John Martin (abt. 1750 - abt. 1803)

Born about 1750 in Albemarle, Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Susannah (Emory) Martin — married 1780 in Cherokee Nation (East)

Descendants

Died about 1803 at about age 53 in Cherokee Nation (East)

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Biography

John "Jack" Martin was born about 1750 in Albemarle County, Virginia, to wealthy planter Joseph Martin and his wife Susannah Chiles Martin.^[1]

Living in the shadow of his famous brother, General Joseph Martin, records on John are somewhat lacking.

Emmet Starr incorrectly reported that Joseph was the father of John's children. ^[2]

John apparently first went West (near the Cumberland Gap) in 1769 with his brothers Joseph, Brice, and William where they built a settlement and fort called "Martin's Station." Joseph went back and forth constantly into the west, and it is likely that John went with him. Joseph was made agent to the Cherokee after the Revolution and set up a trading station at Tugaloo, with his brother John as his assistant about 1780.

Unlike his brother, who had both white and Cherokee families, it appears that Jack Martin's only families were with his two Cherokee wives, sisters Mary and Susannah Emory, Cherokee granddaughters of trader Ludovic Grant. Martin remained in the Cherokee nation until he died.

John and Mary were the parents of one child, Samuel ^[3]; John and Susannah were the parents of three children, Nannie, who married Jeter Lynch, John Jr., who became the first Chief Justice of the Cherokee Nation following Removal, and Rachel, who married Daniel Davis.

When Governor Gilmer of Georgia questioned the parentage of John Martin, Jr., General Benjamin Cleveland wrote the following in response:

"With pleasure I acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 5th this Inst. requesting information concerning the parentage of John Martin Treasurer of the Cherokee Nation and the two Wat Adairs the father of after the John Martin was a native of Virginia the brother of Joseph Martin the first Agent of the Cherokee Nation after the Revolution I have been acquainted with John Martin since he was about ten years old we went to school together when we were boys he has been raised principally by a brother in Law [Jeter Lynch, husband of his sister Nancy] who was a very decent white man, Martin's father died when he was nearly grown."

A second letter, from Samuel Wales responding to the same inquiry said, in part:

"[John Martin's] Father was a white man, of the same name with the son,and lived among the Cherokees from quite a youth to the period of his death. ^[4]

John died about 1823.

Sources

1. ↑ Will of Joseph Martin (Sr.) Albemarle County, Will book 2, proved Jan. 1762 p. 112.
2. ↑ Starr, Emmet. History of the Cherokee Indians. Oklahoma Yesterday Publications edition, Tulsa, OK. 1979. p. 304 Digitized edition at Starr
3. ↑ Hampton, David K. Cherokee Mixed Bloods. ARC Press of Cane Hill, AR, 2005 p. 49
4. ↑ Cherokee Letters, Talks and Treaties, typescript prepared by W.P.A. workers during the 1930's from original documents. pp. 289-90. Georgia State Archives,

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Kathie (Parks) Forbes, Dave Martin, Stephanie Stults, Mel (Gilbert) Lambert and Carole Taylor for their work on this profile. Jenny Lawless