The Martin Family

Welcome to my Martin website - this is the surname that has been handed down through hundreds of years and has found it's way down to me amongst dozens of others. My genealogy research started obviously with this - my own surname. I am lucky to have older relatives who can remember most of what has happened to my core family over the last 100 years. I am also fortunate that my Great Grandfather's youngest sister - Ethel May Everett (neé Martin) is still well at 104 years of age and holds many photographs of generations long since gone as well as the stories that go with the characters. I must also say that I am indebted to my Grandfather's youngest brother Cyril (pictured below as a baby) and their cousin Reginald 'Vin' Martin who have both helped me significantly with this entire family tree research.

The Martin Family of Little Downham. c.1916-1917 My Martin family have lived in Cambridgeshire for at least 200 years - the earliest record I have of a definite ancestor appears at Coveney, in the fenland surrounding the Isle Of Ely in the late 1700's. This family has moved such a short distance in two hundred years - only to the next village of Little Downham - where my Uncle currently lives. My ancestors worked mainly as farmers or agricultural labourers with a couple of them working on the railways as platelayers during the early census years.

(left-right): Sidney James Martin, Daisy (neé Burnell, my Gt Grandmother), Cyril William Martin, Percy Martin (my Grandfather), Herbert Martin (my Gt Grandfather) and George Herbert Martin.

The family has certainly seen it's fair share of tragedy over the generations. The above picture was taken only months before the unfortunate death of my Gt Grandfather, Herbert Martin in 1917. He was killed in a train accident in France on his way home from the 1st World War. My Gt Grandmother (pictured above) later remarried to Reuben Shelton and had three further children. Herbert's youngest brother - Albert Martin b. 1899 died as a prisoner of war in a coal mine in Germany in 1918. Their sister Emma and her husband John William Goodge were also killed only a few weeks apart leaving their infant daughter Millie, orphaned. All four of these relatives died over a period of 11 months.

The previous generation didn't escape from such sorrow either - Herbert's father - James Martin (1851-1934) was one of three children of James Martin (1814-1868) and Mary Tingey (1821-1870's). Mary Tingey had been previously married and had a son called William Crisp (b. 1846) who seems to have eventually adopted the Martin surname. He married and went to Rochdale but contracted Measles and died their- as did some of his children. James's two sisters - Ellen (b. 1853) and Sarah Jane Martin (1855-1864) both died at young ages - leaving James as the only surviving child of four.Coveney Church. St. Peter Ad Vincula. ©A.J Martin 1998

 

Coveney parish church, deep in the fenland... here lie my Freeman, Martin and Moden ancestors...

 

 

 

 

 

My Martin ancestors:

Grandparents: Percy Martin (1914-1991) & Edna Olga Newman (1916-1986)

Great Grandparents: Herbert Martin (1884-1917) & Daisy Burnell (1886-1952)

Gt Gt Grandparents: James Martin (1851-1934) & Sarah Elizabeth Giddings (1852-1925)

Gt Gt Gt Grandparents: James Martin (1814-1868) & Mary Tingey (1821-1870's)

Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandparents: James Martin (1784-1856) & Mary Waters (1784-1869)

Gt Gt Gt Gt Gt Grandparents: John Martin (1749?-1832?) & Mary Smith? (1753?-1829?)

 

Connected Families Include:

 

 

above-right: my Gt Gt Grandfather - James Martin b. 1851-1934, (top) ...with a monkey on his head !!!

Other researchers include:

MARTIN: Connected to my own branch, my Grandfather's cousin 'Vin' would be equally as interested to hear about any Martin family news or any information that you may be able to offer. Contact: Mr. R. Vin. Martin

MARTIN: The most recent connection to my Martin family. This researcher's Gtx4 Grandparents are the same as mine - James Martin and Mary Waters. His branch went North to Lancashire via the Stutkins family by the time of the 1881 census. Contact: Mr. David Greenhalgh or you can visit his website:- http://website.lineone.net/~davghalgh .

MARTIN: This researcher's interests lie in the Cambridgeshire village of Swaffham Prior. Her husband's 4xGt Grandfather was John Robert Martin b. 1821 who married Eliza Jane Baxter b. 1821. They married at Swaffham Prior on 19th April 1841. John and Eliza left England in May 1855 and emigrated to Austrailia. They had in total nine children (one was born on the journey to Australia). One of the children died before the family emigrated. Contact Sandy if you can offer her any more information.

Place Names...

 

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