The Partial Diary of "Honest" John Martin, Young Irelander, 1812-1875 Co. Down, Ireland

Pedigree of "Honest" John Martin:

Robert Martin (1697-1765) married Mary Thomson (died 1782)  Martin family property included land they leased or owned in Co. Down at Kilbroney (near Rostrevor), Ryan, Loughorne, etc.

Their children:

  1. John (1719-1804) married Mary Boyd in 1746 or 47)
  2. William (1721-1810) unmarried
  3. Robert
  4. Samuel (1734-?)
  5. Mary unmarried
  6. Margaret married Mr. Elliott—one child, Sarah.

Mary Boyd above, wife of #1 John Martin, was the youngest of the children of Samuel Boyd (1679-1741) and Janet Murdoch (1679-1782, married 1702). Her siblings were:

  1. John Boyd (1705-?) –3 children: Samuel, John & Andrew Boyd
  2. Andrew Boyd (1709-?)
  3. Robert Boyd (1711-1731)
  4. Samuel Boyd (1713-?) married Sarah?
  5. Hanna (1715-?) married John Searight, one child: Sam
  6. Isabel (1717-1731)
  7. Mary Boyd (1721-1804) married John Martin above.

The children of Mary Boyd and John Martin were:

  1. Elizabeth (1747- after 1832) married Charles Orr, Children: Mary (died before 1832, married Mr. Morrison, son: John Morrison, MD. Dr. John Morrison is mentioned in the diaries above as one of the Doctors attendant to Robert Martin. Dr. John had a daughter named Jane Martin Morrison, buried at Donaghmore Church of Ireland Cemetery in Co. Down.), John & another daughter.
  2. Samuel (1749-1831) married Jane Harshaw in 1810.
  3. Robert (1751-1831) unmarried
  4. Mary (1755-1827) unmarried
  5. John (1756- 1835) unmarried
  6. Andrew (died age 4)
  7. Jane (1765-1840) unmarried

Jane Harshaw, wife of #2 Samuel Martin above, was the oldest and only daughter of James Harshaw (1744-1822) and Mary Bradford (d 1830). Her other siblings were:

  1. Jane Harshaw (1787-1847) married Samuel Martin above
  2. Hugh (died 1810) unmarried
  3. William (d 1830) unmarried
  4. James Harshaw (1797-1867) married Sarah Kidd (1799-1877, married in 1816) They had 12 children and lived at Ringbane, County Down, near Loughorne, the Martin family property. James Harshaw kept a diary for nearly 40 years of his life and it is presently at the Public Record Office in Northern Ireland and contains much information on this family and their heritage from William of Orange coming to Ireland in 1690 when the first Harshaws came to Ireland, James’ great grandfather Joseph Harshaw and his brother, Andrew.

The children of Jane Harshaw and Samuel Martin were:

  1. Jane (1811-?) married Donald Fraser in 1830 and had at least 11 children: Samuel Martin Fraser (b 830), William (b 1832), John Martin Fraser (b 1836), Jane (b 1837), Robert Martin Fraser (b 1838), James Harshaw Fraser (b 1838), Martin Fraser (b 1839), Donald (b 1846), Maxwell David Fraser (b 1848—who had a son named Harrison Fraser who died in 1981), Elizabeth (b 1849), and Mary (b 1852).
  2. "Honest" John Martin (1812-1875) married Henrietta Mitchel (1827-1913) in 1868. They had no children. She was the sister of the Patriot, John Mitchel. Her parents were the Rev. John Mitchel and Mary Haslett. This is the man who wrote the diary above.
  3. Robert Martin (1814-1858) married Millicent Martha Millar (1824-1858) in 1847. Her parents were Thomas Millar & Millicent S. Dalway. Their deaths are described in the diary. They had 7 children:
    1. Millicent J (1848-1929) who married Dr. John N. Villars-Ryan in 1872 and had 3 children: Francis (b 1887), Esmond (b 1885), Millicent Charlotte (1883-1955) unmarried.
    2. Robert (1849-1940) unmarried. Declared a lunatic in 1893. (probably to gain property?)
    3. Mary Ellen (about 1852-1923) who married W. H. Lawlor (1851-after 1909) in 1882.
    4. Ellen Dalway Martin (1853-1943) unmarried.
    5. Elizabeth (about 1855-1936) who married John Carvill (born 1854) in 1887 and had one daughter, Ruth Martin Carvill (born 1883) who married Philip Crossle (born 1875) in 1908 and they had one son, Francis Crossle (author of the Crossle Papers—genealogical papers in the Armagh Southern Education Library, Co. Down, where most of this information was gleaned.)
    6. John (1857-1901) possibly married a woman named Mary, no children. He was declared a lunatic in 1889. (This looks like a set-up by a judge or the government to destroy the Martin family.)
    7. Gertrude (1858-1938) unmarried
  4. Mary Martin (1816-1900) married Dr. Maxwell Simpson (1815-1902) in 1845. They had at least 5 children: John Martin Simpson (1846-1895) unmarried, Anna Millicent (1859-1863), a son who died before 1863, Lucy (born before 1862), and Mary (born before 1862)
  5. Samuel Martin (1817-1826) unmarried
  6. James Martin (1820-1893) married Rebekah Andrews (1836 or 39 - 1915) in 1861. They had 8 children as follows:
    1. Samuel (1862-1928) married Isobel C. Duncan-Glen (1874-1948) in 1890. They had 10 children: Nora (1893-1971) who married Herbert Thompson and had two daughters named Margaret and Ruth, James (1895-1989) who married Ora Taylor (1903-1990) no children, Eva (1897-1971) who married Charles Brook (died 1976) and had 2 children named Edgar and Isobel, Robert (1900-?) who married Lil Russell and had 2 children named Roy and Helen, Lucy who was unmarried, Togo (died 1978) unmarried, Mona (1906-1984) who married William Tottenham and had no children, Nell (1908-?) who married George Collins and had a son named James, Jack who married Jean Nelson and had no children, and Patricia (born 1914) who married Harold Hume (died 1971) and had no children.)
    2. Jane (1863?-?) who married Mr. Mullen and had two daughters, Connie & Elsie.
    3. James (1865-1937) married Lulu May Johnston (1867-1960) in 1893 and had 7 children:
      Kathleen (1895-1990—my Grandmother—married Harold Eraut—2 children Norma and Leslie, my mother), Mamie (1896-1896), Aileen (1897-1987, married Charles Graham & 2nd marriage to William Acton—6 children), Robert (1899-1958) unmarried, Marguerita (1901-1954) married James O’Donnell, 2nd marriage Edward Pongs, 3rd marriage Phil Daigle—3 children, Clarence (1902-1993) married Phyllis Kent (1904-1966) in 1937 and had no children, and Jack (1908-1927) unmarried.
    4. Rebekah Best Martin (1867-?) married Christopher Newton
    5. John (Jack) (1868-?) married Lollie and 2nd marriage to ?, two sons: Jack & Jim.
    6. Mary (1869-?) married Dr. McKay and had a son named Martin McKay
    7. George (1873-?) married Kathleen, no children
    8. Lillie (1879-1966) married Bert Campbell in 1902 and had two daughters Jane & Margaret.
  7. Elizabeth (1822-1914) married Robert Ross Todd (died 1874) in 1847. They had at least 4 children: Charles Gibson (1848-?), Jane Martin Todd (1849 - ?), William Kirk Todd (1852-1855), and James.
  8. David Martin (1824-1905) married Sarah Lindsay in 1844—annulled—and 2nd marriage to Mary Ludgate (1845-1905) in 1864. They had 12 children:
    1. Robert Samuel (born 1870)
    2. John Richard (1872-1947)
    3. Beatrice (1876-?) married Robert Dempster (1864-after 1903) in 1896 and had 3 sons named Robert (b 1898), Robert Lyall (b 1901) and Dermot Hollwell (b 1897)
    4. Gladys (d 1956)
    5. Norah F. (1878-1896)
    6. Henry or Harry (d 1947)
    7. David (d 1909) unmarried
    8. William Ludgate (1870-1960) married Elsie Mann (1880-1975) and had 2 children named Mary (married John Close 1939) and Sir John Edward Ludgate Martin (b 1918) married to Rosemary Ann Deck (b 1922) in 1942. Sir John supplied information on this line and is a retired Vice Admiral.
    9. James (b 1877)
    10. Ethel Ann married Ronald Wyman in 1902
    11. Jennie married Richard C. Lowades (1873-1918) in 1906
    12. Alice K. (b 1881) married Bumberry Atkinson
  9. Anna (1830-1857) married Dr. Thomas Archer Hirst in 1854. No children. He is the Dr. Hirst and the Tom mentioned in the diary.
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