Transcription of the John Martin Family History from Walpole As It Was and As It Is by George Aldrich, The Claremont Manufacturing Co., Claremont, N.H., 1880, page 321.
Oliver Martin Portrait from Walpole As It Was and As It Is
MARTIN, JOHN, was born in Portsmouth, N.H., in 1759, and, when a lad, went to Londonderry in this state to live with a man till his majority. At the age of seventeen he enlisted into the service of his Country in the Revolutionary struggles in which he remained three years. He was in the engagements around Saratoga, and at the surrender of Burgoyne and his army. Immediately after, about one hundred years ago, he married Rebecca Adams, and came to this town, and located on the Wier brook, so called, on a plot of land about four rods wide and fifty rods long, in a lone and desolate place, south of the residence of Edward A. Watkins, which is known to this day as “Martin’s vineyard.” Not many years since a hop vine might have been seen growing from the debris of the cellar, blooming and bearing annually and “wasting its fragrance on the desert air.” He did not remain there long, but purchased of Col. Caleb Bellows, the sand bank now owned by Loring Ganzer, in the south part of the town, where he spent most of his days, and was the father of fourteen children, by one wife, who all lived to mature age. He died in 1849. His children were: I. Samuel, m. Rebecca Hall, and had eight children. 1st, Harvey, d. at the age of 15. 2d, William, m. —-, dau. of Joseph Russell. 3d, Rebecca, m. Kendall Crossfield, of Greene, N. H. 4th, Lydia, m. Sylvanus Titus. 5th, Rhoda, m. Loring V. Ballou and went to Cleveland, Ohio. 6th, Almira, m. Jos. Carpenter, of Keene. 7th, Emily, m. a Hutchins, of Boston. 8th, Ezra, d. at sea. II. Polly, m. Asahel Streeter, of Chesterfield, and had six children. III. John, went west. IV. Rebecca, m. Paul Kittredge. V. William, had 6 ch. and lived till he was 84. VI. James, m. Susan Fairbanks. VII. Betsey, m. James Hall, of Littleton, Mass., and had eight children, five girls and three boys. VIII. Jonathan, never married. IX. Washington, never married. X. Adams, never married. XI. Nancy, m. James Stearns and had five children. XII. Susan, m. Aaron Emory and had 8 ch. XII. Stephen, is a physician and lives in Janesville, Wis. XIII. Oliver, b. Feb. 25, 1807; [page 322] m. Lois Derby, of Dublin, March 19, 1834. Oliver was the youngest child and began life with nothing but his hands and a determination to be something. At the age of eleven years, he worked for John H. Wiers, for his board, and a year or two later he was paid $4.00 per month. At the age of fifteen he went to live with Capt. John Dunshee, of this town, where he remained till his majority and received for the six years service $100, which was the nest egg for his subsequent accumulations. He worked for various persons, by the month, saving his earnings, till the age of twenty-seven, when he married and commenced life independently. He soon after purchased the farm now owned by Allen Dunshee, where he remained for several years, making various improvements on the buildings—making the old one story house what it now is, as one a of them. He subsequently sold out, and purchased the Thomas Seaver place, now owned by C. R. Crowel, and raised the house to two stories, with other improvements; and lastly purchased the Macy Adams place and built the house where he now resides, with his second wife, whose maiden name was Louisa Stevens, whose first husband was Theron Adams, and whose second was Walter Mead Esq. Mr. Martin has for forty years had the superintendence of the Boggy meadow farms. He was a member of the legislature in 1860-61 and has been one of the selectmen of the town several years. He has always been ready to do his part in public matters pertaining to the town, and for many years has been a pillar of strength in the Congregational Society. In his business transactions he has always exercised good judgment for himself, by which, and by persevering industry, he has accumulated more than a competency. He has in many cases lent aid to the deserving, and of the poor no one ever went from his door empty handed. Ch. 1st, Emily J., b. Feb. 24, 1835; m. Charles Fisher. (See Ap.) 2d, Isabella, b. Aug. 29, 1849; m. Chas. L. Mead, of Brattleboro, Vt., May 12, 1864— issue 4 ch., 3 living. 3d, Elenora L. d. in infancy.