ALEXANDER STRONG MARTIN

1787 - 1864

Alexander Strong Martin was born July 8, 1787, in Rockingham County, North Carolina, the only child of NC Governor Alexander Martin. In Rockingham Co., NC, on August 10, 1808, Alexander Strong Martin married Margaret Sharp, the daughter of Adam & Mary Sharp. Margaret Sharp was born April 4, 1791, in Orange Co., NC.

On November 19, 1835, Alexander obtained a U. S. Land Grant for Section 33, Township 16 in Holmes County, Mississippi, which section now encompasses the major part of the town of West.

A. S. Martin moved to Holmes Co. in c1845. The 1845 Tax List for Holmes Co., MS. shows A. S. Martin and his adult sons, James L. Martin, Alexander H. Martin. Margaret [Sharp] Martin's sister Celia [Sharp] Dodd (Mrs. Rudolphus Dodd) and brother Thomas L. Sharp also settled in Holmes Co. in the 1840's.

On 5 June 1848, Alexander S. Martin purchased 7/8 of Section 4, Township 15, Range 5 East (530 acres) from brothers-in-law, John Sharp and Rudolphus Dodd for the sum of $2,000.00.

About 1849, daughter Mary Sharp Martin married widower Calvin J. Andrews in Holmes County, MS. In the 1850 U. S. Census, Mary and Calvin were living in Alexander S. Martin's household, stating they had married within the year. Also living at Martin's home were sons Samuel Bainbridge Martin and Robert Martin, listed as students. Alexander's stated property values were $3,000.00. At the adjoining property was son Alexander Hamilton Martin and wife Mary, their son, Samuel Martin, age 3,and daughter Almyra Martin, age 1.

20 October 1849, A. S. Martin purchased from Manuel Straham for the sum of $350.00, 1/8 of Section 3, Township 15, Range 5 East (80 acres).

On the 17th day of December, 1849, A. S. Martin purchased from William H. Green for the sum of $100.00, 1/16 of Section 33, Township 15, Range 5 East (40 acres).

The 31st of October, 1851, A. S. Martin purchased from James Walker of Attala Co., MS., 1/16 of Section 3, Township 15, Range 5E (40 acres).

According to the "History of West Mississippi", in 1859, the Mississippi Central Railroad was constructed through the northeast corner of Holmes County. Alexander S. Martin and William F. Green donated land for the creation of the town of West, named for General A. M. West, superintendent of the Mississippi Central Railroad. Alexander Martin gave the land from the depot south. In addition, he gave the railroad one hundred feet on each side of the track on the condition that West become a railway station. He has also been credited with being instrumental in getting the first church established.

On March 8, 1860, Alexander Strong Martin made his will. He bequeathed to daughter Mary Sharp [Martin] Andrews the Straham Tract, the Leonard Tract and the Walker Tract; a Negro woman Hannah; hogs and cattle already given to her. To his beloved wife Margaret, he bequeathed all the lands not otherwise disposed of; slaves, stocks, plantation tools, household and kitchen furniture. Upon the death of Margaret, or her remarriage, all the residue of his real and personal property was to be sold to the highest bidder with $500.00 to be given to granddaughter Margaret Mariah, daughter of Dr. Robert Martin, dec'd; $500.00 to be given to granddaughter Jane L. Martin, daughter of Dr. James L. Martin, dec'd; and the rest of the proceeds to be divided equally between daughters Elizabeth Allen, Sarah F. Cardwell and sons A. H. Martin and S. B. Martin.

The 1860 U. S. Census of Holmes Co., MS. lists A. S. Martin, age 73, and wife Margaret, with real estate valued at $10,000.00, plus personal property valued at $21,265.00. Neighboring property shows daughter Mary S. [Martin] Andrews, husband Calvin Andrews, and children, Sam and Margaret, with real estate valued at $1,000.00, plus personal property of $2,424.00; and son Samuel Bainbridge Martin with wife Ann R. Martin, son James W. Martin, age 4, and daughter Mary Martin, age 2. S. B. Martin had personal property valued at $9,600.00, but no real estate value.

The 5th day of June, 1860, Alexander S. Martin and Margaret Martin, his wife, sold some of their property fronting Rail Road Street, which had been surveyed into "a plat of the Town of West Station on the Mississippi Central Rail Road". The town lots sold were:

Lot #17 to Robert S. Wilson - $95.00

Lots #11, #12 and #13 to W. & J. McAdory - $530.00

Lot #54 to Alice N. Erwin - $100.00

Lots #14 and #15 to Zachariah Blackman - $117.00.

On January 5, 1861, Alexander S. Martin and Margaret Martin sold town lot #16 to Nathan Murff for the sum of $95.00. March 9, 1861, the Martins sold Lot #10 to C. C. and Eugenia Brown for $100.00.

According to the "History of West, Mississippi", Alexander S. Martin built a home in 1861, where the East Holmes Academy High School would later be located.

On October 18, 1864, Alexander Strong Martin died in Holmes Co., MS. His will was probated on February 27, 1865. Son Samuel Bainbridge Martin was named executor of the estate. The only division of property at that time was to daughter Mary S. [Martin] Andrews; i.e., the Straham Tract, the Leonard Tract and the Walker Tract; a Negro woman Hannah and hogs and cattle previously given to her. The remainder of the estate went to widow Margaret [Sharp] Martin for her lifetime.

Sometime between 1865 and 1867, widow Margaret Sharp Martin returned to live in Rockingham Co., NC, where she died in 1880.

The descendants of Alexander Strong Martin who resided in West, Holmes Co., MS were:

*MARY "POLLY" SHARP [MARTIN] ANDREWS was born 6 February 1814, in Rockingham Co., NC. Mary remained single until the age of 35, and moved with her parents from North Carolina to Holmes Co., Mississippi, where she married widower Calvin J. Andrews, newly arrived from Troup Co., Georgia. Calvin and Mary had two children, both born in West, Holmes Co., MS: Alexander Samuel "Sam" Andrews, born 17 February 1851; and Margaret J. "Maggie" Andrews, born 27 July 1853. Mary and Calvin apparently lived on property adjoining A. S. Martin's home. Mary Andrews probably died mid-1865. Calvin J. Andrews is listed in the MS State Census of 1866, but Mary does not appear. In addition, on July 4, 1867, Calvin J. Andrews, acting as guardian for his minor children Sam and Margaret, sold some of the property inherited by Mary from A. S. Martin by order of the Probate Court. Calvin presumably died about 1870.

Son A. S. Andrews became a teacher and lived in West on and off through 1887. His children born in West, Holmes Co., MS were:

Mary Otheldra Andrews, Born: August 3, 1883

Boyd Kelley Andrews, Born: July 3, 1885

Daughter Margaret J. "Maggie" Andrews married c1873 to James Boyd " J.B." Smith and lived in West until her death at age 33, on September 4, 1886.

J. B. and Maggie [Andrews] Smith were members of the West Presbyterian Church. Her children were all born and died in Holmes Co., MS:

Samuel "Arthur" Smith - Born: Oct., 1874; Died: July 27, 1886 (age 11)

Benjamin Oscar Smith - Born: Jan 11, 1876; Died: Aug. 30, 1902 (age 26)

Lillie Estelle - Born: March 17, 1877; died: May 9, 1913 (age 36)

Married: John A. Holmes. There were no children.

Mamie Maggie Smith - Born: Nov. 11, 1881; Died: July 18, 1893 (age 11)

Lena Mae Smith - Born: 1880; died: 1917 (age 37)

Married: Jesse Smyth Tucker - Had 3 children:

Jesse, Hastie & Archie Tucker.

4 unnamed sons who died in infancy.

JAMES LAURENCE MARTIN was born in Rockingham Co., NC. on 23 January 1821. James became a physician. He died of cholera on 12 August 1851, leaving one daughter named Jane L. Martin.

ALEXANDER HAMILTON MARTIN was born in Rockingham Co., NC. on 17 March 1823. He moved from Holmes Co. in c1852 and settled in Florida.

SAMUEL BAINBRIDGE MARTIN was born in Rockingham Co., NC. on 17 August 1825. Samuel B. Martin accompanied his parents to West, Holmes Co., MS, in c1845. He married Ann [Russell] about 1855. Ann is shown on the 1850 census for Holmes Co. as a 15 year old, living with her mother Mary and stepfather, Wilson Melton. Samuel Bainbridge Martin acted as the executor of his father's will, and after his mother's death in 1880, administered the sale of the A. S. Martin property for disbursement to the heirs. S. B. Martin's wife Ann died in Holmes Co., MS. sometime between 1870 to 1880. By 1883, Samuel Bainbridge Martin had died, and his children were all residents of Pike Co., Mississippi as evidenced by a Power of Attorney by the children as heirs of the A. S. Martin property.

S. B. and Ann Martin had the following children, all born in Holmes Co., MS:

James W. Martin, born 1856. Last known to be residing in Pike Co., MS in 1883.

Mary E. "Mollie" Martin, born 1858; married Luther Flowers Hennington "of Pike Co., MS" in 1878. Mollie [Martin] Hennington died between 1883-1889, Pike Co., MS.

Ida J. Martin, born 1862; married James J. Langhram in Pike Co., MS on November 19, 1885.

Samuela Martin, born 1865; last known to reside in Pike Co., MS in 1883.

John A. Martin, born 1866; and died about November, 1883, in Pike Co.

Sarah C. "Sallie" Martin, born 1868, and died about November, 1883, in Pike Co., MS.

ROBERT MARTIN was born in Rockingham Co., NC. on 23 July 1831. Robert moved with his parents to Holmes Co., MS, became a physician and settled in Florida.

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Submitted by Francie Lane - francielane@comcast.net March 27, 2008

3rd Great Granddaughter of Alexander Strong Martin

2nd Great Granddaughter of Mary Sharp [Martin] Andrews

Great Granddaughter of Alexander Samuel Andrews

Granddaughter of Boyd Kelley Andrews