Martin Scott (1807 - 1886)

Born 14 Mar 1807 in Jackson (now Clay) co. Tenn.

Ancestors

Husband of Lucinda (Maxwell) Scott — married 26 Feb 1830 in Tazewell County, Illinois, United States

Husband of Mary (Maxwell) Scott — married 18 Apr 1835 in McLean County, Illinois, United States

Died 29 Jul 1886 at age 79 in Daviess co. Mo.

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Biography

[1] Martin Scott family

Martin Scott b. 14 Mar 1807 Jackson co. Tenn. d. 29 July 1886 Daviess co. Mo.

m/1. 25 Feb 1830 Tazewell co. Ill. Lucinda Maxwell d/o John Sr. & Jane Brazelton Maxwell b. 19 Jan 1809 Ashe co. N. C. d. 11 Mar 1831 McLean (now Dewitt) co. Ill., buried Rock Creek Cemetery; no children.

According to the date on her tombstone, Lucinda died 4 days before Martin's brother Samuel E. Scott, but in every history of Rock Creek Curch and Cemetery, Samuel is listed as being the first person buried there. Why is that? Lucinda's name is spelled "Lusinda" on her tombstone.

m/2. 19 Apr 1835 McLean co. Ill. Mary Maxwell d/o John Sr. & Jane Brazelton Maxwell b. 29 Jun 1796 Ashe co. N. C. d. 29 Jan 1873 Daviess co. Mo.; one son, listed below.

Mary was a twin. Sometimes she is listed as "Nancy"; I don't know why. Her twin was named Ann Nancy Maxwell (or in another record, Nancy Ann Maxwell, which sounds better); perhaps Nancy was Mary's middle name as well. She was 38 years old when she married Martin (he had just turned 28). Lucinda and Mary's mother, Jane Brazelton Maxwell, had an uncle, Jacob Brazelton (1749-1825), who founded the town of Brazelton, in Jackson county Georgia. The town was owned by the Brazelton family until 1989, when it was purchased by a group led by actress Kim Basinger, who is a native of the area.

From the Clinton Weekly Register, 7 April 1876, in an article about John J. McGraw: He (McGraw) could not get a house to live in, but finally Martin Scott offered him the use of his stable for the summer (1830) if he would clean it out and split some puncheons (broad, heavy, roughly dressed timber with one face finished flat) and put a floor in it. This offer was gladly accepted and he and his father-in-law (Tillman Lane) put in a floor and lived there that summer... The country at that time was very wild. The prairies were covered with a luxurious growth of flowers, from early spring until frost came, giving the prairies the appearance of a vast flower garden. In many places the "rosin weeds" were so high that after a heavy dew or shower of rain a man would get wet on horseback. After heavy rains the prairies would be almost inundated, there being no artificial drainage, and the heavy growth of grass preventing the water from running off rapidly. This gave the country the appearance of being very low and swampy, and this fact, no doubt, was one of the reasons why the early settlers invariably chose the edge of the timber for their location. There was no trouble in getting water then, as a well from six to eighteen feet would furnish abundance of it.

Martin Scott was elected sheriff of McLean co. Illinois three times. He lived for a time in 1835 near his brother Andrew in Berlin, Illinois. He also was ordained a minister in the Christian church in 1844. He also served as foreman of the grand jury in Dewitt county in April 1848. He co-founded Old Scotland Christian Church in Daviess co. Missouri, which still stands, and was known as Elder Martin because of his position in the church.

He fought 2 tours in the Blackhawk War: he served one tour of duty in Captain Robert McClure's company of mounted volunteers, 5th regiment, under Colonel James Jonson; he enrolled as a private on 4 May 1832 in McLean county, and was mustered out 27 May 1832 at a point 130 miles from where he enrolled. He also served a tour under Captain Marritt L. Covell's company ("an odd detachment"), enrolling on 3 Jun 1832 at Bloomington, but was mustered out 3 Aug 1832 as "absent with leave- absent at muster-out".

It is said in one record that Elder Martin Scott fought in the Civil War. I have not found any official record confirming this yet. He would have been in his fifties during the war. There are records of men named Martin P. Scott (Co. B, 23rd Mo. Inf.) and Martin G. Scott (Co. H, 23rd) serving from Missouri; Martin G. Scott was a great-nephew.

From a letter from Mary Jane Scott Molden - "Years ago Grandpa Scott and his first wife lived on the prarie in Illinois. One day she went down to the creek to get some water, and she never returned to their home. They think she was captured by indians". Mary was referring to her grandfather Wilson Lindley Scott (a great-nephew of Martin) but it occurs to me that the story might refer to Martin and his first wife Lucinda (it might also refer to John Wilson Scott and his first wife Sarah Kincannon). Indian attacks were virtually unknown in Illinois after the Blackhawk War (1832), and the only person in our family who lost a first wife in Illinois before 1832 is Martin Scott. That also might explain the conundrum that Lucinda, according to her headstone, died 4 days before her brother-in-law Samuel Scott, but Samuel is always talked about as being the first one buried in Rock Creek. Might Lucinda's stone be a later addition, but with a "disappearance date"?

John M. b. 30 July 1839/40 McLean co. Ill. d. 2 Jun 1912 Mt. View, Howell co. Mo. m. 3 Aug 1862 Daviess co. Mo. Mary Caroline Dinnell b. 14 July 1844 d. 28 Feb 1906, both buried Old Scotland Cemetery, Daviess co. Mo. 4 children.

Martin m/3. 18 Aug 1873 Daviess co. Mo. Dinah Clifton Robb Scott (widow of his nephew, James Scott s/o John Wilson II & Mary Keith Scott) b. 29 May 1820 d. 1 Apr 1905 Daviess co. Mo.; no children.

Sources

[1] Martin Scott family Author: Matt Scott Click here for document: http://www.bytesizesound.com/jws1/martin.html

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