William Martin, merchant of Bristol

• Not a known son of Capt. John Martin, of Pale Park
• his brother was Thomas

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Birth seen as 1660 Manor Of Pindergast, Pembroke, England (United Kingdom).

Update April 2018

The parents of Captain Joseph Martin, I, of Albemarle are unknown. The following is from Martin family descendant/researcher Col. Joe Martin, who travelled to Bristol, England in July, 2014, to search for information confirming Joseph Martin’s parentage and birth.

“We did find a William Martin in Bristol, in fact several of them; one was listed in a newspaper article as dying at his home on Orchard Street on 4 Feb. 1765. No additional information was listed in this newspaper article. We found a rich, prominent William Martin who was the High Sheriff and Lord Mayor of Bristol in 1757, member of the Merchants Corporation and Alderman at the time of his death. However, we could not find a “will” in the Bristol Civic Archive Records but did find a “recorded and approved will” dated 20 Mar. 1765, in the Canterbury Archives Records office. This is where a “Will” would have been approved for someone who had multiple properties; all these multiple property “wills” had to be approved by the Canterbury Archives Record Office at this time. However, this “will” did not mention “where he died or when he died”. I’ve communicated with this archives office and two different researchers who work there and they have searched their records and no other information was found concerning this approved “will” for this William Martin. In this “will” he mentions, his brother Thomas, two sisters, nieces and several other relatives, but no children were mentioned. He also mentions a wife, Sarah, who he leaves a home to her located on Castle Street, which is only a few blocks from the Orchard Street home. The newspaper article said “a William Martin had died on 4 Feb. 1765 at his home on Orchard Street. This is puzzling for me. We searched all 16 parish records in Bristol for a Joseph Martin, birth or baptismal record, none were found. Therefore, we have nothing to tie Joseph Martin to this William Martin or any of the other William Martins found. I feel confident; this William Martin, whose “will” was approved by the Canterbury Records Office on 20 Mar., 1765 is the same person who is buried in the Lord Mayors Chapel in Bristol. His granddaughter, Sarah Reed Rydell is also buried with him in the church vault. This is proven by a plaque located on the wall of the church. We searched all the other archives in Bristol, including records at the Library, merchant seaman’s records, shipping records, and the old 1750’s city council office records. No records were found to establish that William Martin was the father of our Joseph Martin, the c. 1725 immigrant to America.”

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Notes

• from an article in the "History of the Cherokee Indians" by Emmitt Starr: In the first quarter of the 18th century, William Martin, a wealthy merchant of Bristol, bought the ship, "Brice", gave it to his son Joseph and sent him to Virginia to keep him from marrying a girl that the father objected to. Joseph married Susannah Childs and settled on a large estate near Charlottsville in Albemarle Co. VA.
• The following from Joseph Martin: "For his services Gen. William Martin was given a huge area of land around Newport, Wales and the Martin family remained there until about 1600 when one of my Great Grandfathers, another William Martin moved to Bristol, England, about 40 miles away and began an ocean going shipping business with 3 ships, one being the "Brice" which he sent my 5th Great grandfather, Capt. Joseph Martin to America on in 1725."
• from "Family History" by Lucy Henderson Horton: The coat of arms of Col. John Martin and of our immigrant ancestor Joseph Martin of Caroline Co. VA is..."Origin of Martin" Col. John Martin and his kinsman Joseph Martin, both of Caroline Co. VA came from the Barons or Cemmaes, or Kemeys.
• from Judy French, Notes from Other Genealogists of the Line, Martin Family Website. William was a descendant of the Martine family who was one of the Norman Knights who accompanied William the Conqueror in the conquest of England in October 1066 and the family later changed the name to Martin. William is my 6th great grandfather.

Links

• FindAGrave
• The Earliest Documented Ancestor of the MARTIN / MARTAIN / MARTYN - Y-DNA Project - Group 23
• http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/b/a/i/Joseph-F-Bailey-CA...