The 14 Proven Children of Benjamin Martin of Knowlton, NJ (Now Blairstown Township)

~ karynfamilytree

Benjamin Martin first shows up in “Knowlton, Sussex County, NJ” (now Warren County, NJ) in the 1773 tax list. Sometime during the Revolutionary War, he is paid for militia service in the Sussex County militia. In 1784, he was on the Knowlton Town Committee.

In 1800, Benjamin Martin purchased 145 acres of land in Knowlton and Hardwick, so he must be near the border of the two townships. In addition, he purchases a 40 acre wooded lot in Hardwick. Both tracts are sold by Benjamin and Catherine Sexton (Saxton) of Belvidere, Warren, NJ. This land is in the Sussex could land records because Warren County had not been created yet.

These land transactions, and a careful analysis of all the notations of adjoining land owners, leads me to believe his land was in today’s Blairstown Township, south of the Paulinskill River, probably just east of the Union Brick Cemetery where his son, Jonathan Martin, is buried. (The 145 acres is bordered on the north by the Paulinskill.) See 1860 map at the Library on Congress link below, look south of “Buttermilk Pond” — the land that would have been Knowlton is now Blairstown Township; the land that would have been Hardwick is now Frelinghuysen Township:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/g3813w.la000469/?r=0.611,0.257,0.115,0.06,0

Benjamin Martin died intestate (without a will) around January 1803, in Knowlton, Sussex, NJ (this area became part of Warren County in 1824). His son, Robert, becomes the administrator of the estate, along with Benjamin Sexton/Saxton, the same one who sold Benjamin Martin his land, so there may be a relationship here to explore). The estate remains open until the youngest child turns 21. Since the youngest children appear to be born around 1797 or 1798, that means the estate stays open until around 1820.

His estate is divided into 21 shares: 7 for the widow (that means Benjamin’s wife is still alive in 1803), and 14 for the children. Through land records, we can see when each of these children sells their share. It seems that most sold to their brother Robert, and it seems that each sister sold to Robert close to her 21st birthday, often before she got married. Robert seems to be trying to consolidate the land back into one tract after it had been divided into 21 shares upon his father’s death.

All these children are proven through estate and land records, see links to the FamilySearch land record. Many of these children sell the land they inherited to their brother, Robert. Some sold their land directly to a third party. All mention that they got the land as an heir of Benjamin Martin of Knowlton.

In one transaction, Robert lists his siblings from whom he’s purchased land: 12 shares: William, Benjamin Jr, Susanna, Elizabeth, Ann, Priscilla, Catharine (that’s 9 including him, so I don’t know how he’s accumulated 12 shared unless these are the shares of the youngest, under-age children at the time, and he is their guardian.)

I’m including two lists below. The first is the list of children in what I believe is their birth order. Some do not live until 1850 and/or don’t have gravestones, so I’m not 100% sure this is the correct birth order. The second list is when they sell their inherited share, with a link to the FamilySearch record so you can see the original hand-written transaction.

The list of children

Kids selling land, likely in birth order (*** indicates they have a real gravestone or a census record that indicates the birth year, or their age is listed in their obituary). Note that Benjamin Martin has a 1773 tax record in Knowlton Township, so all children are born in New Jersey and Benjamin’s wife is possibly from New Jersey. He would marry around 1774.

  1. William Martin – (who goes to Canada) – His gravestone says he was born in 1775; he appears to be the eldest child. He releases his right to his land to his brother Robert in 1811 and then sells the land to Robert in 1815. He names a son Benjamin. He died in Gainsborough, Lincoln County, Ontario, Canada (was Lincoln, Niagara, Ontario) ***
  2. Susannah Martin Manning and Joseph Manning – Her gravestone says she was born in 1778 and died in Hector, NY. She sells her shares to her brother Robert in 1808. She names a son Benjamin Manning.  ***
  3. Robert Martin – born around 1780. He has no gravestone nor 1850 census. He is the administrator of the estate of Benjamin Martin, Sr. in 1803, so at least 21 at that time. Accumulates shares by buying the land of his 8 siblings: William, Benjamin Jr, Priscilla, Susannah, Anna, Elizabeth, Catharine, Sarah. He married Margaret Raub in 1809, Sussex NJ. He died in Pickaway, OH but he was in NJ through 1814.
  4. Elizabeth Martin Robison (Robinson) and Justus Robinson – She has no grave nor 1850 census record, but born before 1783. She sells land in 1809 to her brother Robert, noted as being “Of Genoa, Tioga, NY” at the time. She also witnessed a land transaction in 1804 as Elizabeth Martin, so born before 1783. Listed as a sibling of Robert in one of his land records. Likely died in Genoa, NY (Schulyer) or or Gilboa, NY (Schoharie) as her husband remarried in 1811.
  5. Sarah Martin Saxton and George Saxton – She has no grave nor 1850 census record, but born before 1783 because she sells land in 1804, so over 21. She appears to marry around 1802. In 1808, Anna Martin and Priscilla Martin are witnesses (so both over 21) to Sarah’s land transaction. Sarah and George move to Pickaway, OH and she dies there around 1824 because her husband remarries in 1825. She names a son Benjamin Saxton. Note: Benjamin and Catharine Saxton of Belvidere, NJ sell Benjamin Martin Sr the 145 acres in 1800, so possibly they are the parents of George Saxton.
  6. Benjamin Martin Jr – (who goes to Canada) His 1851 census says born 1784, confirmed by gravestone. Sells land in 1811 to brother, Robert. Benjamin Jr is listed as “son and heir at law of Benjamin Martin”. Dies in Vineland, Niagara Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada in 1866. ***
  7. Anna Martin Brown – She has no grave nor 1850 census. She sells in 1808 as Anna Martin (so born before 1787), and witnesses another transaction the same year as Anna Martin. Marries Simeon Brown in 1811 Sussex as Ann Martin. They move to Tompkins, NY and she dies in Ulysses, Tompkins, NY.
  8. Priscilla Martin Robertson – Her 1850 census says she’s born 1788. She sells as Priscilla Martin of Knowlton in 1810, so born before 1787. She marries Robert Robertson and dies in Blairstown, NJ in April 1857 (per the Sussex Register newspaper), and probably buried nearby, possibly at the Union Brick Cemetery or the Tranquility Cemetery. She names a son Benjamin Robertson.   ***
  9. Merrit Martin – He dies in 1852 and his gravestone says “age 60,” so he was born in 1792, and Canadian census confirms this. He sells land in 1815, “of Pelham, Niagara, Canada” at the time, to John Dils/Diltz of Knowlton. Dies 1852, Malahide, Ontario, Canada.  ***
  10. Catharine Martin – She has no grave nor 1850 census. She sells as Catharine Martin of Knowlton in 1813, so born before 1792. I don’t know what happens to her. She might move away with a sibling or lived with her sister Charity in 1830 NJ (Charity has a woman with her, 50-59, so born 1771-1780). Listed as a sister of Robert in his 1814 transaction, so she’s not married by 1814.
  11. Jonathan Martin – Born 1794 per his gravestone. He and his sister Charity sell land in 1818. He marries Lydia Read and lives in the Blairstown Township area through 1869. You can see his land, and his son’s land (J. O. Martin) in the 1860 map of Hardwick Township, Warren County, situated just north of the Paulinskill River, between Paulina and Marksboro, NJ.  Names a son Benjamin Frank Martin. He lived 1830-1860 in Hardwick Township. He is buried in the Union Brick Cemetery in today’s Blairstown Township. (I would guess his parents are buried in Union Brick, too.)   *** 
  12. Charity Martin Durham – Born 1797 per her grave. Later marries Adam Durham and dies in Hardwick, Warren, NJ. She’s buried in Tranquility, Sussex, NJ in a Methodist Church Cemetery. Names a son Benjamin Durham. 1830/1840 show her among the Crisman, Blair, Coursen, Wildrick, Cook, Doty families and living next door to Joseph Ogden.  ***
  13. Joseph Martin – termed “idiot” in 1819, land sold by guardians William Cook and David Read. Joseph and John’s land sold in 1820 FOUR parts out of 21, so they must have had rights to their mother’s land, too. Guardians named in 1819, so born around 1798 (Both? Possibly twins?)
  14. John Martin  – termed “idiot” in 1819, land sold by guardians William Cook and David Read. ( I wonder why William Cook/Cooke and David Read are selected as guardians for these two children? Are they related to the family, possibly on the mother’s side?)

When the kids sell land, and how much they sell

This would probably indicate when they are at least 21 years old and able to sell land. This is the order in which the land is sold.

  • 1807
  • Robert Martin petitions the court to sell land to pay expenses for the estate and for his younger siblings who are still under 21. He sells the 40 wooded acre tract. Future land transactions only refer to the 145 acre tract that was divided into 21 shares.

  • 1814
  • Robert Martin sells all his accumulated land to James VanKirk, John Dils Jr, and James Stout
  • Land record indicates that this is the land he inherited from Benjamin Martin Sr and which Robert purchased from his siblings named in the record: William, Benjamin Jr, Susannah, Sarah, Elizabeth, Ann, Priscila and Catharine.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSHM-XT1Q?cat=220727

  • 1818
  • Two separate transactions, both including siblings Jonathan Martin and Charity Martin
  • The first transaction does NOT mention that this is land they inherited from Benjamin Martin but does say it’s inherited land which implies this is part of the widow’s shares and their mother is dead by 1818. The second transaction clearly states it’s land they inherited from Benjamin Martin.
  • Transaction #1 (Feb 1818) – Jonathan Martin and Charity Martin to James VanKirk and John “Dilts” (John Dils Jr.) The index box at left on this image says “Jonathan Martin & wife” but that’s inaccurate. The actual record simply says Jonathan Martin and Charity Martin as two individuals, not husband and wife. Does not mention a number of shares, just says “personal and real estate descended to us” (inherited). My best guess is this is their portion of the widow’s shares.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYH-G75F-J?i=534&cat=220727
  • Transaction #2 (Mar 1818) – Jonathan Martin and Charity Martin to Jacob Lanterman, notes “children and heirs of Benjamin Martin” in the transaction. It appears to say the Jonathan has 2 shares of 21 and that Charity has one share of 21. But that wouldn’t make sense; I think they each have one share, and they’re selling a total of 2 shares to Jacob Lanterman.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYH-G755-Q?mode=g&cat=220727

  • 1819
  • Feb 1819 - in the Court Minutes book – John and Joseph Martin – under guardianship and labelled as “idiots”. Their guardians want to sell the land in Knowlton, part of the 145 acres Benjamin Martin purchased in 1800, to pay expenses for the upkeep of the boys. The guardians are William Cook (Cooke) and David Read.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK3-S3YL-9?i=329&cat=247013

  • 1820
  • John and Joseph Martin (via their guardians) to Robert Butts
  • Record notes that it’s part of the tract of land 145 acres and FOUR undivided shares of 21. That would be two from their father and two from their mother (these are the last shares sold).
  • Robert Butts then sells this land to Jacob Lanterman, noted as 88 acres and four shares. However, 88 acres divided by four shares is 22 acres a share, and multiplied by 21 total shares is 462 acres — that’s too much for the original 145 acres that Benjamin Martin had. However, real estate is divided upon VALUE not ACRES, so one or more of the children inherited the house and barn (with less land) and some inherited only land.
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSYH-G7Y3-N?mode=g&cat=220727
  • https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSK3-93YM-N?cat=220727

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Published by karynfamilytree

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