John Martin of Halifax County

JOHN MARTIN, WEAVER,
OF HALIFAX COUNTY

FIVE MARTIN CLANS
OF HALIFAX, VIRGINIA

MARTIN MARRIAGES OF
HALIFAX - 1770 to 1850

THE FAMILIES OF
JONATHAN MARTIN

FAMILIES OF MARGARET DENNING GO TO WAR

THE GLADE GUARD
VOLUNTEER RIFLES

MARTIN FAMILY TREE
A Rootsweb family tree
starting with John Martin
of Halifax.

MY MARTIN FAMILY

JONATHAN MARTIN (1767)

DAVID MARTIN (1811)

JOHN A. MARTIN (1853)

WALTER ALEXANDER
MARTIN (1878)

WALTER KERMIT MARTIN
(1910)

MARTIN IN-LAWS

CARMICHAEL FAMILY

KENDRICK FAMILY

ISBELL, WRIGHT AND
CLEVELAND FAMILIES

KING, HULSEY, PATTERSON
& KIRK FAMILIES

SUDER FAMILY

Jesse Crenshaw Came to Halifax

About that time Jesse Crenshaw, Sr., bought land on Lawson Creek near the Martins from John Compton on 24 Jan 1803, and more from Anderson Glenn on 23 July 1804, but for some reason he did not plan to stay long.

Jesse’s large family made an immediate impression on Jonathan’s brothers and sisters. Edmond married Jesse’s daughter Catherine on 23 July 1804. John followed by marrying Catherine’s sister Elizabeth on 10 October 1804, and little Susannah was soon wooed by Jesse’s oldest son Anderson. They married 21 December 1805. Because the widow Margaret was never involved, it is likely she may have joined her husband by this time. Who knows if she would have stood for what happened next.

In just a few years after settling in Halifax, Jesse Crenshaw apparently was ready to relocate to South Carolina by 1806, giving away personal property to family members. It must have been necessary to quickly sell John Martin’s Lawson Creek property so Jesse’s daughters and their Martin husbands could follow along. A deal was made with Anderson Glenn to purchase all 209 acres for 72 pounds [the difference in the value of an English pound in 1780 and a Virginia pound in 1807 is not known].

The grantors on the deed included Edmond and his Crenshaw wife, John and his Crenshaw wife, Savannah and her Crenshaw husband, and Margaret Finn (but not her husband) – seven grantors in all. A copy of John Martin’s Will was displayed, “proving” seven heirs could divide the property. After the deal was completed on 25 Apr 1808 Jesse Crenshaw, Edmond Martin and John Martin left Halifax and settled in Pendleton County, South Carolina. Anderson and Susannah Crenshaw remained in Halifax, selling Anderson’s final Crenshaw property on 10 Mar 1815.

Margaret and William Finn moved their family to Person County, North Carolina, after 1808, where Margaret lost her husband and married Valentine Denning. They returned to Halifax for ten years before heading for South Carolina briefly, and then ending up in Georgia – next door to Jonathan’s oldest son Peter who Margaret would have remembered. John Jr. ended up in Georgia as well, raising his family not far from his brother Jonathan. Edmond never left South Carolina.

It was not until after Anderson Glenn died in 1811 that a suit was brought claiming Jonathan had been cut out of his inheritance when his siblings sold his property without his knowledge or permission. The court ordered on 19 Jul 1815, 78 acres, or one third, of the 209 acres be reassigned to John's widow Margaret, as the will had stipulated, and one seventh of the remainder, or 18 acres, be reassigned to son Jonathan (listed as Jonah). Combined with one seventh of Margaret's third, Jonathan's total inheritance was around 29 acres. The rest of the property was kept by Glenn's heirs.

Three months later on 21 October 1815, old neighbor John True and his son Benjamin H. True came to Jackson County, Georgia, to find Jonathan. John True still lived adjacent to the old Martin farm, and he wanted to help his son buy Jonathan’s property. It is not known who instigated the suit in Halifax that returned the land, but on that day Benjamin H. True paid $100 for 27 acres next to his father’s property. The deed was filed in Jackson County. It is not know where the deal was made, but, but it was witnessed by Benjamin’s father, John, and Samuel Martin. Sam was a long time Georgia neighbor who could have been a brother or an uncle, or quite possibly a member of a part-Cherokee family. In Halifax there had lived a Samuel and Sarah Martin (or Morton) not far from the Martin farm on Lawson Creek.

There are many questions left to answer, and quite a few holes to fill. But it’s that way with every family, every history. It comes with time.

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GRANTORS: Elizabeth Martin, John Martin, Catherine Martin, Edmund Martin, Susannah Martin Crenshaw, Anderson Crenshaw, and Margaret Martin Finn
GRANTEES: James A. Glenn and legal representatives
INSTRUMENT: Deed of Bargain and Sale (B&S)
TRACT: 209 Acres on Lawson Creek
FEE: £72
DATE: 18 Nov 1807
DEED BOOK: 21
PAGE: 633

This Indenture made the eighteenth day of November one thousand eight hundred and seven Between James A. Glenn of the county of Halifax of the first part and Elizabeth Martin, Catherine Martin, John Martin, Edmund Martin, Margaret Finn formerly the wife now widow of the deceas’d Wm Finn, and Susannah Crenshaw formerly Martin, now wife of Anderson Crenshaw, and the said Anderson Crenshaw, husband of the said Susannah legatees of the deceas’d John Martin late of Halifax county aforesaid of the other part.

Witnesseth that the said Elizabeth Martin, Catherine Martin, John Martin, Edmund Martin, Margaret Finn formerly Martin, Susannah Crenshaw & Anderson Crenshaw her husband, all legatees of the aforesaid deceas’d John Martin for due consideration of the sum of seventy two pounds curr: money of Virginia to them in hand by the said James A. Glenn, the receipt thereof is hereby acknowledged and the said James A. Glenn discharg’d therefore forever, has grant’d, bargain’d for, sold, alien’d, dispos’d, convey’d and made over, and by those present, do grant, bargain for, sell, alien, release, confirm, dispose, convey and make over unto the said James A. Glenn and his legal representatives each of our several title and claims, respectively to our proportions of a tract of land belonging to the estate of the said deceas’d John Martin lying in the county of Halifax on the south of Dan river, and containing by a survey made and deed recorded in the said county court of Halifax, containing two hundred and nine acres be the same more or less To have and to hold each of our several proportions of the aforesaid tract of land and premises, with the appurtenances thereunto belonging, unto the said James A. Glenn and his legal representatives to his only use and benefit forever, and the said Elizabeth Martin, Catherine Martin, John Martin, Edmund Martin, Margaret Finn, formerly Martin, and Susannah Crenshaw & Anderson Crenshaw legatees aforesaid. To each severally warrant and define the title to the above mentioned land and premises against the claim and demand of all and every person & persons whatsoever forever. In Witness whereof we have severally signed this instrument of writing as our acts and deeds under our hands & seals the date first above written.

Signed sealed and delivered in presence of
Isaac Micley, Ben. Adams, Wm Chambers

Susannah X Crenshaw; Elizabeth X Martin
Anderson X Crenshaw; John Martin
Marg X Finn; Edmund X Martin; Catherine X Martin