John Martin (abt. 1750 - 1822)

Born about 1750 in Essex County, Virginia

Descendants

Died 5 Apr 1822 at about age 72 in Stokes County, North Carolina

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Biography

Excerpt from: Family History Compiled by Lucy Henderson Horton (Although a pleasant read, there's significant contention against the validity of Ms. Horton's work. For one thing, Joseph, son of Col. John "Jack", was never a Colonel.) - P Rich 21:42, 30 December 2015 (EST)

A sketch of "RockHouse" written by Mrs. Kittie M. Lea, of Tampa, Florida. Mrs. Lea is a granddaughter of Colonel Joseph Martin, of Stokes county, N. C., and a great-granddaughter of Colonel John Martin of "Rock House."

"Rock House, September 12, 1912. I am sitting on the steps of 'Rock House' writing this Sketch. 'RockHouse' was built before the Revolutionary war by Col. John Martin, being begun in 1770 and finished in 1785. It was here the officers would meet to discuss plans of operation.

"Colonel Martin, known in North Carolina history as Colonel Jack Martin, was a man of great bravery, and his people were of note in many ways in the early settlement of Virginia and North Carolina. His wife, Nancy Shipp, came also of a family of note, many of whom are still prominent people in Virginia. Nancy (Shipp) Martin was a woman of great bravery and managing ability. Their children settled in Virginia and North Carolina. Among their children and grandchildren have been many gifted men and women.

"I look through the windows and go up the steps, where for more than a hundred years the ancestors of our family, Colonel John Martin, General Joseph Martin, Captain William Martin and many other prominent members of the family moved and enjoyed life. It was here that General Edmund Pendleton Gaines was a frequent guest. Joseph Martin, a son of Col. John Martin, of 'Rock House,' married Hetty Gaines, a sister of General Edmund Pendleton Gaines. (Note:they were grand parents of Mrs. Kittie M. Lea and Dr. R. S. Martin,of Stuart Virginia.)

"I go down in the basement, where my great-gandmother had her great dining room. Here the most noted China in her day was kept.
"From the windows can be seen thousands of acres of land which belonged to Colonel Martin, remaining in the family down to time of the War between the States (1860-65).

"This land stretches out in valleys and hills and upon sides of the mountains. The valleys are in cultivation, with small farm houses dotting the landscape. I lookout on the rock, now in plain view, where my great-grandfather, Jack Martin, sat to rest, while his wife went farther to see what the slaves were doing. On returning to where she had left her husband, she found him dead. They were both over seventy years of age, nearing the resting place of life.

"At that time there was little of cleared land where now are great fields of tobacco and corn.

"I have just been to the graves of Colonel Martin and his son, William, who in his fiftieth year met a tragic fate. He was killed by his overseer. The grave of Mary (Shipp) Martin is here. The head stones are in place and flowers are blooming about the graves. It seems sacrilege to destroy any part of this old building, which was nearly twenty years in erection. The graves, which are in full view of the front perch, should be guarded. I feel that the spirits of these noble ancestors, who once occupied these rooms viewing the surroundings, which are so grand, are near me, and through them I look back into the past, and realize the truth of what my father, John L. Martin, and my uncle, Colonel William F. Martin, both soldiers in the War between the States, have told me of the glorious past. Both were grandsons of Colonel Jack Martin.

"Some years ago I visited these ruins in company with my aunt, Lizzie Moore, a daughter of Col. Martin. She was a woman of great intelligence and what she told me of 'RockHouse' history verified many things my father had told me. I could write for days on the things of history connected with this grand castle, as it might rightfully be termed. The house is four stories in height, all stone, even the floor in the basement is stone.

"From here can be seen Quaker's Gap, the Tory's Cave, Pilot Mountain and Hanging Rock. The walls of this house are in good condition, covered with Virginia creeper, English ivy, and with ferns creeping out from the crevices in rocks. All doors and windows are arched. The roof and part of the partitions burned fifteen years ago (1897). A border of golden rod has sprung up on the top of the ruin as if to glorify the structure. The walls are over one yard thick, being plastered inside and out, and will stand centuries longer.

"North Carolina history tells us that in Nov., 1775, Col. John Martin, with others, marched from the western part of the state against the Tories in the northwestern part of South Carolina, and with the troops of that state defeated the Tories, capturing 400 of them."^[1]

From the notes of Bobbi Keenan:^[2]

1 John "Jack" Martin 1756 - 1822 b: abt. 1756 in Essex County, Virginia d: 05 Apr 1822 in Stokes County, North Carolina

. +Nancy Shipp 1763 - 1841 b: 1763 in Lunenburg County, Virginia d: 25 Jan 1841 in Stokes County, North Carolina

Research Notes

Genealogical information about Lieutenant John Martin:^[3]

Born: 1756, Essex County, Virginia^[3]

Married: Nancy Shipp,^[3] sister of Thomas Shipp, in June 1784 in Surry County, North Carolina, at Thomas's "mansion house, by a Justice of the peace named Micajah Clark".^[4]

Children: John and Nancey (Shipp) Martin had seven sons and three daughters, "the record of these Births appears in the said John Martin's own handwriting in their Bible at the end of the Apocrypha".^[4]

1. Mary Coalmon Martin, born 23 April "at 12 o'clock & in the year 1785"^[4]
2. Elizabeth Martin, born 5 February "at 12 o'clock at night" in 1787^[4]
3. James Martin, born 20 March "at 2 o'clock in the morning 1789"^[4]
4. Joseph Martin, born 4 February "at 5 o'clock in the morning & year [illegible]"^[4]
5. Ginney Martin, born 10 August "at 6 o'clock in the afternoon in the year 1794"
   "Decrast [deceased] June 26 day 1797"^[4]
6. John Martin, born "Made the 5th & in the year 1797 at 8 o'clock in the afternoon"^[4]
7. Samuell Martin, born 29 "Jany [?] [illegible] 4 o'clock in the afternoon & year 1800"^[4]
8. George Martin, born 30 October 1802 "at 11 o'clock at night"^[4]
9. Thomas Martin, born "the 18th [?] of January 1805 at 7 o'clock in the afternoon"^[4]
10. William Gilliamson Martin, born 26 August 26 "about 8 o'clock at night 1809"^[4]

Died: 5 April 1823, Stokes County, North Carolina^[4][3]

Family tree on FamilySearch LG1-4SF: The FamilySearch record is a conflation of about 3 different John Martin's and more is wrong than right. Incorrect Spouse, multiple death places and dates, unfounded parentage... proceed with extreme caution.

Sources

1. ↑ See pages 176-179 of Family History Compiled by Lucy Henderson Horton
2. ↑ Bobbi Keenan's Page
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} DAR record for John Martin, Patriot Ancestor #A074336 (accessed 13 June 2021).
4. ↑ ^{4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12} Pension application of Nancy Martin, widow of John Martin (pdf transcription by Will Graves, posted by Southern Campaigns American Revolution Pension Statements & Rosters, accessed 13 June 2021)

See Also:

• "Find A Grave Index," index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/QVVL-H91X : accessed 24 December 2014), Lieut John Martin, 1822; Burial, Flat Rock (Stokes), Stokes, North Carolina, United States of America, John Martin Family Cemetery; citing record ID 18194385, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
  • Find A Grave: Memorial #18194385

• "North Carolina Estate Files, 1663-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (Index Link : 21 November 2016), John Martin, 1822; citing Stokes, North Carolina, United States, State Archives, Raleigh; FHL microfilm .

• Horton, Lucy Henderson. Family History Compiled by Lucy Henderson Horton .. Franklin, Tenn.: [Press of the News], 1922. P. 176-179. Link