister Anna Jane in Guilford County, North Carolina. He settled on the Haw River (part of present-day Rockingham County)^[1].

He served during the Revolutionary War from 1774-1781 (see details in section below). After the war, he acquired over 2,000 acres of land in Stokes County, North Carolina, and established a lime kiln, an ironworks and forge known as the Union Iron Works. His home was known as the Snow Creek Plantation. He was also known for characterizing it at "his Lime Kiln Plantation." He was heavily involved in exploiting the mineral wealth of the area and when Noarth Carolina passed a bounty act that encouraged the building of new forges, James entered bounty claims for 3-5,000 acres in the county. Sufficed to say, the kiln and forge made him very wealthy. ^[1]

In 1792, he was appointed to the commission which would select the permeant location of the state capital. It is rumored he was the first to recommend the name Raleigh for the site that was chosen.^[1]

James and Ruth Rogers Martin had eleven children (see details below). Ruth died in 1795.

James married for the second time, on 12 Mar 1800, to Martha Loftin, the widow of William Jones. James and Martha Loftin had a total of five children.

James was active politically. In 1783, 1784, 1785, and 1786, he was elected to the House of Commons from Surry County. When Surry was divided in 1793, he was appointed one of the original justices of the peace of the newly created county of Stokes. In 1792 and 1793 he represented Stokes in the house. He made a bid for a US Congressional seat, but lost to his neighbor, Joseph Winston. Then, in 1808 lost a seat again to Meshack Franklin. In 1811 and 1813, he represented Stokes in the North Carolina House of Commons. ^{[1][2] [3] [4] [5]}

In 1832, age 90, he road to Germantown to apply for a veterans' pension. The documentation provided is still viewable today. ^[6]

Col. James Martin died at his Snow Creek Plantation on 31 October 1834 at the age of 92. He is buried at the Martin Cemetery, located on his plantation.

Military Service

He was appointed Colonel-Commandant of the Guilford County militia on 22 Apr 1774, by Samuel Johnston, Presiding Officer of the Provencial Congress. His appointment to Lt. Colonel of the 2nd NC regiment was on Sept. 1, 1775. He was ordered by his brother, Col. Alexander Martin, (of Second Regiment), to raise the Guilford Militia and march to Fayetteville to suppress the Scotch Tories. However, they arrived to late, and instead were put in charge of the Tory prisoners. Throughout the Revolutionary period until 1781 Col Martin raised militia forces and at various times fought under Generals Green and Rutherford. He was engaged in campaigns such as the Snow Creek Campaign (Nov-Dec 1775), Cherokee Campaign (Jun-Oct 1776), and engaged against Tories at Moore's Creek (1776). In Feb 1777, his regiment was ordered north to join Washington. It is presumed they were at Chadds Ford, Brandywine and Germantown. He was promoted to Captain on April 20, 1777 and transferred to the 5th Regiment. He retired from his Continental Army commission on June 1, 1778. Then, in early 1780, he took command of the Guilford Militia as a full Colonel. As the battles started increasing in South Carolina, James was "ordered and commanded by General Greene to raise and call upon the Guilford militia en masse and to equip themselves as the military laws directed and for me to join his camp in the regular service and not depart without leave….”. This proved difficult for him and ultimately many of them ran/deserted. He led the militia against Tories at Raft Swamp and shortly after heard of Cornwallis surrender at Yorktown. James's service ended when the militia arrived home on November 25, 1781^{[7][1][6][8][9][10]}.

Children

Children of James Martin and Mary Rogers are:

1. Sarah Martin b. 1764 NJ - d. 1840 TN, m. Pleasant Henderson
2. Mary Ann Martin b. 1766 - d. abt. 1768, age 2
3. Jennie/Jane Martin b. 1768 - d. 1790, age 21
4. James Hugh Martin Jr b. 1770 NJ - d. 1861 NC, m. Elizabeth Beckham
5. Ann Martin b. 1772 NJ - d. 1831 NC, m. Thomas Searcy
6. Mary "Polly" Martin b. 1774 NC - d. 1851 AL, m. Thomas Rogers
7. Thomas Martin b. Apr 1777 - d. abt. 1778, less than 1 year
8. Alexander Martin b. 1779 - d. 1833, m. Sarah Thomas
9. Samuel Martin b. 1782 - d. UNK, m. UNK Caldwell
10. Frances Elisa Martin b. 1784 NC - d. 1850 TN, m. Dr Robert Hunter
11. James Martin b. 1786 NC - d. 1845 TN, m. Sarah "Sally" Alexander

Children of James Martin and Martha Loftin are:

1. Henry Alexander Martin b. 1802 - d. UNK
2. Edmund Loftin Martin b. 1804 - d. 1861, m1/wid. Harty Davis Williams, m2. Isabella Wiley
3. Elizabeth Eldridge Martin b. 1807 - d. UNK
4. Martha Ann Martin b. 1811 NC - d. 1896 TX, m. Alfred Moore Scales
5. John Julius Martin b. 1814 - d. 1881, m. (see research notes on his profile)

Land Grants

Stokes, North Carolina:

Surry, North Carolina:

See also: His probate record for acreage sold at various points/times (image is viewable on ancestry.com [17])

Slaves

From census records.

Listed is will (image viewable on Ancestry.com[21])

See also: Slaves and Slaveowners of Stokes County, North Carolina[22], listing the same individuals as shown in above table.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5} Martin, James, by Charles D. Rodenbough, 1991 [1]
2. ↑ Wikipedia:North_Carolina_General_Assembly_of_1783
3. ↑ Wikipedia:North_Carolina_General_Assembly_of_April_1784
4. ↑ Wikipedia:North_Carolina_General_Assembly_of_October_1784
5. ↑ Wikipedia:North_Carolina_General_Assembly_of_1785
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Fold3 Pension Record [2]
7. ↑ James Martin of Snow Creek, Stokes County, NC – his Militia and Continental Service, by Charles D. Rodenbough [3]
8. ↑ Declaration by James Martin concerning his military service in the Revolutionary War[4]
9. ↑ The American Revolution in North Carolina, James Martin[5]
10. ↑ Transcribed pension statement, pdf file[6]

• Find A Grave: Memorial #67223495

• NCPedia, Martin, James, by Charles D. Rodenbough, 1991[23]

• Dictionary of North Carolina Biography: Vol. 4, L-O, Univ of North Carolina Press. Copyright. Page 226[24]

• Daughter Ann's burial record. "North Carolina, Historical Records Survey, Cemetery Inscription Card Index", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPRT-GJ7Z : Thu Nov 16 06:03:56 UTC 2023), Entry for Ann Martin Searcy and James Martin, 1 Aug 1831.

• "United States Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Applications, 1800-1900", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N9BC-66L : 28 November 2023), James Martin.

• Fold3 Pension file (including images of Family Bible) of James and Martha Martin, W. 4728[25]

• His will. North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998: Wills and Estate Papers (Stokes County, North Carolina), 1775-1971; Author: North Carolina. Division of Archives and History (image viewable on Ancestry.com[26])

Name James Martin

Gender Male

Residence Place Stokes, North Carolina

Will Date 22 Sep 1833

Probate Date 1834

Probate Place Stokes, North Carolina, USA

Item Description Original Wills, Helsabeck, Isaac Edwin - Reich, Matthew, 1775-1923

Those listed:

Alex Martin, son (predeceased his father)

Fanny Hunter, daughter

Hugh Martin, son

Polly Rogers, daughter

Sally Henderson, daughter

Edmund Loftin Martin, son

Henry A. Martin, son

James Martin, son

John Julias Martin, son

Hamilton Pones, step-son

Martha Martin, wife

In his codicil he disinherits son Henry.

• His probate record. North Carolina, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1665-1998: Probate Records (Stokes County, North Carolina), 1753-1971 ; Indexes 1753-1965; Author: North Carolina. Superior Court (Stokes County); Probate Place: Stokes, North Carolina (image viewable on ancestry.com[27])

Name James Martin

Probate Date 1834

Probate Place Stokes, North Carolina, USA

Inferred Death Year 1834

Inferred Death Place North Carolina, USA

Item Description Estate Records, Mabe, Ambrose - Martin, Joe Ham

Others Listed 1

Pages: 1-181

• UNC Libraries. "Minutes of the North Carolina House of Commons. North Carolina, General Assembly, November 18, 1786 - January 06, 1787. Volume 18, Pages 226-483." Documenting the American South: Colonial and State Records of North Carolina. (Accessed March 5, 2024)[28]

• Patriot Research System[29]. DAR #: A074280; SAR Patriot #: P-242354