Hello fellow researchers,

Today I’m sharing what I know about Menan M. Martin, b. 1775 in Virginia d. 1849 Overton County, TN.

Menan was the oldest son of Obadiah (1738-1820) and Betty Martin. His relationship to Obadiah is confirmed by deeds in 1812 and again in 1840. I have never found proof of Menan’s birth (date or location); however in 1812 Obadiah refers to Menan as his son of Overton County, TN and I have found Menan listed in the Overton County, TN census records. Prior to 1850 the census did not record individual ages or names of dependents. Menan is found in the 1820 census over 45, in 1830 over 50, and in 1840 he was over 60 but under 70.  I have found his birth listed as both North Carolina and Virginia in the census records for a variety of his sons. His parents moved from Virginia to Orange County, NC around 1777. They are found in the 1779 tax list for Orange County. Based on this information Menan was born around 1775/76; however, exactly where he was born in unknown to me. If anyone has information to share on this, I would love to have it!

The Martin family lived on the border between Orange County, NC and Caswell County, NC from 1777 to 1796. Most deeds list Obadiah and Betty as being from Orange County, North Carolina.  In March 1794 Menan is listed in Caswell County, NC on a transaction log for crop tobacco. Menan would have been about 18/19 years old at that time. There was no age mentioned in the transaction log. In 1795/6 Obadiah and Betty sold their property in North Carolina and moved the family to Hawkins County, TN.

I have found no other record of Menan until 1804 when he is listed as a surveyor for a Wilson County, TN land deed. He surveyed 300 acres in the State of Tennessee First District. Around 1806 Menan married Elizabeth and their first child was born on December 13, 1807; Obediah Terrell Lewis Martin, otherwise known as OTL Martin. I assume OTL is named after his grandfather, Obadiah, and his first cousin, William Terrell Lewis Jr.  It’s interesting to note that William Terrell Lewis was an active politician and land speculator and surveyor. He was about 20 years older than Menan and may have had a big influence in Menan’s life. William Terrell moved from North Carolina to the Nashville Settlement/Davidson County around 1793. By 1809 William Terrell and several of his brothers and families were living in what is now Murfreesboro. I’ve often wondered if Menan followed his cousins to the Davidson County area.

By 1807 Menan and Elizabeth were becoming established in Overton County, TN. The 1820 census lists Menan with eight children, and in 1830 he is listed with 12 children, but I believe OTL was out of the house by then as no male was listed over age 14 and OTL was 23 years old by then. If that is true, Menan and Elizabeth either had a total of 13 children or had other children living with them.  I have been able to confirm ten children; however, it was be reasonable that they had several children that died young, especially in the time frame of 1809 – 1815. That is a large gap with no children.  Below are the confirmed children of Menan and Elizabeth:

• Obediah Terrell Lewis Martin Dec. 13, 1807 – Nov. 8, 1871 (confirmed son of Menan by will)
• Lucinda Martin 1809 – 1866. Apparently Lucinda never married. She found living with her mother in 1860 and her brother in 1870 and 1880.
• Joseph (Joel) C. Martin Oct. 31, 1815 – Jan. 25, 1891 (confirmed brother of Thomas D. by deeds)
• Nancy Martin 1816 – 1880. Apparently never married. She is found living with her mother in 1860, and brother in 1870 and 1880.
• John S. Martin 1817
• William M. Martin 1821 – 1900 (confirmed son of Menan by 1865 land deed “land of Menan Martin my father”) William was a cabinet maker according to 1850 census.
• Elizabeth Martin 1822 – 1880. Apparently never married. She is found living with her mother in 1860 and brother in 1870 and 1880.
• Mary Martin Smith March 15, 1824 – June 10, 1917. Married George Smith. She is buried in Speck Cemetery in Overton County, TN
• Thomas D. Martin 1825 – 1882. (confirmed son of Menan by land deed)
• Menan M. Martin Jr. Nov. 25, 1829 – Aug. 11, 1897 (confirmed son of Menan by will)

Menan grows his land holdings in Overton County, TN over 30 years. It appears he amassed approximately 500 acres along the West Fork of Obed’s River by the head of  Puncheon Camp Creek.

In 1820 Menan’s father, Obadiah dies in Claiborne County, TN. In 1841 Menan and his siblings sell their portion of Obadiah’s land in Claiborne County to their sister Lucy. Lucy then sells the land to Enoch Moore. (1841, May 14 Claiborne County land deed, Lucy Martin of the County of Claiborne and State of Tennessee sells land 350 acres in Claiborne County near the mouth of Hoop Creek on the South Side of Powell River, it being the same tract of land where Obadiah, deceased, owned in his lifetime for $200 to Enoch Moore. Lucy purchased from brothers John Martin, Menan Martin, and Thomas Martin, and sisters Ann Riley, Martha Huddleston, and Elizabeth Southers.) (Claiborne County, TN Register of Deeds, Book P, page 263-265)

Menan dies in late spring 1849. I have been unable to locate a copy of his will but on May 7, 1849 OTL Martin and Menan M. Martin, sons and Executors of Menan M. Martin Sr, filed the last will and testament of Menan M Martin decd in open court, Overton County, TN. OTL and Menan Jr. were listed in the will as two Executors of his estate. OTL and Menan Jr. returned  to court on June 2, 1849 with an inventory of Menan Sr. estate.

Elizabeth dies sometime after 1860.

Happy Researching,

Deborah