William Martin (abt. 1740 - abt. 1827)

Born about 1740 in Colony of Virginia

Descendants

Died about 1827 at about age 87 in Franklin, Virginia, United States

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Biography

William's birth year is estimated from the age of his oldest son in the tax lists of 1783 & 1784,^[1] which likely puts his age at about 40 when he began acquiring land in the Gills Creek area of Bedford, Virginia in 1779 & 1780. All land on on the southwest side of the Staunton River (including Gills Creek) was carved off from Bedford a few years later to form the new county of Franklin, Virginia,^[2] which is where William appears to have lived for the remainder of his days.^[3][4]

Research Notes

William disappeared from the Franklin tax lists in the 18-teens, likely due to him personally owning no taxable property and becoming non-tithable in his senior years after he was no longer able to work.^[5] William's name doesn't appear again until 1821, a year when his son Robert's name was missing.^[6] It isn't clear where Robert was, but he was there most years before and after, so his father was likely living with him and responsible for the Robert's tax while he was away (including a horse, for which even a non-tithable man would have been responsible). A second William Martin appeared in the 1821 list as well, and the two were identified as "Sr" & "Jr" to distinguish between them in the list, but "Jr" appears to have been a son of Josiah Martin (abt.1770-1820) of Botetourt,^[7] who did not remain in Franklin County for long.^[8][6]

William returned to the tax lists in the last three years of his life, charged for a horse or two each of these final years. In each list, his name appears next to his son-in-law Thomas Meador, but not his son Robert.^[9] He was called "S" or "Sen'r" two of these three times, then again called "Sr" by his children in a deed four or five years after he died,^[10] but there is no record of another adult William Martin in Franklin County during this time.

William & Susanna of Amherst (Nelson) & Bedford

Land Acquired in Amherst (now Nelson):

1. 4 Jun 1770, from William Whitesides (Whitsitt) & ux Elliner of Amherst to William Martin of same for 40£, 200 acres in Amherst (now Nelson) on the north fork of Davis's Creek a branch of Rockfish River, beginning at a red oak then running south 106 poles to a red oak on William Trotters line then on Trotters line to a hiccory then to a chesnut oak then to the beginning, being half of a tract of Land purchased of William Wright; witnesses: J'o Masann, Martin Dawson & James McNee(?).^[11]
   • 5 Sep 1763, from John Wade of Amherst to William Whitsitt of same for 40£, (identical to above 200-acre tract description).^[12]
   • 9 Apr 1761, (the other half of the original 400 acres mentioned above) from John Wade & ux Elizabeth to William Trotter for 10£, 200 acres on both sides Davis's Creek; (metes & bounds identify it as the northwest corner of William Wright's 10 Sep 1755 grant of 2000 acres.^[13]) ^[14]
     • 26 Mar 1772, from William Trotter of Amherst to William Horral of same for 210£, 333 acres on both sides of Davis's Creek, including 200-acre portion from John & Elizabeth Wade 9 Apr 1761, plus an adjoining 133-acre portion of 1 Jun 1750 grant to Trotter.^[15] 4 Aug 1777, from William & Mary Horrall to Thomas McDonald (same tract).^[16]
2. 27 Aug 1770, new grant from Lt. Governor Botetourt to William Martin for 10 shillings, 95 acres in Amherst on the north branches of Davis's Creek of Rockfish River adjoining William Whiteside (Whitsitt).^[17]

Land Sold in Amherst (now Nelson): ^[18]

1. 6 Sep 1779, from William Martin & ux Susannah of Bedford to David Shelton (this guy?) of Amherst for 200£, 195 acres in Amherst on the south side of Rockfish River, (precise metes & bounds exactly match the 95-acre grant above for the first half) then down a branch etc. to James Hally Burton's line (see below); witnesses: William Horrall, Thomas Fortune & John Harris.

   Note: Although vague, the second half of this tract matches roughly half of the 200-acres from Whitsitt. It is actually the tract for which he was listed as a neighbor in both William's grant and repeated in the language of this deed.

2. Same day (next page), from William Martin & ux Susannah of Bedford to John Harris of Amherst for 21£, 75 acres in Amherst on the south side of Rockfish River adjoining Thomas McDonald (owner of the other 200-acre tract above, from Wright to Wade to Trotter to Horral to McDonald) and James Hally Burton (who purchased an adjacent tract from Wright's son) and now in the possession of the said John Harris; witnesses: William Horrall, Thomas Fortune, David Shelton.
   • Note: William & Susannah signed their own names on both deeds.

Was this William on Rockfish in Amherst a different guy? (Signed with a mark.)

• 1 Sep 1775, from William Martin of Amherst to John Witt Jun'r of same for 10£, 54 acres on y South branch of Rockfish river adjoining Abner Witt.^[19] It could not have been the son of Capt. James Martin, because that William could also sign his name.

Sources

1. ↑ William Jr. was recorded as under age 21 in the 1783 Bedford tax list and over 21 in the 1784 list. William's second son, John, was listed with him as over age 16, but under 21 in the 1785 list.
2. ↑ History of Franklin County
3. ↑ Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1786, pp. 30-31.
4. ↑ Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1826 (William's final appearance), List A, p. 15.
5. ↑ In 1812, he was listed next to his son Robert and son-in-law Thomas Meador, then those two were listed sequentially the following year without William being listed by name:
   • Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1812-B, p. 16
   • Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1813-B, p. 19.
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1821-B p. 11.
7. ↑ He recorded a deed for what appears to have been an undivided child's share of Josiah's land:
   • Franklin, Virginia, Deed Book 9, p. 127.
8. ↑ 1821 was the only year his name appeared in any tax list in the northern district of Franklin County.
9. ↑ Franklin, Virginia, Personal Property Tax List for 1824-A p. 13, 1825-B p. 12 & 1826-A p. 15.
10. ↑ Franklin, Virginia, Deed Book 14, pp. 252-253 .
11. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book C, pp. 84-85.
12. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book A, pp. 129-130.
13. ↑ Land grant 10 September 1755; Wright, William. grantee; Location: Albemarle County; Description: 2000 acres on Davis's Creek near the Great Pass that opens upon Tent Branch; Source: Land Office Patents No. 31, 1751-1756 (v.1 & 2 p.1-751), p. 697 (Reel 29).
14. ↑ Albemarle, Virginia, Deed Book 2, pp. 51-52.
15. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book C, pp. 281-282.
16. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book D, 4 Aug 1777 pp. 442-443.
17. ↑ Land grant 27 August 1770; Martin, William. grantee; Location: Amherst County; Description: 93 95 acres on the north branches of Davis's Creek of Rockfish River; Source: Land Office Patents No. 39, 1770-1771, p. 194 (Reel 39).
18. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book E, pp. 164-166.
19. ↑ Amherst, Virginia, Deed Book D, pp. 316-317.