MARTIN |
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Kindly submitted by Bev:
MARTIN Surnames in Pennsylvania HISTORY: PA Archives: Second Series. Vol IX.: Part II: Section 5: Provincial Officers for the Additional Counties. 1729-1776." Which include Lancaster, York, Berks, Cumberland, Northampton, Bedford, Northumberland, and Westmoreland. Northampton County James Martin, Nov. 27, 1757 Justices of the Peace --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- HUNTER SETTLEMENT Of Lower Mount Bethel James Martin lived in the Hunter Settlement of Lower Mount Bethel in the Forks of the Delaware. The people of this settlement came from Northern Ireland & Scotland, establishing the section in 1728-30. They had been persecuted by the British & forced to make a new home . ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The country gothic building which houses the Slate Belt Historical Society Museum was originally the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church. This church had its beginnings in 1730 when some 30 families of Scotch-Irish birth settled in an area north of the Forks of the Delaware River, now Upper & Lower Mount Bethel & Washington Townships, particularly the villages of Martins Creek, Richmond & Mount Bethel. Alexander Hunter, an early leader, gave his name to this community. Hunter Settlement was part of land still in Lenni Lenape Indian territory & these pioneers were actually squatters in a hostile land. In 1737 the infamous Walking Purchase secured all of this land for the settlers, although Indians remained in the area for a few years thereafter. This explains why the missionary David Brainerd arrived at the Forks of the Delaware in 1744 to tend to the spiritual needs of the Indians as well as to any Scotch-Irish Presbyterians in the area. Although Presbyterian Church records prior to 1738 do not so indicate, it must be assumed that these people-stern & with rigid beliefs--had some form of church before this time. Settling in the wilderness was a hazardous business & it probably took the Hunter Settlement until 1738 to organize sufficiently to call for a pastor to serve their young church. It is believed that they worshipped in a small building, most likely log, which stood in the old Presbyterian burying ground at Martins Creek. In 1813 the members of the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church from the northern part of the settlement around Centerville (present-day Stone Church) & Williamsburg (Mount Bethel) organized their own church. In the beginning the congregation probably worshipped in a small log building which was shared with other denominations. A deed dated June 21, 1823, states that Valentine & Catherine Stine sold to the Trustees of the English Presbyterians at Mount Bethel, a tract of land containing 2 acres & 20 perches for the sum of $190. Later, Squires Hagerman sold a tract for $75. It is believed these 2 parcels make up the property where the present building was built in 1836, with the surrounding land being used for a cemetery. The interior of the building had the customary high back pews with doors, all painted white & mounted in mahogany. A gallery extended around 3 sides with the choir occupying the end facing the pulpit. In 1853 the Williamsburg Academy was built in the southwest corner of the cemetery. This parochial school was the first institution of higher learning in this area, & offered such courses as Latin & Greek. Jonathan Moore, an elder in the church & the first schoolmaster, was paid $300 per year plus all the tuition income up to a total of $400.According to an advertisement in THE PORTLAND ENTERPRISE of June 17, 1876, the tuition was $7.50 for a ten-week term, or 90 cents a week. Many graduates of this much-needed course of education went on to fill honorable positions as ministers, educators, public officials & community leaders. The Williamsburg Academy burned in 1894, & with it were destroyed some of the early records of the church which had been stored there. By 1872 a committee was formed to see to the “repair” of the old church at Williamsburg”. This work was done during the next year, when a recess was built at the back of the church to house the pulpit, the gallery was demolished & the pews reversed. In 1884, the church was further remodeled, with the floor being tiered & the pews being replaced with theater-style seats. This is essentially how the church remained into this century. In 1963 the Mount Bethel Presbyterian Church merged with the Portland Presbyterian Church (which had originally been formed as a mission of the Mount Bethel Church). As part of the Community Presbyterian Church of Mount Bethel & Portland, the building remained in use until November 28, 1965, when the last worship service was held in tile sanctuary. The building remained vacant until it was given to the Portland Area Centennial in 1976. The following year the Centennial Committee turned it over to the Slate Belt Historical Society for the establishment of a museum to be used as a repository for artifacts & memorabilia pertaining to the history & culture of the Slate Belt area. A great deal of volunteer work has been accomplished but much remains to be done in order to restore & preserve the building. Especially pressing is the need to work on the tiered floor, the belfry & the stained glass windows. The building is listed on the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places & is being reviewed for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places, which would aid the museum in its restoration, by opening additional financial sources. A listing of the tombstones in the cemetery & the pastors who served the church is available at the museum http://www.regionalheritage.bizland.com/historical_society.htm Slate Belt Historical Museum, P.O. Box 58, Mt. Bethel, Pennsylvania 18343 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PENNSYLVANIA Ancestors--Counties they are from 1 Alexander MILLER & Miss KETCHLEDGE--had 3 boys 2 Alexander MILLER(had twin named Sanders) b. 1681 Scotland d. 1765? Married a MAREY, first name unknown. He & his wife buried at Three Churches, Scotch-Irish Cemetery, Mt. Bethel, PA. had son 3 Alexander MILLER b. around 1731 married Margaret MCCARTNEY3 Martha MILLER m. Alexander MILLER, her 1st cousin--son of Thomas & Betsy Isabel (Thompson) Miller. 2 Sanders (twin to Alexander) b. 1681 d. Oct 1765 Bedminister Township, PA. Married a MAREY, first kname unknown. Children were 3 Jean MILLER m. James THOMPSON 3 William MILLER 3 Moley (Molly) MILLER m. Robert WILSON3 Elizabeth MILLER 3 Oliver MILLER 2 Thomas MILLER b. 1687 Scotland d. 27 Oct 1755 Mt. Bethel Township PA North Hampton Co. PA. Married Betsy Isabel “Iby” THOMPSON b. 1687/88 Scotland d. 1799 Ohio. She lived to be 112 yrs. old. She is buried in Ohio. They both were one of the early settlers in Pennsylvania. Thomas Miller had a mill on Schuylkill in 1713, also Thomas Miller (Millwright) 200 acres of land on branch of Manataueny Creek, March 20, 1719, located in Bucks or Berks Co. PA. 3 Nancy “Agnes” MILLER b. 1726? Bucks Co. PA d. 1786/87 Campbell Co. VA, Married 1745/6 Pennsylvania Alexander GALBRAITH b. 1720 d. 1792. (Terri Strode--strodex2@hrtc.net--Madison County IN says married 8 Apr 1747 Bucks, PA) His parents were John GALBRAITH b. 1694 Scotland & Margaret. They married abt. 1718. (ejthomas@i1.net - - says John’s father was John Galbraith from Blessinburn, Scotland) 3 Ann MILLER b. 1728 d. 24 Jun 1799 m. in PA. to James MARTIN b. 1710 d. 29 May 1767. They had 9 children including daughter Mary MARTIN who married John GALBRAITH Mary’s sister Eleanor Martin married John Galbraith’s brother James Galbraith. Martin sisters married Galbraith brothers. so Ann Miller & James Martin are our direct ancestors also-- 3 William MILLER b. 1729 d. 5 Dec 1767 Mt. Bethel PA. Married Jean. Had 4 children. 3 Alexander MILLER b. abt 1731 m. his 1st cousin Martha MILLER. Had 3 children. Martha’s father 2 Alexander Miller (one of twins born to 2 Alexander Miller & unknown Ketchledge) was brother to 2 Thomas, this Alexander’s father. Martha’s mother’s surname was MAREY 3 Thomas MILLER Jr d. before 1787. Had 1 child 3 Samuel MILLER d. aft. 1790 m. Fannie MOORE. 4 Isabel GALBRAITH b. 1747 d. aft. 1810 m. 1st husband Joseph Gaston 2nd husband m. James Dinwiddie--had 10 children 4 Alexander GALBRAITH Jr. b. 1749 Bucks Co. TN d. 1835 Wheat, Roane Co. TN. m. Rosannah LYLE had 5 children 4 Thomas GALBRAITH b. 1751 N.Hampton PA d. 5 Feb 1839 Jefferson Co. TN Buried nr. Danridge, TN m. Elizabeth HAYS--Could have been one who bought so many slaves from 1816-1819 for use of his large plantation Knox Co. TN 12 children 4 JOHN GALBRAITH b. 1752 Northampton Co. PA d. 1814 Turkey Creek Knox Co.TN m. his 1st cousin Knox Co. TN 1777 MARY MARTIN b. 1756 Martins Creek, Lower Mt. Bethel township, Northampton Co. PA d. 6 May 1821. Both buried at Pleasant Forest Cemetery, near Campbell Station Knox Co. TN. No stones mark their graves, & location is not known. An explanation of this is during Civil War the Confederates were camped here & destroyed & mutilated stones & property. John moved from PA to VA, after his marriage & settled on Falling River in Berkley Co, West Virginia, where he acquired land. In the many histories of the Kings Mountain Men, who were present & took part in that battle & was previously with Francis Marion of South Carolina. One very relevant fact is John Galbraith received a land grant from North Carolina after the Revolutionary War & only those who took part in the Battle of Kings Mountain received these grants. Records have been found pertinent to the fact he was also at the Battle of Quebec in 1775 led by Gen. Richard Montgomery, Since he never applied for a pension for his services in the Revolution, we have only traditions handed down by the early descendants. John Galbraith took part in the War of 1812 From traditions left by the early descendants, it is of opinion that John Galbraith died as the result of the War of 1812 see MARTIN GENEALOGY 4 Margaret GALBRAITH b. 1754 d. 1835 Campbell Co. VA m. Andrew FIELDS 10 children 4 William GALBRAITH b. 1756 Northampton Co. PA. d. 1802 Green Co. TN m. Margaret LEGGETT4 James GALBRAITH b. 7 June 1761 Lower Mt. Bethel Township Northampton Co. PA. d 22 May 1830 Greene Co. Henderson Station TN. m. Eleanor Martin’s sister Mary MARTIN married James brother John GALBRAITH ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BUCKS CO. Alexander GALBRAITH b. 1720 d. 1792 m. 8 Apr 1747 Bucks C. PA Nancy “Agnes” Miller (called Agnes) b. 1726 Bucks Co. PA d. 1786/86 Campbell Co. VA NORTHAMPTON CO. John GALBRAITH b. 1752 Northampton Co. PA d. 1814 Turkey Creek Knox Co. TN m. his 1st cousin Knox co. TN 1777 Mary MARTIN b. 1756 Martins Creek, Lower Mt. Bethel township, Northampton Co. PA d. 6 May 1821. Both buried at Pleasant Forest Cemetery, near Campbell Station Knox Co. TN William Martin GALBRAITH b. 1800 (not sure in born in PA or TN? but was married 1830 in Knox Co. TN James MARTIN b. 1710 d. 20 May 1767 Martin’s Creek, Northampton Co. PA m. Ann MILLER, daughter of Thomas MILLER & Isabel “Iby” THOMPSON Mary MARTIN b. 1756 Martins Creek Mt. Bethel Township, Northampton Co. PA d. 6 May 1821 Turkey Creek, Knox Co. TN-- buried Pleasant Forest Cemetery, Knox Co. TN married 1778 PA her 1st cousin --John GALBRAITH--Mary’s mother (Ann MILLER) & John’s mother (Nancy Agnes MILLER) were sisters. John GALBRAITH b. 1752 Northampton Co. PA d. 1814 Turkey Creek, Knox Co. TN Thomas MILLER b. 1687 Scotland d. 27 Oct 1755 Mt. Bethel Township Northampton Co. PA d. bef. 1787 m. Betsy Isabel “Iby” THOMPSON. b. 1687/88 Scotland d. 1799 Ohio & buried in Ohio (She lived to be 112 yrs. old. )-- were one of the early settlers in PA--He had a mill on Schuylkill in 1713 Bucks Co. PA and also was from Lower Mt. Bethel, Northampton Co. PA--had daughters Ann MILLER & Nancy Agnes MILLER |
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Page last updated: Wednesday, 25 July 2007 |
