Assessors of landtax in 1775 met
at the Peacock, Northampton, 11 September
John Martin of Teeton, Northamptonshire, yeoman, left four closed and
inclosed grounds together with a barn and stable in Teeton to two sons
Peter Martin and Robert Martin, the same subject to payments of
£200 to son William Martin by twelve months after the testator's
death, also subject to payment of an annual annuity of £20 to
William during his life, to be paid in four equal quarterly payments,
upon the four most usual days in the year - the feast days of - the
annunciation to the Virgin Mary - St John the Baptist - St Michael the
Archangel - St Thomas the apostle. If £20 is unpaid for fourteen
days after the appropriate feast, John willed it to be lawful for
William Martin to enter into the premises and distrain goods for the
same fees as shall be in arrears and the respective distress and
distresses then and there found to take and carry away, detain and keep
or otherwise to sell and dispose of according to the due course of law
until the said annuity or rent charge and all arrears with costs and
charges in and about the keeping and selling of such distress etc.
shall be fully paid and satified. If said annuity or any part, be
unpaid by 21 days it is lawful for William Martin
John Martin left his daughter Bridget Martin £300 to be paid by
the executors at age of twenty one or at her marriage,- marriage
subject to the ayent of the executors- otherwise £300 to sink
into the rest of the estate, meanwhile the interest of £300 is to
be applied to her maintenance
William Barber of Moulton, Yeoman and William Dickins of Ravensthorpe,
farmer are given £300 in trustthe interest thereof to be paid to
his wife Sarah Martin, as long as she continues as his widow. In case
she remarries the £300 is to sink into the rest of the estate.
Said wife is to have use of half of all and any household goods, plate
linen, china, and after her death these items given absolutely to said
daughter Bridget absolutely.
Having already provided for his son John and his daughter Sarah, wife
of William Barber, and his daughter Mary, wife of William Holliday, he
left £5 to each of the six children of son John, £5 to each
of four children of my daughter Sarah and £5 each to each of the
younger children of the said daughter Mary by her late husband and
£5 each to the x children by her present husband.
The rest of the estate was bequeathed equally between sons Peter and
Robert - share and share alike. William Barber and William Dickins
appointed executors during minority of son Robert
8th day April, 30 year of reign of George III - 1790
signed John Martin
proved 19 April 1794 by Peter Martin and Robert
Martin value £5000
The estate was valued for landtax in 1775 at £ 1/5/6 and in 1781
and through 1799 at £1/14/0
John Martin's health must have failed before his death. Robert Martin
took over the whole estate in 1794
William Martin, farming in Twywell seems to have received his legacy,
but whether the annuity followed is not clear. Peter Martin took over
the larger estate of his elder brother in 1799. This seems to have been
planned for through the 1790s by the brothers in Spratton and Teeton.
Acknowledgements
Most of the material on the Martins comes from Glenis Crocker, with
help from Robyn Lawther and Helen
Millward. Glenis's material prepared for the Martin reunion she
organised has been quoted directly here. They have traced the family
back to the 16th century, by a lot of detective work on old wills.
Also Len Martin produced an excellent book on Charles Henry
Martin, Hannah Martin's brother
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Page last updated - 28 Nov 2005