IA-IRISH-L Archives

From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IA-IRISH] Bio of Martha McBride Martin
Date: Sun, 3 Nov 2002 14:54:20 -0600

Surnames: Martin, Taylor, McBride, Dool, Bair, Britton, Peterson

Biographical History of Pottawattamie County: Lewis Pub. Co., 1891.

Martha Martin is one of the self-reliant women of Valley Township, who,
after the death of her husband, Robert Martin, has successfully carried on
the farm and reared her family. Robert Martin was born in County Antrim,
Ireland, and was the son of James Martin, who was born at that place, and
was a farmer by occupation. He married Susan Taylor, and they were the
parents of four children: Daniel, James, Robert and Jane. The father lived
to the age of eighty-seven years, dying in his native place. Both he and his
wife were members of the Presbyterian church. His son Daniel married and was
the father of five children, and also died in the county Antrim. The
remainder of the children came to America.
Robert Martin, a son of the above, and the husband of our subject, was
born about 1832, on his father's farm, who had been born, reared and died
there. At the age of seventeen, wishing to better his fortune, he came to
America landing at Philadelphia. He learned the trade of ingrain-carpet
weaver, at which he worked until about 1860. In 1856 he went to Illinois,
and June 3 was married to Martha McBride, of Fulton, Illinois, and the
daughter of John and Elizabeth McBride. The father, a Scotch-Irishman, was
born in County Antrim, Ireland, and after marriage moved to County Derry,
about three miles from where James Martin lived. In 1842 he came to America,
settling at Philadelphia, where he worked at his trade of weaver, which he
had learned in Scotland. He died in Philadelphia about three years after his
arrival. Mr .and Mrs. McBride were the parents of five children: Isabel,
Mary J., William, Ellen and Martha. The mother also died in Philadelphia,
previous to her husband's death, and they were both members of the
Presbyterian church, in which the father was an Elder and a devout
Christian.
Martha was a little girl of about six years when her parents died, and
she was brought up in Philadelphia by a married sister, Mary J. Thompson,
wife of Daniel Thompson, who moved to Fulton County, Illinois, where she
lived three years, until her marriage to Robert Martin. They returned to
Philadelphia, remaining until 1862, when they settled on a farm in Ontario,
Canada, remaining until 1871, and in that year they came to their present
home. When they settled here it was wild land, and they first lived in
tents, but by industry and economy this faithful pioneer couple converted
their farm into fine, fertile land, and to which they have added until Mrs.
Martin now owns 160 acres in her own right, and her sons have 240 acres
more, making in all 400 acres of splendid farm land. January 16, 1880, Mr.
Martin died, since which time his widow has carried on the farm and brought
up her family. She possesses good business ability and is an excellent
manager. She is the mother of seven children, viz: Mary J., deceased in
infancy; Ella J., also deceased in infancy; William J., of Hancock, was
married to Margaret J. Dool, and they have one child; Robert J. was married
to Louisa E. Bair; Daniel T. married Mina Britton; Annie E. married Albert
Peterson, this county, and Emma M. Both Mr. and Mrs. Martin were members of
the Presbyterian Church, and the former assisted in organizing the Knox
Presbyterian Church, in which he as an elder until his death. In his
political views he was a Republican, and he had an honest ambition to have
his family in comfortable circumstances, and to grow up good, moral and
industrious men and women, with Christian principles. He was a kind father
and loving husband, and his descendants may well revere his memory. Mrs.
Martin has, in a measure, since his death filled his place, and has
instilled in her children the same principles of truth and honesty.


Cathy Joynt Labath
The Irish in Iowa
http://www.celticcousins.net/irishiniowa/index.htm

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• [IA-IRISH] Bio of Martha McBride Martin by "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>