Christopher Martyn (abt. 1464 - 1525)

Born about 1464 in Athelhampton House, Dorset, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 22 Mar 1525 at about age 61 in Athelhampton House, Dorset, England

Biography

Christopher Martyn or Martin was born in about 1464, the son of Sir William Martyn, K.B. of Athelhampton, Dorset, and his first wife Iseult or Isolda Faringdon, daughter and heir of Thomas Faringdon, of Tincleton, Dorset and his second wife, Margaret Gouvitz.^[1]

His year of birth is based on being aged 40 when his father died in 1504.^[2]

Biographical Notes.—Sir William Martyn, K.B., of Athelhampton, was married twice, first to Isolda, daughter of Thomas Farringdon, of Farringdon, and second to Christian, daughter of Sir William Paulet, of Hinton St. George, who outlived him and re-married. From this second marriage came the Martyns of Seaborough, brasses in whose memory may be seen at Crewkerne and Hinton St. George. His eldest son by his first wife Isabel, als. Isolda, was Christopher Martyn^[3]

Death and burial

Christopher Martyn died on 22 March 1524 (probably 1524/1525) and was buried in the Athelhampton Chantry in Puddletown Parish Church.

The brass is fixed against a recessed slab on east wall of the Athelhampton chapel in Puddletown parish church. The recessed stone frame with large portion of arched moulding is from an earlier 14th century piece and may have belonged to an earlier reredos or screen

Christopher Martyn is shown kneeling in complete armour, but without gauntlets or helmet, very simply drawn, his sword crossed diagonally in front, behind him a conventional kneeling-desk, on which is laid an open book; his hair is long and face clean-shaven. He is wearing a tabard charged with the arms of the Martyn family. Shields beside him also bear the Martyn arms. From his right runs a scroll bearing the following inscription from Psalm li. 9 Hide thy face from my sins and block out all mine iniquities The lower part of the brass bears this inscription

Here lieth the body of Christopher Martyn Esquier

Son and heir unto Sir William Martyn Knight.

That they both may be sure of eternal light.

Calling to remembrance that every wight

Must needs die, and therefore let us pray

As others, for us, may to , another day

This Christopher died 22nd day of the month of March

In the Year of our Lord one thousand five hundred and twenty-four^[4][5]

Research Notes

The following is from an older source and may not be accurate but has been included for the moment pending further research.

MARTIN, of Lockinge, Berkshire. Created Baronet, June 21, 1791. MARTIN, of Tours, was a general in the army of William the Conqueror; and, in 1077, conquered the Cantrcd of Canity s and Dirlington, in Pembroke shire, and of which he was afterwards given the barony. Robert Fitz-Martin, founded the abbey of St. Dogmael, within the barony of Kemoys, temp. Hen. I. William, Owen, and Martin of Seaford, are his descendants. William Fitz-Martin married Joan, daughter of Rees ap Griffith, Prince of Wales, by whom he had William Martin, father of, Nicholas Martin, who married Maud, heiress of Brien, whose mother was heiress of Tracy, Earl of Barnstaple, by whom he had three sons; Sir Nicholas; Colinatus (father of Sir Nicholas, father of Sir William, father of Sir William) ; and Robert Martin, the third son, who was father of Robert Martin, father of Oliver Martin, whose son, Sir Robert Martin, of Athelhampton, in Dorsetshire, Knt. was father of Richard Martin, whose son, Thomas Martin, was father of Sir William Martin, who had two sons, Christopher, and Josiah Martin, who, in the reign of Elizabeth, went to Ireland in a military capacity with Viscount Chichester, from whom he received many favours. ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ Woodger, L.S., 'Faringdon, Thomas (d. 1444), of Tincleton, Dorset,' in The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1386-1421, ed. by J.S. Roskell, L. Clark & C. Rawcliffe, 1993. Online version, The History of Parliament: British political, social & local history, (https://www.historyofparliamentonline.org/volume/1386-1421/member/faringdon-thomas-1444 : accessed 30 July 2020).
2. ↑ Wedgwood, Josiah C. & Holt, Anne D., History of Parliament: Biographies of the members of the Commons House 1439-1509 (London: His Majestys Stationery Office, 1936). p. 580. Digital image, Internet Archive Books, (https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.210096/page/n648/mode/1up : accessed 30 July 2020).
3. ↑ Some Dorset Manor Houses: With Their Literary and Historical Associations Sidney Heath, William de Courcy Prideaux, Bemrose and Sons, Limited, 1907
4. ↑ Some Dorset Manor Houses: With Their Literary and Historical Associations
5. ↑ The Monuments of Athelhampton Chapel Puddletown, Brian Gittos and Moira Gittos. published by Puddletown PCC, Puddletown, 2014. P18 .
6. ↑ BARONETAGE OF ENGLAND; OR, THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BARONETS, WILLIAM BETHAM, EDITOR, 1804. Page 210,

See also:

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p20355.htm#i203550

• Some Dorset Manor Houses: With Their Literary and Historical Associations Sidney Heath, William de Courcy Prideaux, Bemrose and Sons, Limited, 1907

• Visitation of the County of Devon, 1620. Vivian, John Lambrick. Henry S. Eland, Exeter, 1895. Comprising the Heralds' Visitations of 1531, 1564, & 1620. With additions by Lieutenant-Colonel J.L. Vivian. cont. by John Young. Page 553. "Martyn of Oxton"

• The Visitation of Dorsetshire: A.D. 1565, William Harvey,William Pollard & Company, 1887

• BARONETAGE OF ENGLAND; OR, THE HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH BARONETS, AND SUCH BARONETS OF SCOTLAND AS ARE OF ENGLISH FAMILIES : WITH GENEALOGICAL TABLES, AND ENGRAVINGS OF THEIR ARMORIAL BEARINGS, BY THE REV. WILLIAM BETHAM, EDITOR, 1804. Page 210