Today’s family sketch will share details for the family of John Martin and Joanna Esten, who lived in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts.

John Martin was baptized on 16 February 1635 at Ottery St. Mary, Devon, England, the son of Edward Martin and Judith Upham.

Joanna’s parents have been identified as Thomas and Ann Esten, who were the immigrant ancestors, but the spelling of her surname has varied because her father’s name has been recorded as Esten, Astin, Estance and Eustance. Regardless of the spelling, this family is thought to be Welsh or, possibly, English who lived close to the Welsh border. They made the trip across the ocean with Rev. John Myles, a non-conformist from Swansea, Wales and settled in Swansea, Massachusetts in 1665.

John Martin married Joanna Esten on 26 April 1671 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts and raised their family in the same town.

Children (All events in Swansea, unless noted):

1. Jemima, born 29 May 1672; died after 1724, possibly Providence, Providence, Rhode Island; married Samuel Salisbury, 28 October 1699, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
2. Melatiah, born 31 August 1673; died 30 January 1761; married Rebecca Brooks, 6 November 1696
3. John, born 15 March 1674; died 3 November 1757; married Mercy Hayward
4. Ephraim, born c1676; died 25 June 1734, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Thankful Bullock, 6 December 1699, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
5. Ann, born c1678; died 15 November 1759, Attleboro, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Richard Round
6. Manassah, born 2 February 1681; 20 March 1754, Warwick, Kent, Rhode Island; married Deborah Cole, c1704
7. Joanne, born 15 February 1683; died 23 August 1756, Warren, Bristol, Rhode Island; married Philip Short, 5 December 1711
8. Ebenezer, born 16 February 1684; died 11 September 1727, Barrington, Bristol, Rhode Island; married Abigail Wheeler, 29 November 1716
9. Judith, born 13 November 1686; died 18 March 1750; married John Luther, 24 December 1713, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts

John Martin died n 21 March 1713 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts. Joanna survived her husband by 20 years – almost to the day – passing away on 23 March 1733 in Providence, Providence, Rhode Island. Given that daughter Jemima lived in Providence, I would posit the theory that widowed Joanna went to live with her eldest daughter’s family.

No family sketch will be provided for Thomas and Ann Esten because, honestly, I find the online information to be questionable. For the same reason, no family sketch will be posted for Edward Martin and Judith Upham. Although both of these couples settled in New England, names and places for their purported children are suspect.

Melatiah Martin was born 31 August 1673 in Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts, the second child and eldest son of John Martin and wife Joanna, whose last name has been spelled as Esten, Eunstance, Enstance, but was possibly Easton.

Melatiah lived his entire life in Swansea. He married Rebecca Brooks on 6 November 1696, in Swansea. She was born 5 October 1679 in Billerica, Middlesex, Massachusetts, the daughter of Timothy Brooks and Mary Russell.

Melatiah and Rebecca were the parents of ten children, although birth records have not been found for four of them:

1. Keziah, born 9 September 1697, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; died after 15 March 1753; married William Wood, 18 February 1716, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
2. Ann, born c1699, probably in Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Joseph Bowen, 10 February 1721, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
3. Daniel, born 23 September 1702, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 18 November 1781, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Tabitha Lewis, c1726
4. Nathan, born 5 September 1704, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts; no further record
5. Melatiah, born 30 October 1706, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; died before 4 August 1752, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Abigail Sanford, 17 April 1728, Little Compton, Providence, Rhode Island
6. Rebecca, born 19 February 1708, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Hezekiah Mason, 23 July 1730, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
7. Timothy, born 12 September 1711, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; died 11 March 1745, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Jerusha Garnsey, 2 February 1733, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
8. Patience, born c1719; died 12 August 1770, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Miel Pierce, 6 November 1740, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts
9. Job, born c1721; died before 27 October 1773, Swansea, Bristol, Massachusetts; married Anne Horton, 30 August 1746, Rehoboth, Bristol, Massachusetts
10. Jeremiah, born c1725

Rebecca died on 18 July 1730 in Rehoboth and Melatiah married (2) Jemima Wright, 11 April 1744.

Birth records have not been found for the three youngest children. Given the marriage years of Patience and Job, their mother was undoubtedly Rebecca.

Melatiah’s youngest child, Jeremiah, is somewhat of a mystery. Bristol County, Massachusetts Deed Book 42:412 records a land transfer from Melatiah “in consideration of natural love, goodwill and affection for my son Jeremiah now living with and under my care.” It is dated 30 July 1757.

However, Melatiah died on 30 January 1761 in Swansea, said to have dropped dead while getting water from the well, and on 3 December 1761, one Jeremiah Martin married Mary Chase in Barrington, Bristol, Rhode Island. I haven’t been able to determine if this is Melatiah’s son.

Further, on 10 April 1762, the court appointed a guardian for Jeremiah, who was deemed non compos mentis, or not in his right mind and unable to care for himself. His condition had persisted for years – at least since July 1757 when Melatiah stated in the land transfer that Jeremiah lived with him and was under his care.

Jeremiah was probably the last child born to Rebecca. She died in 1730, but there are a number of gaps in the birth years of her children since Timothy was born in 1711 and marriage dates for Patience and Job suggest birth years around 1719 and 1721 if they married, as common, at ages 21 and 25, respectively.

Jeremiah may well have been born in the gap between 1711 and 1719 and born with a mental handicap. Or, he might have been a change of life baby born to Rebecca in the early 1720s.

With either scenario, Jeremiah would have been over 21 years of age by 1757 and legally able to become a land owner with the gift from his father.

There are several records for an adult Jeremiah Martin, but this Jeremiah seems to be the most likely candidate to be the man who married Mary Chase, said to be born c1744. The marriage happened within months of his father’s death and Mary was very young to be getting married. Could this “runaway” marriage be the trigger that prompted the request for his guardianship?

What became of Jemima Wright, the second wife of Melatiah Martin is unknown.