Bithania E Owen was the first child of Thomas and Nancy Owen
and was listed in the 1860 census as being age 19 which would have put
her birth in 1841. Although I am not sure, I suspect that she was
named after Bethany Weldon, an aunt who was the sister of Nancy Owen.
In Thomas' probate, her name is spelled Bithania. In the 1870
census, it is spelled Burthina. In her husband's probate records
filed in 1875, her name was spelled Bethany. In her own probate
records filed in 1896, she was simply listed as B E Martin.
Bithania married William Pheris Martin January 30, 1862. See
Talladega Marriage Book "B" page 381. Wm Pheris was born in SC
in 1837 and served in the Civil War, Co 1 30th Inf, CSA.
Wm P Martin died March 22, 1872 and is buried in the Olive Branch Bapt
Cemetery, Clay Cty. No grave site has been located for Bithania,
although there are 82 unmarked graves at that cemetery.
William showed up in the 1850 census in Edgefield Cty, Sc and in the
1860 census in Talladega Cty, p 898. He was the son of James Martin
and Margaret Wlaker. A newspaper citation shows that he fell off
a wagon and broke his neck in the 1880s.
His probate records show that he owned 400 acres of land just east of
Ashland where the quadrangle map of today shows the "county country
club" to be located. The land was valued a $2.50 to $3.33 per acre.
They owned 2 mules ($75 each), 6 cows ($190), 15 hogs and 9 sheep.
There is some confusion as to what her name was. In the 1870 census of
Clay County, Ala at page 266 taken on July 21, 1870, she is
shown as being Burthinia. In her mother's probate in Union Cty Ark, her
name is listed as Bithania E Martin. In her own probate records filed in
Clay County, Ala in 1895, she is shown as being Bethany E Martin.
The 1870 census for Clay County, p 266 taken July 21, 1870 shows:
Wm Martin 33 Farmer 1200 1747 Sc
Burthania 28 GA
Samuel 7 Ala
James 4 Ala
John 3 Ala
Infant 3/12 (Jan) Ala
Their children
were:
Wm Samuel Martin b 1864 Clay Cty, Ala. In Bethany's probate,
he was shown as living in Camp Cty Tx
no data yet known about his descendants
James W Martin b Feb 21, 1866, d Sep 16,1949 Clay Cty, Ala. He
married Aquilla A Roberson. Their children were:
--William P Martin, b Sep 1889, d 1956, Clay Cty, Ala
--Katie M Martin, b Apr 1891, Clay Cty, Ala
--Mary F Martin, b Nov 1897, Clay Cty, Ala
--Era Mozelle Martin, b Apr 1901, d Sep 1913, Clay Cty
--Cora L Martin b 1904, Clay Cty, Ala
--James A J Martin, b 1907, Clay Cty, Ala
John Thomas Martin b 1867, Clay Cty, Ala., d Jan 20, 1950 in Simms,
Bowie Cty, Texas He married Lydia A Gaither
on Dec 13, 1893. Their children were:
--Prudie Martin, b Dec 1895, Clay Cty, Ala, d 24 Feb 1984
Simms, Bowie Cty, Texas
--Buren L Martin, b May 1897, Clay Cty, Ala, July 1967
--Elizabeth (Lizzie) Martin, b Feb 1899, Clay Cty, Ala
dAug 9, 1983
--Infant b & d 22 Dec 1894
--Infant b & d 18 June 1900
--Blanca, b 30 Apr 1902 Simms, Tx, d 25 Feb 1982, Werkel,
Taylor Cty, Tx
--Infant b & d 25 Aug 1903,
--Flossie Mae, b Aug 9, 1904,Simms, d 17 Oct 1905 Simms, Tx
--John Pheris, b 5 Jun 1906, Gilmer, Tx Upshur Cty
d March 1983, Simms, Tx
--A V "Jack", b 29 Jul 1906, Simms, Tx d 8 Jun 1920 Galveston
Robert E L Martin b 1870 died before 1895
no data yet known about his descendants
Sanders Martin b 1872 d 1961, Clay Cty Ala and died Aug 31, 1961
in Clay Cty, Ala. He married Mary Fannie Phillips on
Aug 11, 1895. Their children were:
--Eavy Martin, b Sep 1896, Clay Cty, Ala
--Willie Grace Martin, b Feb 1899, Clay Cty, Ala
--Lillian V Martin, b 1902, Clay Cty, Ala
--Effie Lee Martin, b Feb 15, 1905, d Oct 22, 1908 Clay Cty
--Mary W Martin b 1909, Clay Cty
--Sarah R Martin, b 1913, Clay Cty, Ala
(Sanders was living at Ashland, Ala in 1948)
Researchers of the Martin line that provided me with some of this data were:
Debra Boswell, Albany, Ga POOHBOS@worldnet.att.net
Karen Grubaugh, TX kleegrubaugh@yahoo.com
Walter Bass, Yorba Linda, Ca
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