Samuel James Martin (1881 - 1935)

Born 25 Oct 1881 in Aughnaskeagh, Dromara, Down, Ireland

Ancestors

Son of John Martin and Mary Jane (Dennison) Martin

Husband of Violet Daphne Evelyne (Dunnet) Martin — married 19 Oct 1921 in St Andrews Church, Auckland, New Zealand

Descendants

Died 16 Mar 1935 at age 53 in Newtown, Wellington, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Guy Driscoll [send private message]

Biography

Samuel Martin was born and grew up in Ireland (his area is now UK)

Samuel Martin lived in New Zealand for his last ~28 years

Samuel was born in 1881 at Aughnaskeagh Townland.^[1] He appears to have been born and grown up (alongside his siblings) at a 43 acre farm property about 1.35km south-south-east of the centre of Kinallen within Aughnaskeagh Townland. In addition to his birth record and his family's 1901-1911 census records this property had his father John as tenant in Griffith's valuation records (see John).^[2][3] He served as a soldier in South Africa in the Second Boer War (which lasted from 1899 to 1902). His death certificate said he had been in NZ 28 years (so from about 1907). He enlisted in the NZ Police Force on 4 September 1907^[4] and died in 1935.^[5] Y chromosome results from DNA testing on his paternal-line grandson Melvan Driscoll through his biological son Hercules (Jack) Driscoll suggest he had the YDNA haplogroup R-S675 (subclade of R-M222, subclade of R1b). He possessed a mitochondrial haplogroup that was somewhere in the minority of the population according to a DNA test data of his sister's maternal line 2nd great granddaughter D.F. (through her child Susan Clingan) - not H, U or K. Samuel married Violet Dunnet in 1921.^[6] Cause of death: crash on motorcycle, 13 March, cnr Crawford Rd and Naughton Terrace, Wellington.^[7][8][9] He was buried at Karori, Wellington, New Zealand.^{[10][11][12][13]} Mabel Wakelin and Samuel Martin never married each other but produced the children Thelma and Hercules (Jack). The couple Edward and Janet (nee McKnight) Driscoll adopted and raised them. He held the rank of Senior Sergeant in the NZ Police and was the officer in charge of the Wellington South Police Station at the time of his death.

Sources

1. ↑ District of Banbridge, Down's birth record of Samuel James Martin on IrishGenealogy.ie. https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_returns/births_1881/02808/2030291.pdf
2. ↑ Griffith's Valuation, Ask About Ireland: https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation
3. ↑ Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Search Valuation Books (VAL 12B): https://apps.proni.gov.uk/Val12B/Search.aspx
4. ↑ Samuel's son Jack received a replying letter from a personnel officer at Police National Headquarters dated in Feb 1980 stating Samuel's date of birth, date of enlistment, but they didn't have details of his death in the accident.
5. ↑ "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", Department of Internal Affairs (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz). Death Registration of Samuel Martin (aged 53). Death Certificate 1935/16656. The full certificate has been accessed (not on the website) and additional information includes that his parents were Robert and Mary Martin (nee Dennison), he was born in County Down, Ireland, he had been in NZ 28 years, he died in Wellington Hospital, was cremated at Karori and was the father of a 12 year old son (this is consistent with John Tarzan Martin).
6. ↑ "Births, Deaths & Marriages Online", [digital index], New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz). Marriage Registration of Samuel Martin and Violet Dunnet (incorrectly Dimnet in some versions). Marriage Certificate 1921/5143.
7. ↑ Papers Past (https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz). POLICE SERGEANT'S DEATH EVENING POST, VOLUME CXIX, ISSUE 65, 18 MARCH 1935. Permanent Link: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19350318.2.31
8. ↑ AN OPEN VERDICT, Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 82, 6 April 1935: https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19350406.2.124
9. ↑ SENIOR-SERGEANT. S. J. MARTIN, of Wellington South who died on Saturday as a result of injuries received in a motor accident., Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 65, 18 March 1935 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19350318.2.15.4
10. ↑ "Impressive Police Funeral", Evening Post, 20 March 1935 (4th item): https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19350320.2.8 (the minister mentioned, W.R. Milne, is likely to be the Presbyterian minister William Ritchie Milne (1886-1955)).
11. ↑ Wellington City Council Cemetery Search at https://wellington.discovereverafter.com
12. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/245477654/samuel-james-martin: accessed 08 November 2022), memorial page for Samuel James Martin (25 Oct 1881–16 Mar 1935), Find a Grave Memorial ID 245477654, citing Karori Cemetery and Crematorium, Wellington, Wellington City, Wellington, New Zealand; Maintained by Guy Driscoll (contributor 51115132).
13. ↑ "New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QKYR-T9SN : 9 March 2021), Samuel James Martin, 1935; citing , Wellington Probate Files [First Sequence], 1843-1939, record number 56331, Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office; FamilySearch digital folder 101083322.

• Paternal and Maternal relationships are both confirmed by an autosomal GEDmatch comparison between Melvan Driscoll, GEDmatch kit # MK9272590, and M.Q., GEDmatch kit # YT1909011, (compare kits), his 2nd cousin. Their most-recent common ancestors are John Martin and Mary Dennison, the great grandparents of both Melvan Driscoll and M.Q.. Predicted relationship from GEDmatch: 2nd cousins, based on sharing 211.2 cM across 12 segments.