Martha Alexander

From "Clarks From Pennsylvania and Allied families"

Martha was born in 1733 or 1734. Her father was David Edmiston who was born in 1700 and died on November 2, 1771. Her mother’s maiden name was Margaret Donnel.

From the records of Cecil County it appears that the Edmiston family in 1740 owned a track of land on the Octorara Creek, at the mouth of Stony Run. David and Margaret had eight children in all, including Martha. This was an area that many Scotch-Irish came to beginning in 1715. They were encouraged to settle in this boundary area of Pennsylvania and Maryland under dispute with the aggression of the Maryland Catholics. They were Presbyterians. Much of this area today is in Lancaster County, PA.

Son Samuel, a physician, graduate from Princeton College, was a long time ruling elder in Fagg’s Manor Presbyterian Church in Chester County.

Another son David was a long time ruling elder in Lower West Nottingham Church, Chester County Maryland. He owned “Stony Purchase”, bounded west by the Octorara and North by the Pennsylvania line. He was considered a bachelor of considerable estate. On this property the mother Margaret lived after the death of her husband, David Sr.

The parents and David are probably buried in the old Presbyterian Church yard at Rising Sun, Maryland.