Surname Saturday: MARTINE of Westchester Co NY, Rockland Co NY, Monroe Co NY, Racine Co WI and more

UPDATED & CORRECTED 11/13/23

The surname MARTINE is of French Huguenot origin, and is my maternal grandfather's surname. 

The immigrant ancestor is JEAN MARTINE (sometimes spelled MARTIN) b 1642 St Nazarre, Saintonge, Loire France , who with his wife ANNE emigrated to Massachusetts in 1687, and died Dec 1701 in New Rochelle, Westchester County, New York.


 "BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF SETTLERS OF NEW ROCHELLE NY 1687-1776" BY MORGAN H SECORD, publ 1941 page 38-39
"JEAN MARTIN was a native of Saint Nazaire in Saintonge, and appears to have first fled to England, and then came to America by way of Boston, settling in Oxford, Massachusetts in 1687. He was a laborer and his wife was Annie. Upon the abandonment of the Oxford settlement, he was among those who came to New Rochelle in the year 1696. His name appears in the census of New Rochelle, 1698, as aged fifty-two years and his wife forty-two, and three children. Two of these were born at the Oxford settlement. He signed the oath of allegiance at New Rochelle, pursuant to the order of January 1698. He purchased land in New Rochelle in the West Division from Marie Guespin (widow of Josias La Vilain), on March 11, 1697. He made his will Oct 5, 1700, which was recorded in the Town Record book on Dec 27, 1701, he there called himself "Ploughman". His wife survived him. This name has been corrupted to Martine."

WILL OF JEAN MARTIN/MARTINE FROM BOOK " RECORDS OF THE TOWN OF NEW ROCHELLE NY 1699-1828" TRANSLATED FROM FRENCH
" Our aid be in God, who has made the sky, and the earth, Amen, at New Rochelle, Manor of Pelham, in the province of New York, in America, the fifth day of October, One Thousand seven hundred, I, JEAN MARTIN, Ploughman, living in the said town of New Rochelle, being for the present by the Grace of Geod, sound of mind and judgement, though afflicted of sickness, knowing of nothing more certain than death, though the hour of it is most uncertian, have had written this present act of deed , which is my testament and declaration of my last will, in the following form.


In the first place-- I commend my Soul to God, Creator & Saviour of the world,; imploring Him to receive me in His favour through the merits of the precious blood of Our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.


Secondly, I ask of my wife, ANNE MARTIN, if she survives me, to bury my body in suitable simplicity.


Thirdly, I declare as absolute truth that my said wife and myself, arriving in this place of New Rochelle, desitute, and having nothing but our hands to earn our bread, we have worked by the sweat of our brow to establish and erect the hourse in which we now live, and plough and enclose the lands which belong to it and acquire the little stock of cattle and other movable goods which belong to us. That is why I think it just and reasonable and it is my testament and declaration of my last will that when it will have pleased the Lord to take me unto Him, my said wife, ANNE MARTIN , shall enter in full and entire posession and shall be absolute and undisturbed mistress of all that which belongs to me--the house, tilled and untilled lands, goods and cattle of all kinds which are in this said place of New Rochelle, as well as in the place of New Oxford, where we previously lived, in New England. Giving full power to my said wife, by these presents, as guardian and trustee of my children, who, at my death, will still be young, and praying my said children to obey and assist her as it is their duty. In testimony of faith I have had the above written in presence of witnesses undersigned the day and year above mentioned.."
Signed and sealed with my seal (P) Mark of JEAN MARTIN
X seat of the said witnesses J. B. Dutuffeau, Jacques Prevot, Pierre Ladone



Children of JEAN MARTINE/MARTIN and his wife ANNE (my lineage highlighted in blue):

• Jeanne Martine  b bef 1687 England or France; married Daniel Raveaux in NYC
• JOHN JEAN MARTINE II b. abt 1690 New Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts;  d Haverstraw Orange/Rockland Co NY m Eva Affie Afje Mabie
• Francois Martine (m) b. 1693 New Oxford, Worcester County, Massachusetts

Children of JOHN JEAN MARTINE IIand EVA AFJE MABIE:

• Elizabeth Martine b. 1717 m. Matthys Buckhout
• John Martine (Rev War) b. 1718 m. Rachel Vail
• Daniel Martine (Rev War) b. 1725 m. Deborah Ryker abt 1749
• Eva Affie Aefje Martine b. 1725 m. Johannes Snedeker
• Hannah Annetje Martine b abt 1732
• JEREMIAH MARTINE (Rev War)  b. 1734 Westchester Co NY, d Haverstraw Orange/Rockland Co NY m. Rachel Baree/Baret

Children of JEREMIAH MARTINE (Rev War) and RACHEL BAREE:

• John Martine b. 1762 m. Maria Stevenson
• Susannah Martine b. 1763 m. Johannes Vanderbilt
• Daniel Martine b. 1764 m. Grietje Vanderbilt
• ISAAC MARTINE b. Aug 26, 1766 Clarkstown, Rockland Co NY; d 1811, 8th Ward, NYC m. Geertje Charity Campbell. 
• Rachel Martine b. 1767 m.??
• Rebecca Martine b 1767 m Martin Shaw
• Eva Martine b. 1769 m. Stephen Wood
• Jeremiah Jr. Martine b. 1774
• Abraham Martine b. 1776 m. Sarah Vanderbilt

Children of ISAAC MARTINE and GEERTJE CHARITY CAMPBELL:

• Rachel Martine b. abt 1799 Clarkstown, Rockland Co New York; records with her mother can be found in the Greenwich Dutch Reformed Church in NYC before the family moved to Monroe Co NY
• ALBERT MARTINE b. Dec 28 1800 Clarkstown Rockland Co NY m Mary Edson (maiden name unverified, but likely) died bef 1830 in Monroe Co NY
• John Martine b 1810 8th Ward, New York City m Mary Snyder in Monroe Co NY

Children of ALBERT MARTINE and MARY EDSON (maiden name unverified):

• Rachel Martine b. abt 1820 NY Listed in the 1840 and 1850 Monroe Co NY Census Ogden Twp., no record afterwards
• Isaac Martine b. abt 1824 NY m. Amy Close 1850?; Elizabeth Ann Werring on April 21, 1866. Died April 10, 1897 in Sleepy Eye, Brown Co Minnesota
• Maria B Martine b abt 1829 Spencerport, Monroe Co NY m George Tarbox, died April 22. 1858 Spencerport, Monroe Co NY. They had one child, Maria J Tarbox, who died in childhood. She and her grandmother, Charity "Geertje" (Campbell) Martine, are both buried in the Tarbox family plot, Fairfield Cemetery, Ogden twp, Monroe Co NY.
• JOHN F. MARTINE b. June 15, 1831 Spencerport, Ogden Twp, Monroe Co NY m. Mary Ann Scofield on April 21, 1851 Yorkville Racine Co WI.

Children of JOHN F MARTINE and MARY ANN SCOFIELD:

• CHARLES ALBERT MARTINE  b. April 12, 1854 Yorkville, Racine Co WI m. Alice Miller abt 1880 in Missouri. Charles was named for his two grandfathers: Charles Scofield b.1809 NYC and Albert Martine b. 1801 Rockland Co NY. 
• Ida Kate Martine b. June 24, 1857 Yorkville Racine Co WI d. May 25, 1899 Chillicothe, Livingston Co  MO; married James Asa Myers b 1854 Chillicothe, died 1905. 
• Minnie L. Martine b. August 16,1869 Hardin co Iowa married William Clifton in Missouri.  Then in 1907 she married Joseph Rainford and they lived Everson, Whatcom Co WA.
• John Edson Martine b. January 10, 1875 probably Kansas City MO  married Pearl unknown late in life, no children; lived Everson, Whatcom Co  WA and possibly other places in WA state.

Children of CHARLES ALBERT MARTINE and ALICE MILLER:

• Frederick Earl Martine b. April 29, 1881 Chillicothe, MO m. Mabel Ronald
• Walter Lloyd Martine b. March 9, 1884 Alburqurque NM m. Ella Adams
• Lizzie May Martine b.Sept. 30, 1886 Wyandott, KA m. Robert "Nick" Nichols
• RANDOLPH BENJAMIN "Rolla" MARTINE  b Dec. 26, 1888 Kansas City MO died 1974 Everett, Snohomish Co WA m. Ruby Bolton Brown.
• Nina Miller Martine Feb 7, 1893 North Yamhill, OR (near Portland) never married, died 1989 Lane Co OR

Charles Albert Martine, Alice Miller Martine and their children, abt 1900 Seattle WA. 

Copy of original, my collection

Have a great day!

Betty

HENRY "NEW HAMPSHIRE" HNH BROWN 1825-1897: A New England-Born Pioneer of California

 My great great grandfather HENRY "NEW HAMPSHIRE" BROWN--who signed his name "HNH Brown"--was born  21 Sep 1825 in Sanbornton, Strafford County (later Belknap County) New Hampshire.   His family tree flows  back more than 10 generations in Massachusetts to the very first Puritan and Pilgrim settlers there;  his pedigree includes Mayflower passengers JOHN HOWLAND & ELIZABETH TILLEY;  THOMAS DUDLEY, the 2nd governor of the Colony of Massachusetts and his daughter ANNE DUDLEY BRADSTREET, the first published poet in the Colony of Massachusetts;  the Reverend BENJAMIN BUTLER, a Harvard graduate,  who later settled in Nottingham, New Hampshire, plus several ancestors who fought in the American Revolutionary War (as per DAR Patriot Index).

HENRY HNH BROWN was the son of BENJAMIN BUTLER BROWN born 19 April 1800 in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, and PHEBE GALE born 24 Jan 1802, Sanbornton, Strafford County, New Hampshire. He had five siblings:

-STEPHEN GALE BROWN b 1827 d 1849 Sutter's Fort, California

-BENJAMIN FRANKLIN BROWN b 1831

-MARY ANN BROWN b 1833 (never married)

-CHARLES GALE BROWN b 1835 (never married)

-GEORGE GALE BROWN b 1837

Little is known about HENRY's early education.  However, in 1848, as a young man age 23, he was sent to Hartford, Vermont, to study medicine with his uncle Dr HENRY BUTLER BROWN.  He did not stay with that profession, however, because the lure and adventure of the California Gold Rush captured both his imagination and that of  his brother STEPHEN GALE BROWN.  In 1849 they embarked together on the long and perilous voyage to California, sailing around Cape Horn, and made their way to Sutter's Fort. STEPHEN GALE BROWN died there, shortly after their arrival.

Between 1849 and 1855 there are few records for HENRY HNH BROWN.  It is entirely likely that he tried his hand at panning for gold. It was during these years that he picked up the nickname "New Hampshire", which stuck with him for the rest of his life.   It has been rumored that HENRY worked for LELAND STANFORD, who set up a general store in Michigan Bluff, Placer County, California around 1852, but I have not been able to verify this.  What is known, however, is that with a partner named C.A. PECK, HENRY purchased a mercantile business in about 1852 from CHARLES CROCKER  & DEWITT STANFORD, located in what was known as "Negro Hill" in Sacramento.   

Negro Hill Mining Camp

It was here, in the Negro Hill Mining Camp,  that HENRY first met the woman who was to become his wife, CORDELIA RICKARD MYERS.  

Cordelia H Rickard (Myers) Brown bef 1870

Her brother RICHARD RICKARD also owned a mercantile business at the Negro Hill Mining Camp. CORDELIA and RICHARD were immigrants from Kenwyn Parish, Cornwall, England, the children of CORDELIA HICKS and RICHARD RICKARD Sr.  CORDELIA RICKARD MYERS emigrated with her widowed mother & younger siblings in 1845, on the ship "Henry Clay"; RICHARD  with his brother WILLIAM arrived in 1846 on the ship "Oxford". The family lived first in Platteville, Grant County, Wisconsin, where many other relatives from Cornwall had settled, to work in the lead mines there. WILLIAM RICKARD returned to England before 1851.

CORDELIA married a German immigrant HENRY WILLIAM F MYERS 29 Jan 1850 in Platteville. Their only child, EMMA J MYERS was born in Dec 1850.  Sometime before 1852, the couple decided to make the journey overland to California.  It is highly likely that her brother RICHARD RICKARD accompanied them.  HENRY WILLIAM F MYERS either died on the way overland, or once they reached California. CORDELIA was a widow with an infant daughter when she met HENRY HNH BROWN. They were married 1 Jun 1857 in Sacramento, California. 

By 1858 the BROWN family had moved to Salmon Falls, on Lake Folsom, where HENRY joined the Natoma Freemason's Lodge. That year, HNH BROWN and C.A. PECK agreed to dissolve their partnership in their mercantile business  at Negro Hill Mining Camp, and settled their affairs. According to the 1860 US census, HENRY was working for a cattle rancher in Salmon Falls. 

Shortly after their marriage, HENRY appears to have adopted EMMA J MYERS. The couple had two more children: FRANK RICARD BROWN born 5 Feb 1858, and PHEBE CORDELIA BROWN born 12 April 1868.

During the next few years 1860-1867, HENRY NH BROWN and family lived at Granite Bay on Lake Folsom. He was listed in the local newspapers as a part owner of the Grace Copper mine (location?), and, with three other men, received a mineral rights land patent  for the Pioneer Lode in Mount Diablo, Elko County, Nevada. In 1867 HENRY, who was now secretary of the Natoma Masonic Lodge in Folsom,  wrote a reconciliatory letter to a fellow Masonic Lodge in South Carolina, which included a donation to help with reconstruction after the Civil War.

By the 1870 census, HENRY and his family were living back in Sacramento, where he was working as a clerk for the American Seed Store, owned by W.R. STRONG.  In 1872, he joined his old partner C. A. PECK, and established a building materials and plastering business.  This endeavor appeared to short-lived--despite a large number of advertisements in the local papers! 

In 1873, HENRY NH BROWN was hired as postmaster and Wells Fargo agent for the towns of Cornucopia and Brownsville in Elko County, Nevada.  Leaving his family back in Sacramento, he fulfilled his duties as a Wells Fargo Express Agent, and no doubt sought to profit from the short-lived gold and silver mining boom in the area. (Both Cornucopia and Brownsville are now ghost towns).

While HENRY was living and working in Nevada, tragedy struck. On the 23 of January 1875, his wife CORDELIA died of pneumonia at the age of 45.  Shortly thereafter, HENRY's son FRANK joined him in Nevada, leaving daughter PHEBE CORDELIA BROWN age 6 in the care of her half sister, EMMA J MYERS BROWN and her husband WALTER P EMERY.   HENRY would not return to Sacramento until 1885.

By 1877,  HENRY's son FRANK R BROWN was living in the gold mining town of Bodie. FRANK was working as an assayer, a skill he probably picked up while living with his father in Cornucopia, Nevada.  He was united in marriage to another resident of Bodie, MARY ETTA KENNEDY, whose family had also recently arrived in California from Maine. They were married 2 July 1878 in the town ofAurora, Esmerelda County, Nevada, about 15 miles north east of Bodie (There was no Justice of the Peace in the town at that time). By all accounts, the gold mines in Bodie was booming in the late 1870s, and the town was quite wild and lawless. The elevation at Bodie is 8365 feet, and the winters could be brutal.  FRANK and his wife MARY ETTA would live there until 1887, when FRANK was hired by the Alaska Commercial Company to run their gold and silver mines on Unga Island in Alaska.

Bodie State Historic Park

In March of 1880, it was announced in the Bodie Chronicle newspaper that H N H BROWN, Wells Fargo Agent of Cornucopia, Nevada, had  been appointed Wells Fargo Agent for the Mill Creek mines, in the town of Lundy, about 30 miles south of Bodie, near the town of Lee Vining.  He was 54 years old.

Lundy, California Western Mining History

According to tax records 1880-1884, HENRY NH BROWN owned two properties in the town of Lundy:  his main residence being on N. side of Main Street, bounded by J.H. Page's house and a vacant lot, with the Well's Fargo office within;  and a lot in town of Lundy, bounded S. by Chicago Ave, E. by A. Mill's lot and house, and W. by the Montrose Ox Corral. 

Townsite of Lundy, on Lundy Lake, looking west. Source: Mono County Tourism

Lundy Main Street 1900, looking east across Lundy Lake

Here is an newspaper account  likely from the Bodie Chronicle, describing an incident that occurred at the Wells Fargo office in Lundy on 5 August 1880:

"Last Thursday afternoon WILLIAM SMITH, a prospector, went into Wells Fargo & Co's express office, in an intoxicated condition, and began using very vile and offensive language concerning a man named Crane. Mr BROWN, the agent, who is an old man, requested him to stop talking in that way, as it disturbed his writing, and was disagreeable besides, but SMITH only became more violent. Mr BROWN then informed him that he must either hush or go out doors, but SMITH would do neither, whereupon he was ordered out peremptorily. On again refusing, Mr BROWN caught hold of his shoulder and gave him a slight push out the door. Whirling around, SMITH drew a self-cocking revolver, and shoved the muzzle through the glass in the door, but Mr BROWN was too quick for him, getting into the assay office, which is in the next room of the same building, before his assailant could shoot, closing the door behind him. ELLIS CORINSON, who was in the assay office with FRANK BROWN (HENRY's son), opened the door to see where SMITH was at. The latter had gone around to the opposite end of the housed broken two panes out of the window, and when CORINSON opened the door, raised his pistol and fired, the ball striking the window sash and glancing into the ceiling. CORINSON shut the door, but reopened it immediately, asking SMITH at the same time what he wanted to shoot him (Corinson) for. SMITH raised his weapon to fire again, when the door was closed. Having nothing to defend themselves with, the occupants of the room ran out by the back way up the hillside. After waiting around the office, peeping about to get a shot at someone, SMITH went away, returning , however in a short time, with his hand on his pistol, to say he should not forget the manner in which he had been treated. Mr BROWN, who is one of the most quiet and urbane of gentlemen, was greatly shocked at the attempt on his life, and says he will hereafter take measures to protect his person from the attacks of ruffians..."

In 1884, HENRY NH BROWN left his Wells Fargo post in Lundy, and returned to his family in Sacramento.  He lived at 826 L Street  with his daughter PHEBE, step-daughter EMMA and her husband WALTER P EMERY.  

From 1884 until his death in 1897, HENRY remained active in the Freemason's Lodge in Folsom, and was involved in many civic projects in Sacramento. He appears to have been on the board of directors for several businesses, including the Gurney Cab Company, the Del Norte Mining Company in Mexico, the Hartford Mining Company, and Crown Point Mining Company, to name a few. 

He was a Federal Election Supervisor for 7th precinct in Sacramento in 1892. Later in life, he volunteered as an usher in the Sacramento State Legislature, and wrote many letters, some of which were published in the local newspapers.  This 1890 letter from ex-US Senator from California JOHN CONNESS suggests that HENRY may have been a member of the Society of New England Pioneers of California:

In June 1894, HENRY's stepdaughter EMMA J MYERS BROWN EMERY died suddenly.  Her husband WALTER P EMERY passed away the following year.  

                                              Walter P Emery                                                 Emma J Myers Brown Emery                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

His son FRANK RICARD BROWN and family were living on Unga Island, Alaska, where FRANK managed the Apollo Silver and Gold Mine.  They would not return to California until 1904. Descendants live in  Nevada, Arizona, Missouri, Washington State, and Australia.

Frank Ricard Brown

In Jan 1896, HENRY'S daughter PHEBE CORDELIA BROWN married a Canadian, CHARLES WALLACE RHODES, and moved to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada where she lived all of her adult life. She had two children ETHEL RHODES DOVEY born 22 Oct 1896, died 1981;  and MABEL RHODES STERRY born 18 Jan 1901, died 1930. MABEL had two children ANN LOUISE STERRY and PETER WASEY STERRY,  who were raised in England by their father FRANK MIDDLETON STERRY and his family after their mother's death.  Descendants live in Canada, the US, the UK and New Zealand.

Phebe Cordelia Brown abt 1885 Sacramento, CA            Charles Wallace Rhodes 

HENRY "New Hampshire" HNH BROWN died 18 March 1897, alone,  at his residence at 1116 7th St in Sacramento (only one block from his previous residence 826 L St). His death certificate indicates that the cause of death was pneumonia. There were several different obituaries and death notices in the Sacramento local papers. 

HENRY "NEW HAMPSHIRE" HNH BROWN was buried in the Masonic Lawn Cemetery, Sacramento, California, alongside his wife, CORDELIA RICKARD

Henry New Hampshire Brown

Have a great day!

Betty

© Betty Tartas  2023