There is a lot of confusion surrounding Obadiah Martin – dates, places and even wives. Was he born in 1738 or 1761? Did he live in Amherst County, VA or Caroline County, VA? Or maybe Surry County, N.C., or was it Orange County N.C.? Caswell County N.C.? Kentucky? Or maybe all of the above? Did he fight in the Revolutionary War? Was he a lawyer? A preacher? Did he marry Elizabeth, Betty, Ann Turner, Ann New, or Winnifred? The answer is yes to all of the above. The truth is, there were several Obadiah Martinś that lived between 1738 and 1880 and many were related to James Martin and Elizabeth (née Crawford); one son, two grandsons, a great grandson, and a nephew. This is my attempt to unravel the details.
If you have information that my information is incorrect, please share! With so many records from this era destroyed, it is hard to piece together the details; but together we can. The numbering below has no specific meaning other than a way to keep track of who is who – except for Obadiah #1; he’s my 5th great grandfather. Obadiah #2 & #3 are cousins and Obadiah #4 is my 3rd great uncle.
Obadiah #1 was one of the younger sons of James and Elizabeth (nee Crawford) Martin. He was born in Virginia around 1738. I have not found any primary documents to confirm this date. He married a woman named Elizabeth (referred to as Betty in many land deeds), they moved to Caswell County/Orange County, North Carolina by 1777. Obadiah and Betty lived on the border between the two counties and were often listed in both. He owned a mill on Jordan’s creek, a branch of the Haw River. In 1795 they moved to Hawkins County, TN and sold their land holdings in North Carolina. When Hawkins County split in 1801, the area where Obadiah lived became part of Claiborne County, and he lived there until he died in 1820. Obadiah and Elizabeth had six children: Menan, Thomas, John, Martha, Ann and Lucy, as identified in his will and land deeds. Obadiah owned a grist mill in North Carolina, and I’ve been told he was a preacher in his later years in Tennessee. I have proof of the mill, but not of the preaching. When he died he left pieces of his land to each of his children, and his daughter Lucy bought the land rights from her siblings. In 1841 she sold the land in Claiborne County, TN for $200.
Obadiah #2 was the son of David Crawford Martin Sr. and Mary Mann, and the grandson of James and Elizabeth, and nephew to Obadiah #1. He was born in Virginia in 1761 and you will often see him mentioned with his older brother Salathiel. Both Obadiah #2 and Salathiel fought in the Revolutionary War and afterwards moved to Surry County, North Carolina with parents and aunt and uncle Sally (née Martin) and William Terrell Lewis. Obadiah #2 was a lawyer and married Winnifred Cook on September 26, 1785 in Surry County, North Carolina. They were married by Obadiahś brother Salathiel who was the Justice of the Peace in Surry County. (Applications for Pensions from the Government of the United States, page 811, Appendix D. Application made in May 1840 by Lieutenant Obadiah Martinś widow, Winnifred Cook.) Obadiah 2 and Winnifred had 10 children: Polly, Sarah, Keziah, David, Alfred, William C, Vienna, Joseph W, Elizabeth and Tennessee. Obadiah received land in Tennessee for his service in the War, but never lived there, he sold it to uncle William Terrell Lewis. His brother Salathiel and uncle William Terrell Lewis and their families moved to Tennessee by 1800. Obadiah stayed in North Carolina and died in Surry County in 1826.
Obadiah #3 was the son of James Martin Jr. and Sara (née Harris), and grandson of James and Elizabeth, and nephew to Obadiah #1. Obadiah #3 was born in Albemarle, Virginia in 1770 and died in 1822 in Madison County or Ohio County, Kentucky. Obadiah #3 married Ann New in Amherst County, VA on Jan. 17, 1791. The entire family, along with the Harris family, move to Kentucky between 1785 – 1788.
Obadiah #4 was the grandson of Obadiah #1. Obadiah Terrell Lewis Martin, otherwise known as Obadiah T.L. Martin. He was born in 1808 and was the son of Menan M. Martin and Elizabeth, and the grandson of Obadiah #1. Obadiah #4 died in Overton County, TN in 1871. I believe he was named after his uncle William Terrell Lewis who was a powerful land owner, speculator, and politician in early Tennessee history.
Obadiah #5 was Obadiah Martin born 1813 in Albemarle County, VA. Obadiah #5 marries Sallie Ann Witt in 1839. They are found in the 1850, 1860, 1870, and 1880 census in Virginia. Obadiah is a farmer and they have nine children; the youngest son is named Obadiah J. Martin born est. 1866 in Nelson County, VA. This Obadiah is not related as far as I can tell, although he could be a cousin from far down the line.
Obadiah #6 was born in 1778 in Guilford, North Carolina and married Sarah Abbot on March 7, 1804. They supposedly had three children: Naaman, William, and Elizabeth. This Obadiah is also not related as far as I can tell.
Bottom line, there were several Obadiah Martin’s in the Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Kentucky areas from 1740-1850. Some of them are related, and some are not. Obadiah 1, 2, 3, and 4 are related. Numbers 5 & 6 are not related to my Martin line, but they lived during the same time frame, same general location. I’m sure these are not all of the Obadiah Martin men from that time frame – these are just the ones I have identified when trying to sort through the tangled knot of my ancestry.
Happy Researching!
Cheers,
Deborah