Friday, September 27, 2019

52 Ancestors - Week 297: #508 Thomas Martin (1737-1767) of New Jersey

Thomas Martin (1737-1767) is number 508 on my Ahnentafel List, my 6th great-grandfather, who married #509 Elizabeth Ayers (1745-1767) in 1762, in Middlesex County, New Jersey.

I am descended through:

*  their son #254 Mulford Martin (1763-1843), who married #255 Betsey Rolfe (1766-????) in 1789.
*  their daughter, #127 Sarah Martin (1792-1860), who married #126 John Putman (1785-1863)  in 1810.
*  their daughter, #63 Elizabeth Putman (1818-1895) who married #62 Alexander Sovereen (1814-1907) in 1840.
*  their daughter, #31 Mary Jane Sovereen (1840-1874), who married  #30 James Abraham Kemp (1831-1902) in 1861.
*  their daughter #15 Georgianna Kemp (1868-1952)  who married  #14 Charles Auble (1849-1916) in 1898.
*  their daughter #7 Emily Kemp Auble (1899-1977), who married #6 Lyle Lawrence Carringer (1891-1976) in 1918.
*  their daughter #3 Betty Virginia Carringer (1919-2002) who married #2 Frederick Walton Seaver (1911-1983) in 1942.
*  their son #1 Randall Jeffrey Seaver (1943-living)

=====================================================

1)  PERSON (with source citations as indicated in brackets):
 
   
*  Name:                       Thomas Martin[1–3]    

*  Sex:                           Male    

*  Father:                      Mulford Martin (1713-1743)    
*  Mother:                    Zerviah Dunham (1716-1741)  

2)  INDIVIDUAL EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Birth:                        about 1737, Piscataway, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[1]    

*  Will:                        6 October 1767 (about age 30) will written; Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[3-4]  
*  Death:                      before 19 October 1767 (before about age 30), Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[3-4]    

*  Probate:                  19 October 1767 (about age 30) will proved; Woodbridge, Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[3-4]  

3)  SHARED EVENTS (with source citations as indicated in brackets):

*  Spouse 1:                Elizabeth Ayers (1745-1767)    
*  Marriage 1:            15 February 1762 (about age 25), Middlesex, New Jersey, United States[1–2]    

*  Child 1:                  Mulford Martin (1763-1843)    
*  Child 2:                 Thomas Martin (1764-1810)  

4)  NOTES (with source citations as indicated in brackets):  

Limited information about this Martin family was obtained from the Patty Barthell Myers book titled Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman with related families, based partially on the work of Freeman Worth Gardiner and Willis Freeman.[1]

Thomas Martin was born in about 1737 to Mulford and Zerviah (Dunham) Martin in Piscataway, New Jersey.[1]  He was a weaver, according to his will.

On 15 February 1762, Thomas Martin married Elizabeth Ayers in Middlesex County, New Jersey.[1-2]  Elizabeth was born in about 1745 in Woodbridge, New Jersey, the daughter of James and Hope (Bloomfield) Ayers.  They had two children[1,3-4]:

*  Mulford Martin (1763-1843), married (1) Rachel Martin (1757-1788) in about 1781, and married  (2) Betsey Rolfe (1766-????) in 1788.
*  Thomas Martin (1765-1810), married Catherine Davenport (1764-1832) in about 1784.

Elizabeth (Ayers) Martin died before 6 October 1767, probably in Woodbridge, leaving two small children.  Thomas Martin wrote his will on 6 October 1767 and does not mention his wife.[3-4]  

Thomas died before 19 October 1767, probably in Woodbridge, when his will was proved in Middlesex County Surrogates Court.[3-4] 

They left two small children (about ages 4 and 2) to be raised by the family - perhaps one of Thomas Martin's or Elizabeth Ayers siblings or cousins.

There are no death records or burial records for either Thomas Martin or Elizabeth (Ayers) Martin.

The will of Thomas Martin was found in the New Jersey Surrogates Court records.[3]  It says:

In the Name of god Amen. I Thomas Martin of Woodbridge in the County of Middlesex & province of East New Jersey Weaver sick & weak of body, but of Sound mind & Memory thanks be given to God. Therefore & being minded that it is appointed For all Men Once to Die do make & ordain this my last will & testament In Manner & Form following that Is to say my soul I recommend to god who gave it & my body to the Earth to be Buried in a Christian like & Decent manner at the Discretion of my Executors no:thing Doubting but at the generall resurrection I shall receive the same by the mighty power of God & touching such worldly Estate wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me in this Life I give & bequeath & Dispose off in the following maner & form. 

Imprimis I will that all my Lawfull Debts & Funeral Charges be paid as soon as Conveniently may be after my Decease by my Executors hereafter named. 

Item I will that all my moveable Estate of What kind soever & also so much of my Land as will be Sufficient to Clear all my Debts be Exposed to Sale & it is my will that such part of my Lands be Disposed off by my Executors for the Discharging of my Debts as they shall think the most proper or convenient. 

Item I Will that my two Sons vizt. Mulford Martin & Thomas Martin be maintained & supported upon the benefits & profits arising from my said Estate & if either of Each of my said Sons should live to a proper age to be put to trades that then it shall be left to the Discretion of my said Exrs to act as they shall think it proper. 

Item I will & bequeath my said Estate unto my said sons Mulford Martin & Thomas Martin & to their heirs & assigns for Ever to be Equally Divided between them as soon as my Eldest Son Mulford Martin is of age if my said Executors, or the survivors of them shall think proper To do and if Either of my sons should die without having Lawfull Issue then my will is that my Estate Descend to the Survivor & his heirs. 

And Lastly I make ordain Constitute & appoint Isaac Faurot & Nathaniel Martin & Samuel Ayers my only & sole Executors to this my last Will & Testament & I do hereby Utterly Disannul & Revoke all other Wills Testaments Legacies & Execut'rs by me at any time before this Willed named or Bequeathed, Ratifying & Confirming this and no other to be my Last Will & testament. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand seal this sixth Day of October in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred sixty seven...1767.

Signed Sealed published pronounced & Declared     }
by the said Tho's Martin as his last will & testament }      Thomas Martin {Ls}
in presence of James Ayers, Daniel Compton, 
Neil Campbell, Jno. Jackson Sheridan

All the above truely said by me to the testator.

Memorandum that on the nineteenth day of October one thousand seven hundred & Sixty Seven James Ayers & Neil Campbell two of the within Subscribed Witnesses appeared before me John Mackay duly authorized & they being sworn on the Holy Evangelists did Declare that they were present & did see Thomas Martin the testator in the within will named sign & Seal the same & heard him publish pronounce & Declare it to be his last will & testament. That at the Doing there he was of sound mind & Memory to the best of their knowledge & as they verily believe & that at the same time Daniel Compton the other witness was also present & Signed as an Evidencer as they each did in the presence of the sd Thomas Martin. Also that at the same time Isaac Faurot & Samuel Ayres two of the Executors within named came before me were duley Qualified by taking the oath of Exors by Law appointed.Examined & Agrees with the Original. 
John Mackay & ????? Reg'r John Mackay

Probate granted by Governor Franklin &c (in the usual form &c) dated the same 13th day of October 1767
For: Reed Junr Secret'y & Reg'r

Additional information was provided in the New Jersey Archives abstract records:[4]

1767, Oct. 6. Martin, Thomas, of Woodbridge, Middlesex Co., weaver; will of. Sons, Mulford and Thomas Martin, to be supported from the profits of my estate; which estate they are to have when old enough.
Executors: Isaac Faurot, Nathaniel Martin and Samuel Ayres.
Witnesses: James Ayers, Daniel Compton, Neil Campbell, John Jackson Sheridan.
Proved Oct. 19, 1767.
1767, Oct. 21. Inventory, £232.5.1, made by James Manning and Henry Langstaff.
1775, June 8. Account by Executors.  Land was sold by the executors as follows: 
*  To Benjamin Thornell, for £99.7.8; 
*  to Samuel Martin, for £102.1.3; 
*  salt meadow to Dugal Campbell, for £11.19.6; 
*  land to Samuel Martin, "for which no deed is yet given."  (Lib. I, p. 162)
   
5.  SOURCES

1. Patty Barthell Myers, Ancestors and Descendants of Lewis Ross Freeman with related families, based partially on the work of Freeman Worth Gardiner and Willis Freeman (Camden, Me.: Penobscot Press, 1995), page 446.

2. "New Jersey, Marriage Records, 1670-1965," online indexed database, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com) , Thomas Martin and Elizabeth Ayres entry.
3. New Jersey Surrogate's Court, Middlesex County, Wills, Liber I, pages 262-263 (image 104), Thomas Martin will, 1767; "New Jersey, Wills and Probate Records, 1656-1999," digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com: accessed 7 September 2015, images no longer available); citing original data from New Jersey County, District and Probate Courts.

4.  A. Van Doren Honeyman, editor, Documents Relating to the Colonial History of the State of New Jersey: First Series -- Volume XXXIII: Calendar of New Jersey Wlls, Administrations, etc., Volume IV -- 1761-1770 (Somerville, N.J.: The Unionist Gazette Association, Printers, 1928), page 275, Thomas Martin estate, 1767; digital images, Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com ).

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NOTE:  In 2014, Amy Johnson Crow suggested a weekly blog theme of "52 Ancestors" in her blog post  52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks on the No Story Too Small blog.  I have extended this theme in 2019 to 312 Ancestors in 312 Weeks.


Copyright (c) 2019, Randall J. Seaver

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