William Martin (abt. 1740 - 1804)

Born about 1740 in Colony of Virginia [uncertain]

Ancestors

Descendants

Died Oct 1804 at about age 64 in Lynchburg, Campbell, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Many claim that William was born in Amherst, Virginia on 20 Feb 1727,^{[citation needed]} but Amherst did not exist until 1761. If this date is correct, he would have been 43 years old when his only son was born, and still working at nearly 80 when he died.^[1] These things are certainly possible, but seem to place his birth a bit later.

William's first known appearance in the area that would become Lynchburg, Virginia was on 3 Mar 1779, when he and James Gatewood each bought one half of a 309-acre tract of land from Gilbert & Phebe Harrill, each man witnessing the other's deed.^[2] William was already described as of y'e s'd county of Bedford at the time. On 4 Jun 1782, he purchased an adjoining 314-acre tract from James Gatewood and his wife Frances on Pigeon Branch,^[3] about three miles northwest of where the town of Lynchburg would soon be. He was called called Cap't W'm Martin when he was taxed on this land the same year.^[4]

William was one of the ten Gentelemen Trustees in whom it was vested by the Virginia General Assembly in Oct 1786 to lay off 45 acres of land owned by John Lynch in lots of half acre each, with convenient streets, and to establish a town by the name of Lynchburg, per a charter granted that session to Lynch.^[5] William & Samuel Martin (relation unknown) were both appointed Inspectors of Tobacco at Spring Warehouse on 26 Sep 1793,^[6] Lynchburg's first such warehouse, located on the corner of Sixth Alley (Twelfth Street) and Lynch Street.^[7] William was a resident of Lynchburg on 6 Feb 1794 when he purchased a lot known in the plan of said Town by Number twenty nine from Robert & Catherine Hanna.^[8] He purchased a second lot the following year from John Lynch's brother Charles,^[9] and by 1803 had established his own tobacco warehouse called Martin's.^[1] This business venture would prove to be his last, however, and it isn't clear that he actually lived to see it open.^[10] He wrote his will on 8 Sep 1804 and died less than a month later when it was proved in court by his son-in-law, James Warwick and by Samuel Martin.^[11]

Transcription of Will

...I William Martin of the town of Lynchburg and County of Campbell...

...to my wife Francis (sic) Martin during her natural life five negroes to wit, Samuel, Johnson, Annica, Sophia, and Addison... at the death of my said wife, I give to my son James Martin and his heirs forever

...to each of my grand daughters Francis F.M. Brewer, and Sally B. Clopton Fifty pounds...

...to my son James... the following property Viz, The tract of land whereon he now lives containing about Four hundred and fourteen acres... Twenty three negroes including the five lent my wife... William, James, Samuel, Nathan, John, Charles, Jacob, Johnson, Nancy, Jane, Charlotte, Sarah, Annicah, Agatha, Hannah, Britan, William, Fountain, Thomas, Addison, James, John, Sophia, the last eight being children...

The lot of ground with the houses thereon on the main Street in Lynchburg at present occupied by William Powell. The lot of ground containing about one half acre, adjoining the lot on which Martins ware-house stands, known in the plan of the town of Lynchburg by number twenty six...

...appoint my son James Martin as aforesaid sole Executor...

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 8th day of September 1804

W'm Martin {SS}

Acknowledged as the last Will and testament of the said William Martin in presence of Sam'l Martin William Fowler James Warwick

At a Court held for Campbell County October 8th 1804 The within last Will and Testament of William Martin deceased was proved by the oath of James Warwick. And at a Court continued and held for the said County the 9th day of the month, and year aforesaid the same was further proved by the oath of Samuel Martin and ordered to be recorded

And on the motion of James Martin the Executor... together with William Davis and Thomas M. Clark his securities...

Research Notes

• A William Martin was surety on the bond for the 18 Dec 1780 marriage of Elizabeth Martin to James Warwick in Bedford.^[12] This was likely the same James Warwick who was appointed Inspector of Tobacco at Spring Warehouse on 3 Nov 1796,^[13] and called "Captain" in tax lists.^[14]
  • Fanny Warrick was married to John H. Brewer in Jan 1799 in Campbell County by Rev. Samuel Mitchell.^[15]
  • Sally B. Warwick, daughter of James Warwick, married Abner W. Clopton on 23 Sep 1803 in Campbell, Virginia.^[16]

Was William's Wife from James Gatewood's Family?

Although William Martin and James Gatewood made their joint appearance in this part of Virginia on the same day, witnessing each other's deeds for two halves of the same tract of land,^[2] they don't appear to have interacted much after that time, except for another land transaction a few years later from Gatwewood to Martin for an adjoining tract.^[3] The line for Campbell County was drawn almost directly between their tracts in 1782,^[17] leaving Gatewood in Bedford and Martin in Campbell, then a few years later, Martin appears to have moved "downtown" as one of the founding members of Lynchburg and a "titan" of the booming tobacco industry there. He maintained ownership of his land that was near Gatewood, and his son James lived there, but neither generation of Martins appears even as witnesses to deeds in any of Gatewoods several transactions over the years that followed.^[18]

Is James Martin (1699-1775) the Correct Family?

Who was Samuel Martin, twice appointed Inspector of Tobacco on the same day and at the same warehouse as William?^[6][19] There were no Samuels in the families of James Martin Sr. (1699-1775), Stephen Martin Sr. (abt.1705-1769) or Henry Martin (1720-bef.1798) of Amherst, so could this mean that William came from a different family, and possibly not from Amherst, if this was a brother or other close relative. Samuel could also have been an unrelated "red herring," but it is interesting that William's son-in-law, James Warwick, was also an inspector at the same warehouse.^[13] It appears that William had enough influence to bring in family even before he started up his own warehouse...

Tax lists show that Samuel lived near William and his son James every year during this period, but also seem to show that Samuel never lived in their home.^[20] They also show that Samuel never owned slaves (or horses or anything other taxable property), as William & James did, so it is possible that he was from the Quaker Martin family that was associated with John Lynch. Whatever the case, there was a bond between these two Martin men that extended to the grave, with Samuel there at William's deathbed to witness his will and then prove it in court a few short weeks later.^[16] It might also be significant that this came more than two decades after Samuel's last appointment as tobacco inspector with William.^[19]

Amherst Records

James Sr's son William signed his own name when he and wife Frances sold the land from his father to David Merriweather in 1764.^[21][22]

William appears to be the one who on 2 Sep 1765 sold 144 acres on Nassau Creek to William Tiller that he had just bought from from Ann Neal that June.^[23] She bought it from Zachariah Phillips on 4 Oct 1762.^[24]

His father deeded him a gift of slaves just before he died on 2 Jan 1775.^[25]

He and Frances both signed their own names on 2 Mar 1778 when selling other land nearby on the North fork of Nassau called the Dutch Creek at a place Call'd the Indian Cove to Henry Martin of Fluvanna.^[26] William bought this tract from John Depriest on 4 Jul 1768.^[27]

Although Frances was not named in the deed, William appears to have also sold land on the south branches of Nasaw (sic) Creek to John Griffin on 7 Sep 1778.^[28] Could Frances have been dead by this time? This was a tract he purchased the same week as the one he bought from Anne Neal, and for which they were both involved in the sale just six months prior to this one.^[23]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 6, pp. 290-291.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Bedford, Virginia, Deed Book 6, pp. 257-259.
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 1, pp. 26-27.
4. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Land Tax Records, Microfilm Reel 56, 1782, p. 18.
5. ↑ Lynchburg and Its People, by Christian, W. Asbury (William Asbury), 1900, pp. 22-23.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 3, p. 378.
7. ↑ Lynchburg and Its People, p. 25.
8. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 3, pp. 403-404.
9. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 3, pp. 572-573.
10. ↑ Lynchburg and Its People, p. 38: "...1805, William Martin built a warehouse corner Lynch and Tenth streets, and called it Martin's."
11. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Will Book 2, pp. 164-166.
    • Note: at the time of citation, this record was attributed to "William Mathew." The transcription error has been reported.
12. ↑ "Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1771-1989," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6Z4Y-G3FH : 28 June 2022), Elizabeth Martin in entry for James Warwick, 18 Dec 1780; citing Marriage, Bedford, Virginia, United States, Circuit court clerk offices, Virginia.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 4, p. 78.
14. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1799; Capt James Warwick on 8 Apr, John H. Brewer on 10 May & Capt Wm Martin on 24 Jul.
15. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Marriage Register No. 1, p. 20-A.
16. ↑ ^{16.0 16.1} Campbell, Virginia, Marriage Register No. 1, p. 31.
17. ↑ The Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries, Interactive Map of Virginia; Pigeon Creek is the second creek on the south side of the James River below the 1782 Bedford/Campbell boundary, running from the head just over this border at Trents Ferry Rd east through PEAKLAND and under VES Road (William & James Martin's land) to the river.
18. ↑ The general index for Bedford deeds is only accessible from a Family History Center, but the original indexes in books 7-10 are sufficient for locating all deeds.
19. ↑ ^{19.0 19.1} Campbell, Virginia, Deed Book 3, pp. 468-469.
20. ↑ Campbell, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1794-B, p. 40, for example.
21. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book A, pp. 282-285.
22. ↑ Albemarle, Virginia, Deed Book 2, pp. 140-141.
23. ↑ ^{23.0 23.1} Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book B, p. 9-11 & pp. 70-71.
24. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book A, pp. 72-23.
25. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book D, pp. 242-243.
26. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book D, pp. 485-487.
27. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book B, pp. 335-336.
28. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book E, pp. 37-38.