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, Ballykeel, etc.
Their children:

  1. John (1719-1804) married Mary Boyd (1721-1804)
  2. William (1721-1810) unmarried
  3. Margaret (1723 - ?) married Mr. Elliott—one child, Sarah
  4. Robert (1725-?)
  5. Samuel (aft 1733-?)
  6. Mary (1735-?) unmarried

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

  1. Robert Boyd (1703-1703)
  2. John Boyd (1705-?) –3 children: Samuel, John & Andrew Boyd
  3. Andrew Boyd (1709-?)
  4. Robert Boyd (1711-1731)
  5. Samuel Boyd (1713-bef 1771) married Sarah?
  6. Hanna (1715-?) married John Searight, one child: Sam
  7. Isabel (1717-1731)
  8. 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 (son of Samuel & Jane Harshaw Martin). Dr. John had a daughter named Jane Martin Morrison, buried at Donaghmore Church of Ireland Cemetery in Co. Down.)
    John
    Charles Jr
    Sarah (m Mr. Henry)
    Jane (m Mr. Smith)
    Eliza
    Esther (m Mr. Anderson)
    Charlotte Orr (m Mr. Heron)
  2. Samuel (1749-1831) married in 1810 to Jane Harshaw (1787-1847) - note the age difference!!
  3. Robert "The Nabob" (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 only daughter of James Harshaw (1744-1822) and Mary Bradford (d 1830).
Her other siblings were:

  1. William (abt 1781-1830) unmarried
  2. Hugh (abt 1783-1810) unmarried
  3. Jane Harshaw (1787-1847) married Samuel Martin above
  4. Dr. John C. Harshaw (abt 1793 - 1819) - married twice, first wife (Sarah Bell) did not survived childbirth
    2 daughters:
    Mary
    Isabel Harshaw (2nd daughter by wife Anne Kerr)
  5. 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.
    Twelve children are:
    Hugh
    Mary
    John
    Jane
    James
    William K
    Andrew
    Rev. Robert H
    Samuel A (died young)
    Samuel A
    Sarah Anne
    Elizabeth M.
The children of Jane Harshaw and Samuel Martin were:

  1. Jane (1811-?) married Donald Fraser in 1830 and had 11 children:
    Samuel Martin Fraser (1830-1922)
    William Fraser (b 1832)
    Jane (1834-1871)
    Dr. John Martin Fraser (1836-1891)
    Robert Martin Fraser (1838-1910)
    James Harshaw Fraser (1840-1899)
    Mary (1842-1919)
    Elizabeth (1844-1925)
    Dr. Donald M Fraser (1846-1908)
    Maxwell David Fraser (1848-1918 - who had a son named Harrison Fraser who died in 1981 & was an avid genealogist)
    Martin Scott Fraser (1851-1883).
  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. John Martin was an Irish patriot, Young Irelander and Member of Parliament.
  3. Robert Martin (1814-1858) married in 1847 to Millicent Martha Millar (1824-1858)
    Her parents were Thomas Millar & Millicent S. Dalway. Robert and Millicent's deaths are described in Honest John Martin's diary
    They had 7 children:
    1. Millicent J (1848-1929) who married in 1872 to Dr. John N. Villars-Ryan (abt 1840-1892).
      They had 3 children:
      Millicent Charlotte (1883-1955) unmarried
      Esmond M. (b1885)
      William Francis (Frank) (b 1887)
    2. Robert (1849-1940) unmarried. Declared a lunatic in 1893. (probably to gain property?)
    3. Mary Ellen (1851-1933) who married in 1882 to William Hamilton Lawlor (1851-1935)
      They had 5 children:
      Alice Anne (1883-1957, m Sidney John Frazer)
      Millicent Mary (1884-1957, unmarried)
      Catherine Dorothea (1885-1935, unmarried)
      Joan Hilliard (1887-1946, m James M. Ard)
      Margaret (Peggy) Hilliard (b 1888, m Alexander C. Young)
    4. Ellen Dalway Martin (1853-1943) unmarried
    5. Elizabeth (about 1855-1936) who married in 1887 to John Carvill (born 1854) in 1887 and had one daughter, Ruth Martin Carvill (born 1888) who married in 1908 to Philip Crossle (b 1875) and they had no children. Philip and his father, Dr. Francis Crossle, were the authors of the Crossle papers—genealogical papers which I just finished indexing and should be online shortly.
  4. Mary Martin (1816-1900) married in 1845 to Dr. Maxwell Simpson (1815-1902). He was a famous Irish Chemist.
    They had 6 children:
    John Martin Simpson (1846-1895) unmarried
    Maxwell Simpson, Jr., (1848-aft 1902, unmarried)
    Lucy Violette (1850-1898, unmarried)
    Rudolph Benson Simpson (1854-63)
    Mary E. (Mamie, b 1855-aft 1902, unmarried)
    Anna Millicent (1859-63). These two died in 1863 died one day apart of scarletina.
  5. Samuel Martin (1817-1826) unmarried
  6. James Martin (1820-1893) married in 1861 to Rebekah Andrews (1836-1915). This is my direct ancestor.
    They had 8 children as follows:
    1. Samuel (1862-1928) married in 1892 to Isobel C. Duncan-Glen (1874-1948)
      They had 10 children:
      Nora (1893-1971, m Herbert Thompson and had four children named Jack, Margaret, Mack, and Ruth)
      James E. (1895-1989, m Ora Taylor (1903-1990), no children)
      Eva (1897-1971, m Charles Brook (died 1976) and had 2 children named Edgar and Isobel)
      Robert Frederick (1900-1965, m Lillian Russell and had 3 children named Roy, Helen, and Elmer)
      Lucy (1902-1995, unmarried)
      Togo Samuel (1904-1978, unmarried)
      Mona (1906-1984, m William Tottenham and had no children)
      Nell (1908-?, m George Collins and had a son named James)
      Jack (1910-?, m Jean Nelson and had no children)
      Patricia (1914-2003, m Harold Park Hume and had no children.)
    2. Jane (1863-?) who married Mr. Mullen and had two daughters, Connie & Elsie.
    3. James Martin Jr. (1865-1937) married in 1893 to Lulu May Johnston (1867-1960)
      They had 7 children:
      Kathleen (1895-1990—my Grandmother—m Harold Kingsnorth Eraut—2 children Norma and Leslie, my mother)
      Mamie (1896-1896)
      Aileen (1897-1987, m Charles Graham & 2nd marriage to William Acton—6 children)
      Robert (1899-1958, unmarried)
      Marguerita (1901-1954, m James O’Donnell, 2nd marriage Edward Pongs, 3rd marriage Phil Daigle—3 children:
      Clarence (1902-1993, m Phyllis Kent (1904-1966) in 1937 and had no children
      Jack (1908-1927, unmarried)
    4. Rebekah Best Martin (1867-1939) married in 1894 to Christopher H. C. Newton (1871-1953).
      They had 6 children:
      Harold
      Walter
      C.Hugh
      Alfred
      Ada
      Dorothy
    5. John (Jack) (1868-1955) married Lollie and 2nd marriage to Margaret and 3rd marriage to Clara B. Gauser by whom he had twin sons John & James and a daughter Jane who d at 1 day. Clara died when the twin boys were only a year old.
    6. Mary (1869-?) married Dr. McKay and had a son named Martin McKay
    7. George Calvert Martin (1873-1966) married Kathleen, no children
    8. Lillie Margaret (1879-1966) married in 1902 to Bert Campbell and had two daughters Jane & Margaret.
  7. Elizabeth (1822-1915) married in 1847 to Robert Ross Todd (1822-1874)
    They had 12 children:
    Charles Gibson (1848-?)
    John Martin Ross Todd (1848-1922, unmarried)
    Jane (Jenny) Martin Ross Todd (1849-1935, m Dr. William Stoker and had 6 children, William, Robert (Timber), Lillian, Henry, Hettie, and Edward (Eddo))
    Charles Gibson Ross Todd (1850-1932, m Ellie Jones, no children)
    William Kirk Todd (1852-1855)
    James Humphreys Todd (1854-1912, m Louisa (Dilly) McMaster and had 2 children, Cecil & Ida)
    Robert Archer Ross Todd (1856-1912, m Sarah Gertrude Dane and had 3 children, Florence, Rev. Paul, and Dr.Douglas, 2nd m to unknown and had 3 more children, Marjorie, Ross, and Ernest)
    Elizabeth Martin Todd (1858-1938 - burned at age 17 and spent the rest of her life in a lunatic assylum in Scotland - the same one her cousin Robert Martin attended)
    Samuel Arthur Stanley Todd (1859-1932, d in So. Africa)
    Henry (Harry) Herbert Maxwell Todd (1862-1926, m Mabel Marriott, 1 daughter, Mabel Eileen)
    Agnes Martha Mary Ross Todd (1864-53, m in 1894 to Richard Joseph Martin and had 4 children, Richard (Dicko) Ross Martin, Thomas FitzGerald (Gerald) Martin, Ernest Owen St. John Martin, and Agnes Mary Angel Violet (Peggy) Martin)
    Anna Verona Florence Louise (Florrie) Ross Todd (1866-1945, unmarried)
    Edith Alice or Amy Christine Ross Todd (1867-1944, unmarried)
  8. David Martin (1824-1905) married in 1844 to Sarah Lindsay—annulled—and 2nd marriage in 1864 to Mary Ludgate (1845-1905)
    They had 12 children:
    1. Ethel Anna (1865-1942, m Ronald Wyman in 1902 and had one daughter: Clodaugh Ethel
    2. Dr. David (1868-1909, unmarried)
    3. Robert Samuel (b 1869, unmarried)
    4. William Ludgate (1870-1960, m Elsie Mary Catford (1880-1975) and had 2 children named Mary (b 1915, m John Close 1939, 1 child Harriet) and Sir John Edward Ludgate Martin (b 1918-living, m in 1942 to Rosemary Ann Deck (b 1922-living) in 1942. Sir John supplied information on this line and is a retired Vice Admiral. 4 children:
      William
      Penelope
      Tom
      Elspeth
    5. John Richard (1871-1947, unmarried)
    6. Beatrice Mary (abt 1876-abt 1944, m in 1896 to Robert Dempster (1864-1923) and had 3 sons:
      Dermot Hallewell Martin Dempster (1898-1982, m Edith Havelock, no children)
      Robert (1898-1898)
      Robert Lyall Dempster (1901-63, m Eileen Duffin, 3 children, 1 adopted - son Peter died in April 2009 in Dublin.)
    7. James Alfred (1877-1937, d in S. Africa, probably unmarried)
    8. Norah Francis (1878-1896, burned to death in Dresden)
    9. Kathleen Alice (1881-1965, m Bumberry Atkinson and had 3 children: Mary, Margaret, and William)
    10. Gladys Helen (1885-1956, unmarried)
    11. Jennie or Jane Elizabeth (b 1889, m Richard C. Lowndes (1873-1918) in 1906, no children. 2nd m to Douglas Lidderdale, no children)
  9. Anna (1830-1857) married in 1854 to Dr. Thomas Archer Hirst (1830-92). No children. He was a famous mathematician. She died of tuberculosis in Paris after less than 3 years marriage.
  • 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.)
  • Gertrude (1858-1938) unmarried