Biographical Sketch of Thomas MARTIN and Family; Chester County, PA Contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Gail Steckel http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ********************************************************* Transcribed From Futhey & Cope's "History of Chester County", pages 652-653: MARTIN, THOMAS, with Margery (Mendenhall), his wife, came from Bedwin Magna, in Wiltshire, in 1685, bringing children, - Mary, Sarah, Hannah, and Rachel. They settled in Middletown, where their son Moses, and probably other children, were born. We find George and Elinor Martin, for whom we can assign no other parentage. These children married as follows: Mary to James Whitaker, 1690; Sarah to William Shewin; Rachel to Thomas Woodward, 1704; Moses, b. 1/9/1685-6, m. Margaret Battin, in 1714; George, m. Lydia Buffington; Elinor, m. John Scarlet, 1715. George Martin settled in West Bradford, a little northwest of Marshallton, where he died 6/22/1780. His children were Joseph, John, James, George, Rachel (m. to John Hennings), Lydia (m. to James Dilworth,), Mary (m. ---Wood), and Elizabeth (m. to Joseph Passmore and James Chalfant). Joseph married Hannah Harlan, and had children, - Joseph, Caleb, Rebecca (m. to Joseph Woodward), Hannah (m. to Benjamin Miller), Lydia (m. to John Woodward), Mary (m. to Daniel Leonard). Joseph died about 1802. George Martin, Jr. married Martha, daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Widdows, who died 9,13, 1808, aged seventy-nine years, six months, and twenty-eight days. George died 4, 11, 1771, aged forty-five years. He lived with his uncle, Joseph Baffington, in the Forks of the Brandywine, or at least his widow remained on the farm for several years after his death. His children were Sarah, b. 1,11,1755; Ruth, b. 1,28, 1757; Lydia, b. 4,3, 1759; Thomas, b. 4,12,1761, d. 8, 24, 1808; George, b. 5,12,1763; Abraham, b. 8.26/2765, d. 4,2,1826. Of these, Thomas married Margaret, daughter of Samuel Pennock, and was the father of Samuel, late of Kennett Square, George, Thomas, Simon, and Abraham. George (3) married Amy Buffington, and lived in Newlin Township. Children, - Martha, Phebe, Curtis, George Thomas, Abraham, Isaac, and Amy. Abraham married Lydia, daughter of Joseph and Rebecca (Martin) Woodward, and lived in Marshallton. Their children were George, Joseph, Abner, and Martha. Of these George was born 1, 9, 1798, but is still an active business man and much interested in local history, with which his memory is well stored. He has long been a store-keeper in the village of Marshallton. Respecting Samuel Martin, of Kennet Square, whose death, on the 17th of 6th month, 1880, resulted from a series of paralytic attacks, we quote from the Kennet Advance: (following paragraphs italicized) "Samuel Martin was born on the 24th of August, 1802, near the Forks of the Brandywine, in what was then Pennsbury township, but which now forms a part of Pocopson. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret Martin, and his mother was the daughter of Samuel Pennock. He early evinced an aptitude for study, and the few leisure periods in his farm-life were given to books. He worked on his father's farm until he had reached the age of twenty-one or thereabouts, when he set out to make his own way in life. By teaching in the winter season he was able to earn money to prosecute his studies the remainder of the year. One of the boarding-schools of that day was conducted by Alexander McKeever, who was at one time located at Gause's Corner, and at this school the subject of this memoir spent a year. In a824, Mr. Martin, whose first teaching was done in the old stone school building which until recently stood at the cross roads near Joseph Walter's, removed to Kennet Square, which at that time possessed no school of any kind. He taught for a time at the school-house on the Toughkenamon road, nearly opposite John Lamborn's, and it was at this school that he was the teacher of Bayard Taylor. In a short time he established a school in this borough, on East State Street, nearly opposite the Friend's meeting-house. Here he was so successful that he was induced to build Eaton Institute. While he was conducting this flourishing school the United States Bank collapsed and the Pennsylvania Bank suspended. He had considerable of his own, and all the money f some minor children for whom he was guardian, invested in the State bank, and the suspension placed him in a trying position. but he kept his courage, and was far-sighted enough to see that the bank would recover. All the spare cash he was able to get he invested in the stock at a greatly depreciated value, and he soon had the satisfaction of reaping a handsome reward. He early began to aid in the material development of the borough by building and otherwise improving. He was one of the chief promoters of the Baltimore Central Railroad, and subscribed liberally. He purchased considerable land along the projected route, which he built upon from time to time and sold. These building operations he continued to within a year of his death, and almost fifty dwellings, or one-fifth of all the houses here, were erected by him, and many a poor man to-day owes his comfortable home to the liberal spirit of Samuel Martin. "Though he retired many ears ago from active school-life, his interest in education did not flag. He was a warm friend of the public school, and was for many years one of its board of directors. In 1875 he built Martin Academy, designed as a preparatory school for children of Friends, though open to all sects, and in every work of education he exhibited a liberal spirit. "The Society of Friends in this borough, with which the deceased was connected, will long remember his generosity. The new meeting-house, built a few years ago, was largely the result of his liberality, five thousand dollars, or half the cost, being subscribed by him. He was an acceptable minister in the society, and his ministrations were listened to for many years. "The private life of Samuel Martin was blameless. To all his dealings with his fellow-men he carefully observed that conscientious exactness and strict probity that characterize the just man, and the handsome competency he left behind him was the result of industry, simplicity, and business sagacity. He overreached no man, an asked for nothing that was not justly his own. "Doubtless the deceased will be longest remembered by the children of his town. To every child he was 'Uncle,' and to every one he was a personal friend. He delighted in doing for them little acts of kindness, and he had the unselfish love of them all. And need we add more of the man who when living desired not his virtues recounted? It is enough to say that he was a simple, God-fearing, honest man, whose place in the community for which he did so much will be very hard to fill." (end italics) Moses Martin and Margaret (Battin), his wife, had children, - Adam, George, Hannah, Mary, John, Moses, Margaret, Rachel, and Susanna. They removed to Uwchlan prior to 1737, where Moses died before 1740. John Martin, the son, born 1,3,1718, married Hannah Dilworth, and died in Birmingham, 11,26, 1761, leaving children, - Moses, John, George, Jospeh, and Hannah. The widow married John Woodward, of Thornbury, 3,16, 1763, and was the mother of Thomas Woodward. George Martin, born 6,9,1754, died 7/19/1825, married, 11,28,1776, Elizabeth Reynolds, daughter of Henry and Sarah, and settle d in Chichester. Their children were Sarah, b. 9,7,1777, d. 4, 18, 1819, m. John Broomall, and was the mother of Hon. John M. Broomall; Anna, b. 12,28,1778, m. John Powell; Ruth, b. 10,17,1780, d. 1,17, 1878, m. John Sharpless; Beulah, b. 9,27,1782, d. 1,7,1818,m. Enos Sharpless, and was the mother of the late John M. Sharpless of Chester; Lydia, b. 8,20 1784; George, b. 2, 28, 1787, d. 7,26, 1847, father of Dr. George Martin, now of West Chester; Henry, b. 2, 20, 1789, d. 12,9,1791; John