1881

Estate of Abraham Martin

late of Harbour Grace

in the Northern District

      Laborer deceased

Dated July 2^nd.

Vol 4.
Folio 265

SUPREME COURT OF NEWFOUNDLAND

^{ST. JOHN'S} To Wit       We do swear that we believe that Abraham Martin
late of Harbour Grace in the Northern District Laborer
deceased died without a Will; and that we will well and truly administer all and every the Goods of the said deceased and pay his debts so far as his Goods will extend; and that we will exhibit a true, full and perfect inventory of the said Goods of the deceased, and render a true account of our Administration into the Registry of the said Court within six months ????? date hereof, or when we shall be thereunto law fully required; and that the whole of the goods, rights, chattels, assets, credits and effects of the said deceased which he died possessed of, within the jurisdiction of this Court, do not, according to the best of our knowledge, judgement and belief, Amount to the value of Eight hundred and fifty -------------------------- dollars.

To the Honourable the Supreme Court or
one of the Honourable the Judges thereof

The Petition of Ann Harris at present of Saint Johns wife of John Harris of Harbour Grace Labourer.

Humbly Sheweth

      That Abraham Martin late of Harbour Grace Labourer died at that place on or about nineteen years ago intestate leaving him surviving his widow (Your Petitioner) since married to the said John Harris, and two daughters Sarah J. wife of Herbert Dowden and Mary Ann wife of William Harris and one son Abraham aged about twelve months.

      That said son of deceased died about a year after the death of his father.

      That said deceased at the time of his death was possessed of property within the jurisdiction of the Court of the probable value of Eight hundred dollars.

      That no letters of Administration of the Estate of said deceased have hitherto been granted to any person.

      Petitioner therefore prays that this Honourable Court ?? ?? of Your Lordship will be pleased to grant Letters of Administration of the Estate of said deceased to petitioner and her said husband John Harris.

      And petitioner as in duty bound will ever pray etc.

          St. John's June 25^th. 1881
          An Harris LS

Supreme Court

Newfoundland		Harris .	? J W
St. John's to wit		Ann Martin at present of Saint Johns wife of
John Harris the petitioner named in the foregoing petition maketh oath and saith that the several matters and things therein outlined and set forth are correct and true.
Sworn before me at St. John's this 25th day of June AD 1881        ? J Ward        Commr		An Harris LS

Note to accompany transcription:

Abraham Martin and his wife Ann were undoubtedly a hearty couple as the note below attests.

The Harbor Grace Standard and Conception Bay Advertiser
January 28, 1862
Elizabeth BRAZIL vs. Abraham MARTIN and Ann MARTIN his wife, assault and battery. The husband and wife were each fined £1 stg., and costs, or the husband 14 days in jail.

Abraham Martin was a son of Isaac Martin and his wife Sarah nee Martin. He was identified as a child of this family in the petition for the administration by his mother for the estate of her late husband Isaac. http://www.rootsweb.com/~cannf/cb_wills_isaacmartin.htm
Isaac died at the young age of 45 in late March 1838. Sarah later married Charles Marshallsea in January 1842.

At this time I believe that Sarah was a daughter of another Abraham Martin and his wife Catherine. Their marriage sired seven kids. The youngest and oldest children, both boys, married Pippy girls. The will for that Abraham can be found at http://ngb.chebucto.org/Wills/martin-abraham-1-170.shtml
Abraham, husband of Catherine, was a virile old goat (widower) who at age 68 married young Julia Stevenson who was only 18. This married created three children and allows the tracking of the Martins from Harbour Grace over to Leading Tickles, Notre Dame Bay through the first son, Samuel Waterman Martin. Samuel died at a young age of 37 and his widow Jane Cox married Joseph Frederic Martin, also of Harbour Grace. Joseph Frederic was a son of Charles Frederic Martin and a grandson of Robert and Mary Martin. Joseph Martin is the founder of Glover's Harbour in Notre Dame Bay and credited with the discovery of the world's largest giant squid. A brother of Joseph Martin was Archibald and this allows the ties of the Martins over in Port Anson as Archibald Martin married Tamar Tuffin.

We do NOT know at this time how or if the line of virile Abraham Martin and that of Robert Martin are connected. Abraham was a constable and a brother of Robert Martin was William Martin who died in 1840 as high constable in the Harbour Grace region. http://ngb.chebucto.org/Wills/martin-william-1-388.shtml

The grandfather of Robert and William Martin was William Martin who was one of the first Newfoundland constables in Trinity. He came from Guernsey in the Channel Islands. The Channel Islands provenance is also the same as my Martin line. With my line of descent from Joseph and Mary Martin at this time I do now know from where in the Channel Islands we hail.

Abraham Martin, husband of Ann Unknown, died in November 1863 at age 42. They had four children. The deceased son mentioned in the petition was also named Abraham Martin and he died in November 1864. Another son William Joseph Martin was born and died in May 1861.

John and Ann (Martin) Harris had three children. Two daughters, Maria and Jessie and one son, John.

This rather large genealogy note is dedicated to the late researcher David Nightingale. I never met him but through his efforts and collaboration with another Martin researcher Evelyn Randall in the pre-internet age I have benefited immensely. Mary Ann Martin, daughter of Abraham and Ann married William Herbert Harris. William Herbert Harris married Mary Evans. Their daughter Una Harris married Edgar Nightingale and David was a son.

Sarah J. wife of Herbert Dowden - Herbert and Sarah may have moved to Chelsea in Massachusetts.  Two daughters, both born in Newfoundland, were married in the US. Ada A. Dowden married James A. Breaker, also from Newfoundland in Chelsea in 1901. Mary Dowden married Michael Carroll from Ireland in Providence, Rhode Island in 1907.