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Josiah Martin (abt. 1770 - abt. 1818)

Josiah Martin
Born about in Bedford, Virginiamap
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 9 Apr 1799 in Franklin, Virginia, United Statesmap
Husband of — married about 11 Feb 1816 in Stokes, North Carolina, United Statesmap
Descendants descendants
Father of
Died about at about age 48 in Stokes, North Carolina, United Statesmap
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Profile last modified | Created 8 Dec 2014
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Contents

Biography

Tradition is that Josiah was born about 1770, but his first appearance in records was the 1796 tax list for Botetourt, where he was charged for two white males over the age of 15.[1] He married Mary "Polly" Reynolds (daughter of Joseph) in Franklin, Virginia on 9 Apr 1799.[2][3][4] Their family included one boy age 10-15 and four boys & a girl under age 10 by 1810,[5] and one more daughter was born before Mary died within a few years after the census:[6]

  1. William
  2. Abraham
  3. Thomas Reynolds
  4. Larkin R.
  5. John
  6. Elizabeth (m. William Tuttle)
  7. Mary

Josiah married Mary Banner in Stokes, North Carolina on or about 11 Feb 1816,[7] just a couple years before he died. On 8 Jun 1818, Mary Martin Widdow of the late Josiah Martin Dec'd, petitioned the court there to allot to her so much of the property of the Estate of her late husband, as will be sufficient for her & family, support for one year...[8] Polly then traveled to Botetourt, Virginia in 1820 to claim her dower in land belonging to Josiah's estate there,[9][10] but she appears to have disposed of it and returned to Stokes, where she remained until she died in 1846.[11][12]

Research Notes

When Josiah first appeared in Botetourt records in 1796, he was listed with another white male in his home whose name was not given, and he was listed next to a Joseph Martin.[1] The list of tithes was dated, and although listed sequentially, taxes were collected from Joseph two days prior to Josiah, who was taxed on the same day as his future father-in-law, Joseph Reynolds.[13] It is possible that "Joseph" was a misrecording in this list for Johnson Martin, who was a close neighbor for many years, and whose name was missing from the 1796 list. The following year, Josiah was charged only one tithe, but he was listed sequentially with Charles Caffery Martin.[14] It again appears that these two were taxed a couple days apart, but this is a significant connection. Caffery's name makes him pretty unique in the Virginia Martin jungle, so unlike others, he is easy to trace as he moved from place to place. This excursion from Bedford in 1797 appears to have been his first since arriving there after his marriage circa 1790, and he returned to Bedford the following year.[15]

Josiah appears to have left Botetourt when Caffery did, not listed there in 1798 or 1799, but he was back in 1800, 1801, and there is no indication that he accompanied Caffery to Bedford during this period.

Josiah's last appearance in Botetourt records was in the 1814 tax list, where his name appeared between those of Johnson Martin and David Martin, who both owned land adjacent to his.[16] In subsequent years, there were other Martins in the lists that included David & Johnson (until Johnson's death circa 1817), but never again a Josiah.[17]

He was probably already in Stokes, North Carolina by 1815, but Josiah's first appearance in extant tax lists there was two years later, at least a year after his marriage to Mary Banner. Her family lived in the Germanton District,[18] for which the 1816 list appears to have been lost.[19] In 1817, Josiah's name appears in a list of insolvents that includes several Banner men.[20] Josiah doesn't appear to have lived long enough to make the next list. The only Martin listed in Germanton in 1818 was the widow of Abraham Martin (1729-abt.1815), Sally.[21]

Land & Widow's Dowers

After his death, Polly's dower land was ordered by the court to be laid off by John Polk, W'm Polk, Sam Webster & David Martin (or any three of them),[9] and was described as a 64-acre portion of 245 acres on Masons Creek, a branch of Back Creek of Roanoke River,[10] which matches Josiah's 1803 land grant and the two deeds that were mentioned in the grant:

  • Land grant 1 August 1803. Martin, Josiah. grantee. Location: Botetourt County. Description: 245 acres on Masons Branch, a branch of Back Creek which is a branch of Roanoke River.[22]
  • 17 Sep 1801, from Edward Billups of Franklin to Josiah Martin of Botetourt for $15, a four acre portion, on Masons Branch, of Billups' 11 Aug 1795 grant of 555 acres. Witnesses included a John Martin.[23]
  • 17 Sep 1801, from James Templeton & ux Lucy (Billups) of Franklin to Josiah Martin of Botetourt for 100£, 139 acres by survey 28 Aug 1797 on Meadow Creek being the waters of Roanoke. Witnesses included a John Martin.[24]

Other Family Records

A little more than two months after Josiah died intestate, a William Martin living in Franklin County was in debt and leveraged his Interest in the following tract or parcel of Land lying and being in the County of Botetort which is one fifth part of a tract of land lying in the said County of Botetort containing about Three hundred and fifty Acres... bounded by the Land of George Riddle, William Farras and Mr. Baker to secure his debts to Stephen Preston Jr & Co. and James Slone, with Eli Ferguson acting as their agent.[25]

The claim in this deed of 350 acres doesn't line up with the 245 acres that belonged to Josiah's estate at this time, but the three men named in this deed all owned land adjacent to his 245-acre tract.[26][27][28][29][30]

It should be noted that there were several other men named Martin who also owned adjacent tracts. In addition to David Martin who purchased the Riddle tract,[27] there are also mentions of a Bartlet Martin in the Baker deed,[30] and a Johnson Martin in a neighboring grant to James Mason.[31] David Martin had also previously purchased another neighboring tract from Laboun Bowen.[32] Johnson Martin named Bartlet as a son in his will,[33] but it is not known how, or if, they were related to their close neighbors, Josiah or David. The logical conclusion is that these Martins were likely all closely related, but more research will be required to determine exactly how.

Sources

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Botetourt, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1796-A, p. 8.
  2. ↑ "Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6N7S-HCPN : 4 April 2023), Josiah Martin, 1799.
  3. ↑ "Virginia Marriages, 1785-1940", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XRQ6-3MG : 29 January 2020), Josiah Martin, 1799.
  4. ↑ "Virginia, Vital Records, 1715-1901", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6JRG-X5FH : 21 June 2023), Josiah Martin, 1799.
  5. ↑ "United States Census, 1810", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XH2Q-M9N : Tue Jun 27 02:03:20 UTC 2023), Entry for Josiah Martin, 1810.
  6. ↑ All seven children were named in a chancery suit involving the estate of their maternal grandfather:
    • Virginia Cancery Records, Library of Virginia; Roanoke County, Abraham Martin & John Neighbors vs. Heirs of Joseph Reynolds, etc., 1881-010.
  7. ↑ "North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q28R-2PC3 : 17 July 2023), Josiah Martin and Polly Banner, 11 Feb 1816; citing Stokes, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm 2,447,772.
  8. ↑ "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Z7-3DJ9 : 17 March 2018), Josiah Martin, 1818; citing Stokes, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Botetourt, Virginia, Order Book 1820-1822, 9 Oct Session, p. 2.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Botetourt, Virginia, Will Book C, p. 302.
  11. ↑ "North Carolina Probate Records, 1735-1970," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:SQWX-JZVQ-9?cc=1867501&wc=32LL-92Q%3A169994001%2C170069501 : 21 May 2014), Stokes > Wills, 1836-1864, Vol. 4 > image 122 of 197; county courthouses, North Carolina.
  12. ↑ "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2Z7-3D5L : 17 March 2018), Mary Martin, 1847; citing Stokes, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm .
  13. ↑ Although they were listed sequentially, "Joseph" (or Johnson?) was taxed on 25 April; Josiah (plus 1) & Joseph Reynolds were taxed on 27 April.
  14. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1797-A, p. 10.
  15. ↑ See the tax lists analysis in the Research Notes of Caffery's profile.
  16. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1814-B, p. 11.
  17. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1815-B, pp. 21-22; 1816-A, pp. 7-8; 1817-A, pp. 9-11; 1818-A, pp. 11-12; 1819-A, pp. 9-10; 1820-A, pp. 10-11.
  18. ↑ Stokes, North Carolina, Tax List for the Germanton District for 1815.
  19. ↑ Only an account of the 1816 totals for all districts includes a mention of Germanton. No Banner names appear in the other lists.
  20. ↑ Stokes, North Carolina, Tax List for 1817, List of Insolvents returned by Charles Banner, Sheriff of Stokes County.
  21. ↑ Stokes, North Carolina, Tax List for the Germanton District for 1818.
  22. ↑ Land Office Grants No. 51, 1802-1803, p. 496 (Reel 117).
  23. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 7, pp. 640-642.
  24. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 7, pp. 642-644.
  25. ↑ Franklin, Virginia, Deed Book 9, p. 127.
  26. ↑ Riddle from Billups: Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 11, pp. 667-668.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 Riddle to Martin: Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 18, pp. 289-291.
  28. ↑ Bailey & Forest to Faris (two deeds): Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 8, pp. 135-137.
  29. ↑ Hays to Faires: Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 15, pp. 110-111.
  30. ↑ 30.0 30.1 Evans to Baker: Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 11, pp. 462-464.
  31. ↑ Land Office Grants No. 34, 1796, p. 31 (Reel 100).
  32. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Deed Book 11, pp. 30-31.
  33. ↑ Botetourt, Virginia, Will Book C, p. 121.




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