Who married Lady Douglas? And who was she?

[William Douglas]

I have received the following request:

I am attempting to research my families history in the Americas. I have been given the task to find the origin of one Andrew Martin. He is the son of Sir Thomas Martin of England & Scotland, husband of one Lady Douglas, sister of one Lord Douglas, but which one?. The son of Thomas migrated to the Americas in the eighteenth century.

To discern Andrew's place of birth, I am forced to look closer at his antecedents.

However, others are looking for a Sir Thomas MARTIN and Lady DOUGLAS, from whom are descended Thomas (Amer Rev)>Andrew>John, Thomas, Jane, Elizabeth. Jane married William WILSON in York Cty, PA. Andrew, her father owned a "plantation" in Newbury Twp, PA which was willed to the two boys John and Thomas. John, Thomas and Jane I believe were in Wheeling WV (VA) together and then moved on to Bristolville, Trumbull, OH. John and Thomas then moved on to Mogadore, Summit, OH.

Andrew Martin's will lists only 4 children: Thomas, John, Jean and Elizabeth and I have a good idea on all siblings/descendants except Elizabeth. Thomas MARTIN, father of Andrew, was an ensign in the Amer Rev. Don't know of any other siblings to Andrew.

I am told that the Martin family of the Ohio branch locating in the Western Reserve can be traced back to the 17th century among the Irish, English and Scottish Protestant converts, the later including Sir Thomas Martin of England and Scotland who married Lady Douglas, sister of Lord Douglas of Scotland.

This appears to be the same family:

Isaac Martin's parents were Daniel and Elizabeth (Wynne) Martin. Their children included Abigail (b. 178?, m. George Sypolt), Mary (b. 1790, Philadephia PA, m. Christopher Sypolt), Jacob B. (b. 1793, Fayette Co. PA, m. Mary Metheny Miller), Sarah (b. 1795, m. John McNair), Isaac (b. 1797, Preston Co., VA, m. Susannah Metheny), John (b. 1800, Preston Co., VA, m. Sarah Sypolt). I believe the Morton History of Preston County says that Isaac was a shoemaker.

Daniel was a Revolutionary War soldier who, according to the 1850 Census, was born in New Jersey. You will see, however, in various histories of Preston County that he was from Germany. One source says that this is from his pension application but I did not see any reference in that document to his birthplace. The DAR database also has him born in Germany. There are family histories that have him as a descendant of John Martin (b. Devon, England), early settler of Dover, New Hampshire and Piscataway, New Jersey. [John > Thomas > Gershom > Daniel > Daniel]. I have not yet found, though, the information from Gershom to Daniel to Daniel. After Elizabeth died in 1837, Daniel Martin married Sarah Painter and then in 1841, when he was 90+ years old, Eve Everly.

[Sherri Hathaway]

I too have been trying to find MARTIN/DOUGLAS.  I am descended from above Jane MARTIN and William WILSON. About 15 yrs ago I found at the Mogadore Historical Society a typed sheet matching the information of the requestors description of Thomas MARTIN. I am originally from Ohio but now live in Oregon so cannot easily access Mogadore for more info. I do have the genealogy of a good portion of  descendants from Thomas and John as I found the wife who married a descendant of the MARTINs.  She did not have further info at that time of contact, we had planned to meet but never did.

Found Ensign Thomas MARTIN is listed as "MORTON" in the Amer Rev service records.  Since Ensign Thomas shows as MORTON I have recently looked in the MORTON direction and seen DOUGLAS connected into "of MORTON". Could Thomas have acquired the surname MORTON after marrying a DOUGLAS?

Have found a lot of MARTINs in the York County, PA area from Germany as well.

On Ancestry.com someone had Andrew MARTIN connected up into a Thomas MARTIN/ Lady DOUGLAS but it showed Lady DOUGLAS birth as a date from the 1800's which would not be correct.  I (quickly) looked again and couldn't find that tree on Ancestry.com.  Will look later when I have more time...

I also have the text from a short book which is a profile of William WILSON's grandson Capt "Billy" WILSON.  It says that Capt Billy's grandmother Jane MARTIN is of the MARTINs of Martinsville.  There is a Martinsville, Henry County, West Virginia that looks promising as a connection to the MARTINs - Charles Thomas Martin: West Virginia Estate Settlements; Inventory 4/15/1800 ... later founder of New Martinsville, WV. Colonel Martin died in 1800 ,,,,,, may be our MARTIN connection.  http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/a/r/Craig-S-Martin/WEB...

NOTE The state of West Virginia and Virginia at one time were just the one state of Virginia.

NOTE The French and Indian War (1754–1763) referred to in the document below is the American name for the North American theater of the Seven Years' War. 

Here is a copy of the written document I referred to above.

GENEALOGICAL RECORD

            The Martin family of the Ohio branch locating in the Western Reserve can be traced back to the 17^th century among the Irish, English and Scottish Protestant converts, the later including Sir. Thomas Martin of England and Scotland who married Lady Douglas, sister of Lord Douglas of Scotland.

            The son of the above couple migrated to the USA during the 18^th century in an official capacity and settled in Virginia.

            This younger son, Andrew Martin, received a grant of land in Newbury Township, County of York, Virginia sometime before the Declaration of Independence and was engaged in the war of that period.

            He married Katherine Hughs and resided on his plantation until 1801 when it was sold to James Legget Sr. after his death, by his two sons, Thomas Martin Jr and John Martin for the sum of 3000 pounds sterling. This will is transcribed in the Martin records, the daughters, Jean and Elizabeth granted personal or household equipment only.

            Thomas Martin, above son of Andrew Martin, was registered in the Indian Wars and his grandfather registered in 1778 as Ensign in Captain Samuel Fenton’s Company of the First Battalion of Cumberland County, Virginia Militia

A transcribe of the agreement between Thomas Martin Jr and his brother John Martin and the buyer of the Virginia plantation, Mr. James Legget Sr. and Gideon Granger and Mendwell P. Granger his wife, both of Cauandagua, County of Ontario, New York state; sold by Calvin Peace, an authorized attorney in Warren Trumbull County, to Thomas Martin and John Martin of Randolph Township, Portage County, OH; a  farm of 136 acres situated on the edge of the town site of Mogadore, OH for the sum of $596.00.  This occurred on the 26^th day of March 1817 and the witnesses were William Webb Sr. and David Hudson.

Would be interested in anything you might find, and would be happy to answer any questions you might have!

Sherri

[Patti Oldham Pinkley]

I find the German connection, the marriage to a Lady Douglas sister to Lord Douglas, and the information Sherri Hathaway includes concerning Germans of York PA, a Martin/Morton/Douglas connection, and a 17th century involvment with Irish, Scottish and English protestant converts eerily reminiscent of my family's stories. These are summarised at the list entry for Archibald Douglas to which I have contributed. Because my known direct Douglas ancester was female married to the German Conrad Rutter before 1683 when they immigrated, very young and with a baby, Andrew. I have little actual info about her other than her signature as a witness to Conrad's will. There is more known about her brothers/nephews which is also included in that entry. Checking Lancaster/Chester/Philadelphia/Montgomery County records for the Martin/Morton name may be illuminating for you. Good luck.