Samuel James Martin

• District of Banbridge, Down's birth record of Samuel James Martin on IrishGenealogy.ie. https://civilrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/images/birth_r...
• "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).

He was born in 1881 in Aughnaskeagh townland, civil parish of Dromara, County Down, Ireland. He appears to have 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). 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. He died in 1935. He was buried at Karori, Wellington, New Zealand. 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.

His paternal line (YDNA haplogroup) is R-S675 (subclade of R-M222, subclade of R1b) according to the DNA test of his grandson Melvan Driscoll. Data from his sister's maternal-line 2nd great granddaughter D.F.'s DNA test shows his mitochondrial haplogroup wasn't H, U or K (they represent a majority of her population). D.F.'s relationship to Samuel's descendants are confirmed by autosomal DNA matches with his descendants.

"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.

• Griffith's Valuation, Ask About Ireland: https://www.askaboutireland.ie/griffith-valuation
• Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI), Search Valuation Books (VAL 12B): https://apps.proni.gov.uk/Val12B/Search.aspx
• 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

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.

AN OPEN VERDICT, Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 82, 6 April 1935:

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/EP19350406.2.124

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

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.

"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)).

• "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.
• Wellington City Council Cemetery Search at https://wellington.discovereverafter.com
• 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).

D.F. the DNA-tested descendant of his niece Susan: Private
(great grandchild of Susan Essie Clingan)