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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