Born in Abbeville, South Carolina, United States
Ancestors 
Daughter of John Ewing Calhoun Sr.
and Sarah (Speed) Calhoun
Wife of
George McDuffie Brown
— married
24 Oct 1849 in Abbeville, SC
Mother of
Elizabeth Jane (Brown) Hawkins, Sarah Ewing (Brown) Williams, George McDuffie Brown and William Henry Brown
Died
at age 63
in Franklin County, Texas, United States
Profile last modified
| Created 9 Feb 2011
This page has been accessed 875 times.
Contents |
Biography
Martha’s middle name is unproven. The middle name initial “M” is alleged to stand for Mariah. She was born 5 May 1831 in Abbeville, South Carolina, to parents John Ewing Calhoun and Sarah A Speed.
In 1836, when Martha M was about 5 years old, her father died and her mother Sarah A, was granted guardianship[1].
Martha and George McDuffie Brown, were married on 5 May 1849, and they proceeded to have seven known children: Elizabeth Jane, Sallie/Sarah Ewing, Martha, Calhoun, Mary L, George McDuffie and William Henry Brown.
Though Martha and George were born in Abbeville, they eventually landed in Texas.
- 1850, Abbeville, South Carolina[2].
- 1860, Watters, Floyd, Georgia[3].
- 1870, Murray, Georgia[4].
- 1880, Fannin, Texas[5].
Martha died the 22nd of February 1895 in Franklin, Texas. The “Brown” headstone inscription, “Martha M – May 5, 1831–Feb 22, 1895” “Married May 5, 1849” “Geo. McDuffie – Sept 20, 1820 – Nov 15, 1899.[6]
Family Background
John Ewing Calhoun, the father of Martha M, is the son of Joseph Calhoun (Col.) who died in 1817 and his wife Martha (Patsey), she died in 1835. John Ewing Calhoun married Sarah A Speed, and he died in 1836[7].
Siblings of John Ewing Calhoun;
- William M Calhoun, died in 1849, having never married.
- Anna Elizabeth Calhoun, married John P Holt and they had two daughters; Elizabeth A Holt and Martha E Holt who married John F McKay.
- Martha S Calhoun, married John B Speed and they both died in 1840.
- Mary Jane Calhoun, married James S McCelvey.
- Joseph Calhoun.
- Samuel Calhoun, deceased 1835[8].
Supporting Facts
Col. Joseph Calhoun’s Will was proved in 1817, leaving a widow Patsey and seven children: William, Joseph, John Ewing, Samuel, Ann Eliza, Martha and Mary Jane[9].
Martha, the widow of Joseph Calhoun, her will was proved in 1835. To son John Ewing Calhoun and at his death, to his little daughter Martha. Son William M Calhoun. Daughter Martha. Daughter Jane. My two granddaughters Elizabeth and Martha Holt when they come of age[10].
When William M Calhoun died in 1849[11], it prompted the remaining heirs to seek proper distribution of their legacies: from the estate of Martha Calhoun (1835).
Abstract of 3 Dec 1850. Martha E and Elizabeth A Holt, daughters of John P Holt and granddaughters of the late Martha Calhoun. Martha E Holt, m. John F McKay. Martha and Elizabeth, heirs of the late William Calhoun, appoint John F McKay of Cobb County Georgia as their lawful attorney, demand to receive from James H LeRoy, Executor of the Will of Martha Calhoun and Administrator of the estate of William M Calhoun, decd[12].
Abstract of 10 Dec 1850. James H Leroy, Admin. and distributee in right of his wife Eliza A. James S McCelvey, in right of his wife, Mary Jane, sister of the deceased. John E Calhoun, distributee, minor. George M Brown, who intermarried with Martha M Calhoun and being absent, are represented by Mr. LeRoy. John F McKay who has intermarried with Martha E Holt and Elizabeth Holt, both absent and represented by John P Holt, their father and acting by Power of Attorney[13].
Martha S Calhoun and husband John B Speed, both died in 1840. She the daughter of Joseph Calhoun (1817) and Martha/Patsey (1835). John B Speed signed his Will, 11 Sept 1840[14], naming his wife, Martha Speed. The following is an abstract from Martha’s Will, proved 5 Oct 1840. The watch belonging to my husband John B Speed, to his father. To my brother William M Calhoun. To Elizabeth and Martha Holt, the daughters of my sister Anna Eliza. To my sister Mary Jane Calhoun. Executors, my brother William M Calhoun and my friend James Taggart[15].
Sources
- ↑ FHL Film # 004752828, image 7/614 (106/2678). 14 June 1836, petition of Sarah A Calhoun, to be appointed guardian of Martha M Calhoun a minor under 14 years and is entitled to a considerable personal estate. Bond by Sarah A Calhoun, William M Calhoun and Wade Speed.
- ↑ Year: 1850; Census Place: Savannah River Regiment, Abbeville, South Carolina; Roll: M432_848; Page: 26B; Image: 59
- ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: Watters, Floyd, Georgia; Roll: M653_121; Page: 286; Family History Library Film: 803121
- ↑ Year: 1870; Census Place: Militia District 984, Murray, Georgia; Roll: M593_167; Page: 526B; Image: 147140; Family History Library Film: 545666
- ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Precinct 1, Fannin, Texas; Roll: 1302; Family History Film: 1255302; Page: 346C; Enumeration District: 023
- ↑
Memorial:
Find a Grave (has image)
Find A Grave: Memorial #38348806 (accessed 28 January 2024)
Memorial page for Martha Mariah Calhoun Brown (5 May 1831-22 Feb 1895), citing Bethel Cemetery, Cypress, Franklin County, Texas, USA; Maintained by jbarker (contributor 46962751). - ↑ FHL Film # 004752784, image 593/605 (14/305). John E Calhoun, decd. Sarah A Calhoun, Letters of Admin. 31 May 1836. Bond 14 June 1836, by Sarah A Calhoun, William M Calhoun, Wade Speed.
- ↑ FHL Film # 007705236, image 314/470 (16/329). Letters of Admin. 21 Jan 1835 to John E Calhoun.
- ↑ FHL Film # 004752786, image 163/501 (17/358).
- ↑ FHL Film # 007705236, image 8/470 (15/306).
- ↑ FHL Film # 007705238, image 568/583 (114/3364). William M Calhoun, decd. Order for sale, 3 Feb 1849, James H LeRoy, Admin.
- ↑ FHL Film # 007705238, image 568/583 (114/3364).
- ↑ FHL Film # 007705238, image 568/583 (114/3364).
- ↑ FHL Film # 004752820, image 192/480 (90/2229).
- ↑ FHL Film # 004752819, image 450/460 (89/2210).
- The Calhoun Family of South Carolina, by A.S. Salley, Jr.[[1]]; The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine, Vol. 7, No. 2 (Apr., 1906), pp. 81-98.
Acknowledgements
- This person was created through the import of JDS_09_17_10.ged on 09 February 2011.
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Martha:
It may be possible to confirm family relationships. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Martha:
-
~1.56%
Charles Keys
:
23andMe, GEDmatch M081952 [compare]
-
~0.78%
David Keys :
23andMe, GEDmatch DD693237C1 [compare]
-
~0.78%
Ann (Speed) Pace :
23andMe, GEDmatch M037069 [compare]
-
~0.78%
Kristy Keyes :
23andMe
-
~0.78%
Carolyn Cowart :
23andMe
+
MyHeritage DNA
-
~0.78%
~1.56%
Peter Hiestand :
23andMe
-
~0.78%
Charles Craig :
Family Tree DNA Family Finder, GEDmatch M546313 [compare], FTDNA kit #235978
-
~0.78%
A Fabry :
Family Tree DNA Family Finder, FTDNA kit #548789
-
~0.39%
Scott Moser :
AncestryDNA, Ancestry member jacksonmoser
-
~0.39%
Margaret Moser :
AncestryDNA, Ancestry member JacksonMoser
-
~0.39%
Margaret Moser :
AncestryDNA, Ancestry member jacksonmoser
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The single gravestone for George McDuffie Brown and Martha M Brown is inscribed with their names, birth and death dates and date of marriage. See Find a Grave Memorial ID 38348805 and 38348806.
(See at Chuckspeed.com) 17. JOHN B. SPEED was born on 25 Aug 1791 in ORANGEBURGH DISTRICT, SOUTH CAROLINA and died on 5 Apr 1841 in COPIAH COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI at age 49.
My opinion is that there was a clerical error, the error being; “JOHN married MARTHA MARIAH CALHOUN, daughter of JOHN EWING CALHOUN and SARAH SPEED. MARTHA was born on 5 May 1831 in Abbeville, SC, died on 22 Feb 1895 in Franklin, TX at age 63, and was buried in 1895 in Bethel Cemetery, Clearwater, Franklin, TX.”
John B Speed married Malissa Farley in 1831, Martha Mariah Calhoun was born in 1831 thus John could not have married “next” Malissa Farley. “JOHN next married MALISSA FARLEY on 27 Dec 1831 in Copiah, MS.”
Also stated is that John’s “son by the first marriage” William W. Speed, married Mariah Laura Speed in 1842. Again, Martha Mariah Calhoun was born in 1831.
My two cents is to 1st unlink John B Speed from Calhoun-202, 2nd merge Calhoun-202 with Calhoun-2859, 3rd rewrite/clean-up the remaining profile for Martha Mariah 1831-1895. I would be happy to provide facts and/or rewriting of profile/profiles. ~Jennifer~
edited by A Fabry
Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/38348806/martha-mariah-brown: accessed 23 January 2024), memorial page for Martha Mariah Calhoun Brown (5 May 1831–22 Feb 1895), Find a Grave Memorial ID 38348806, citing Bethel Cemetery, Cypress, Franklin County, Texas, USA; Maintained by jbarker (contributor 46962751)
Her mother Sarah Speed's page has a link to her brother John B Speed's page 1791-1841. John Speed's page has no bio and is not linked to any spouse or children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/26032605/john-b-speed
SC Wills on ancestry has page for John B Speed. 1st image is john Speed dated 1840, John B Speed, wife Martha Speed is mentioned. 2nd image is Martha B Speed, dated 1840. People mentioned - John B Speed, brother William M Calhoun, sister Anna Elisa Holt, her daughters Elizabeth and Martha Holt, sister Mary Jane Calhoun That information shows that Martha Calhoun did marry John Speed, but she is not the Martha Calhoun in this profile
Based on the names in Martha's will, it could be that Martha that married John B Speed was Martha Calhoun (abt.1807-) (duplicate possibly of Martha Jane Calhoun-271, who died 1840). She has a brother William, sisters Mary Jane and Ann, and John Ewing Calhoun-229 (father of this profile) who married Sarah Speed (#23 in Speed Trial)
I think the mistakes came about with merges that should not have been done. It's now a mess. My information came from the work of Chuck Speed and Clifton Speed.
The researcher Chuck Speed has agreed to work with me to sort this out although we can't start for a couple of weeks. He has the research work of four Speeds, three of whom are no longer with us. And all will have to be compared.
Even much closer in my Speed family, everyone has the wrong woman for my grandmother's stepmother in their trees on several different platforms.. I have contacted many of them trying to explain the mistake but to date, no one has changed anything. Idiots abound in genealogy and they just copy each other compounding the mistakes.
A family genealogy like that should be put into a space page which could be referred to from profiles, but it shouldn't just be copied into profiles as it is with no source information. On a space page, the names of people could be changed to the Wikitree Profiles as they are created.
The Space page could have a 'where is this space page used' to keep track of what profiles it has been added to, which you cannot track as it is now.
Your statement that a merge was done to conflate things is not true. The Changes Log shows both profiles have some unmerged matches being proposed, but no merges have actually happened to either Calhoun profile.
The Brown profile has had no merges, but the Speed profile did have a merge that you had proposed Oct 22 and it was completed Dec 2022.
Personally, I have multiple DNA matches from this woman's descendants. I have no intention of naming people without their knowledge and permission. My own line is through the Mississippi Speeds descended from William Wages Speed, Robert Wages Speed, William Terrell Speed. Robert Wages Speed would be the grandfather of this Martha, which would explain the DNA matches.
edited by A Fabry
When I mentioned DNA matches, I referred to people who matched me with "actual" DNA...descendants of this Martha Calhoun Speed. I do not know if any of them participate in WikiTree..
edited by A Fabry
Reviewing the information in this profile, there are many places where it is contradicting itself. Both of John Speed, spouse of this profile, could not have married him in 1816, since one is listed as born 1831 (this profile) and the other was b 1812. Other comments already stated this in 2022, but these profiles are still not straightened out.
DNA is only as good as the tree, which should have paperwork to verify it. Every generation away that you move, the percentages get smaller and you could be getting percentages from other people. The approximate percentage that is showing for you and most of the others to this profile is .78%. Please review Help Page for DNA Confirmation for wording that is needed on profiles when you think you can confirm by DNA a parent on a profile. You may find DNA Confirmation App helpful to get the wording correct for the DNA Confirmation.
I had someone argue with me the other day that the DNA was confirmed, until we proved with sources, that his person did not marry the person that he swore they had married. Maybe the person was a cousin, but it wasn't the person he stated it was.
I have told you that I have requested Chuck Speed's information on their sources. Until we hear back from him, I hesitate to make any changes and certainly not any merges.
This was an abandoned profile that I adopted to add sources and information to. You can see how many people have changed and added information, sometimes conflicting. That is why I would like to wait until hearing from Mr Speed before making changes. This profile has so many flags on it that I don't think it will cause anyone to make a mistake.
It looks like initially you updated the profile stating that Martha had married George McDuffie Brown, which other people have stated is accurate, but you changed it to John Speed, along with adding the Speed Family Tree, stating it was well sourced.
The link for the Speed Family Tree was in the Changes Log but has been removed from the profile. Reviewing some of the information in this 'tree' and the 'sources' posted at the end of the Tree, this is 'not' a well sourced tree. Most of the 'sources' state information was provided by different people, Genealogy books, but limited reliable sources.
https://chuckspeed.com/speed.ged/d1.htm#i3054 is #17 John Speed where it states:
Therefore the 'assumptions' from that information
BUT it stated that Martha was born 1831, so she could not have married in 1824 and had a child at that time.
Based on the comments on this profile, people have been questioning the conflicts in this profile since at least 2019. You have not stated how long you have been waiting for help with the information from this tree, but it doesn't seem that the information is forthcoming soon.
Looking at the Speed Tree, I found Sarah Speed (mother of profile, she is #23) who married John Ewing Calhoun. Parents match this profile. It states Martha (#97) was born 1831, died 1895.. Going to the #97 Martha section, it states she married George McDuffie Brown in 1849. After listed the 8 children born 1853-1873, it states that Martha next married John Speed, son of Robert Wages Speed and Eliz Martin., which it refers back to #17, but if John died 1841, as stated with his section and again in Martha's section, the same person could not have married Speed after she married George and had his children.
Since this seems to be the link to the Speed Family Tree that you have built some profiles from, there are serious contradictions on this one profile, so I would not consider this a reliable Tree. The sources listed at the end are not Reliable Sources. Possibly other profiles in the Tree are accurate, but this one is not.
I found a Find a Grave for Col John Ewing Calhoun 1791-1847 that has a Gravestone. That profile has the same dates as the father of this profile, BUT that page states that his 'only' wife was Martha Maria Davis, not Sarah Speed. I did not find Martha in the Speed Tree. Because the dates are the same, it would seem that it is the same person, but no other information, incl parents, seems to match to the Tree but it is doubtful that 2 people came from the same area and were born and died on the same dates.
Based on this information, now that I found the Speed Family Tree, I agree with the other comments that this person could not have married John Speed and it is an error in the Speed Tree and she should be disconnected from John Speed, with Research Notes added to both WT profiles to indicate the discrepancies and reasons for disconnecting them. I would also add links to this Speed Tree in whatever profiles you have used it in. I can probably use an app to find the profiles where it has been referenced, but it is not a reliable source and original sources should be found for the information.
edited by Linda (Carruth) Peterson
Sarah A. Speed did not have two separate children with the same name on the same date. That did not happen. The two profiles obviously represent the same person, and for that reason alone they should be merged. One of the reasons that allowing duplicate profiles to continue to exist is detrimental is that duplicates tend to breed other duplicates.
Since there is disagreement as to who Martha's husband was and since that disagreement is not likely to be resolved any time soon, a reasonable solution would be to state in the biography that the husband is one or the other of two men and present the evidence for each case. You could leave both possible husbands attached to the merged profile or remove both of them.
My opinion In this case, what I'll call a clerical error, resulted in this profile appearing to represent the same person. Information for the bio was stated as sourced from the "Speed Family Tree" by Chuck Speed. " John B Speed married Mrs. Malissa Earley/Farley in 1831 Copiah county, MS." The author then mistakenly inserts “John Married Martha Mariah Calhoun... Martha next married John B. Speed, son of Robert Wages Speed and Elizabeth Martin. John was born on 25 Aug 1791 in Orangeburgh District, South Carolina and died on 5 Apr 1841 in Copiah County, Mississippi at age 49.” This stated union is the error that has led to much confusion.
I know from historical facts that there were at least two Martha Calhouns' but of different time periods. >Martha M Calhoun (5 May 1831-22 Feb 1895) married George McDuffie Brown in 1849 Abbeville. {see. Calhoun-2859} >Martha S Calhoun married John B Speed (both d. abt. 1840 Abbeville) {see, Abbeville South Carolina, Wills and Probate Records, 1670-1980 [Ancestry.com]}
Therefore, though profile Calhoun-202 and Calhoun-2859 appear to be the same person, they are not. Its just that some actual facts have been mistakenly appropriated. So, stating in the biography that there is disagreement over husbands may not be beneficial.
The above is my interpretation of the matter at hand.
Martha married only George McDuffie Brown (see, Calhoun-2859, for further explanation). When John B Speed died in 1841, Martha was 10 years old.
Profile manager may want to consider un-linking John B Speed as the husband of Martha M Calhoun 1831-1895, and/or change dates and/or edit to the correct wife. Looking at the source of material cited, “Speed Family Tree” by Chuck Speed, he states John B. Speed (#17.) married Mrs Malissa Earley or Farley during 1831 in Mississippi (they had a son, William W Speed).
Mr. Chuck Speed, likely made an error when he added that John B Speed also married Martha M Calhoun because, from “Speed Family Tree,” (see #3.) John B. Speed (b. 25 Aug 1791), third child of Robert Wages Speed (1763-1826), married Martha Calhoun, daughter of Col. Joseph Calhoun, (1750-1817) and Sarah Speed.
I am making this comment because of the recent request I received to merge Calhoun-2859 and Calhoun-202. Please let me know if further clarification is needed.
Jennifer
I reset this to an unmerged match so that they wouldn't automatically be merged. Please note the questions about dates in profile Calhoun-202.
These may be two different Mariah's. What I can tell you is that my Grandmother was a Speed and I have DNA matches to descendants of the Martha Mariah who ended up in Texas, as do many other Speeds.
I'm suspecting that her birthdate is probably the earlier one. Her father would have been 21 at the time. Need to see if more records have turned up.
In any case, I think you can leave a note on their profiles saying you cant find documentation.
So glad that you are trying to sort things out.
Maybe you would consider adding a note that the Julius Brown/Molly Buchanan is unsubstantiated (zero). thank you! Jennifer
A very young Martha Mariah Calhoun marries her uncle John B. Speed. who dies in 1841. Several sources.
Although the tombstone of George McDuffie Brown's wife says Martha M Brown, the marriage certificate you are referring to in 1849 says Sarah Maria Calhoun m. George Brown. Perhaps it's a different George Brown with a different Calhoun wife? George McDuffie Brown Jr.'s death certificate says his mother was Martha Calhoun.
There are multiple DNA matches for Speeds with the descendants of Martha Brown. In the above list, the Keys are Speeds as am I.
It seems that records for two or more people are being mixed and need to be sorted out. Information on all these sources in the bio.