According to the 1850 Federal Illinois Census for Adams county, Houston Township, she was born about 1753 in New York. She married John Layson about 1770 in Hopewell Township, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, and had left there by 1781. In 1785, she is found in Fayette (Bourbon) County Kentucky. There was a William Martin found in Hopewell Township between 1778 and 1783 as a large land owner, who may be her father, but it is a common name.

In the newspaper article 'Early Bourbon Families', which is taken from an old manuscript, a claim is made that she was the sister of a John Martin who was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks in 1782. Those persons killed at the Battle of Blue Licks are well documented and no one with the Martin surname appears on the list.

It is tempting to attribute this fallen brother to an early Kentucky pioneer of the same name. Capt. John Martin was one of the first settlers to arrive in Bourbon County, Kentucky. He was born in Goshen, Orange County, New York in 1733. He next appears as a Pennsylvania volunteer in Lt. John Hinkson's company during Lord Dunmore's campaign of 1774. John Hinkson first appears in the Hopwell Township tax lists of 1768 and 1770. Hinkson was the half-brother of William McCune, also from Hopewell Township. In 1775, Lt. Hinkson, John Martin and others travelled down the Ohio River arriving at Capt. Benjamin Logan's Fort in Lincoln County, Kentucky. From there they travelled up the Licking River to Bourbon County, Kentucky and settled there. From 1776 to 1779, John Martin is found back at Logan's Fort serving as a sergeant under Capt. Benjamin Logan. In 1776, he took part in the rescue of Daniel Boone's children who were captured by Indians. In 1777, he was one of Gen. Clark's spies from Logan's Fort used to track the movements of the Indian tribes, and in the same year was invloved in the defense of the Fort against Indians and, alongwith Capt. Logan, attempted an daring rescue a fallen guard who had been shot outside the walls. John Martin was forced to turn back by heavy gun fire. In 1778 he was wounded by Indians during a skirmish. Later that same year, hearing that Boonesborough had been captured, he travelled alone to Holsten returning with a relief force of 150 men. In 1779, John Martin was contracted to return to Bourbon County and build Martin's Station along the South Fork of the Licking River. The fort was completed in the spring of 1780, but in June was captured and burned by a British and Indian force led by Capt. Byrd. John Martin was away hunting when his fort was destroyed and afterward returned to Lincoln County where he spent the remainder of his days. In 1780 and 1781 he served in Clark's Indians campaigns. On January 17, 1781 he married Nancy Berry in Lincoln County, Kentucky. In 1782, he was part of Capt. Benjaminn Logan's relief force rushing to aid at the Battle of Blue Licks, but arrived too late to take part in the battle. Also in 1782 he took part in Clark's Shawanoe campaign. In 1785 he was a repesentative at the Danville convention. His only know son, John L. Martin, was born on April 28, 1786. Also that year he took part in another of Logan's Campaigns. Not much is known of his life after that. He died in Lincoln County, Kentucky on April 18, 1821.

The are only a few possible connections between Capt. John Martin and Margaret (Martin) Layson. Obviously they share a surname. They may have also both been in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania in 1774/1775, though it is not certain that that is where John Martin and John Hinkson became acquainted. Besides this, they were both born in New York.

There also some problems in assuming a connection between them. The only basis to do so is that the original manuscript for which the "Early Bourbon Families" article was written claimed that Margaret Martin had a brother named John Martin who was killed at the Battle of Blue Licks. We have already discussed one problem with this claim in that no one by that surname died at this battle. Since we have proved the second part of the claim is not valid, why would we assume that the first part of the claim is valid? The manuscript is known to contain other errors, not least that they list the given name for Margaret Layson's husband incorrectly as Denmark. It was Denmark's brother, Oliver, who married Margaret Layson. Additionally, When John and Margaret Layson moved from Pennsylvania to Bourbon county, Kentucky, Capt. John Martin was no longer livng there. By then, he had made a permenant move to Lincoln County. Lastly, Capt. John Martin was 20 years older than Margaret Martin. We must ask ourselves what the likelyhood is that he was an older brother. He was certainly old enough to be a father. John Martin was born in 1733 and married in 1781 when he was 48 years old. It is highly unlikely that this was his first marriage. He could have married young and had children by a first wife.

It should be noted that Capt. John Martin was not the only person of that surname in central Kentucky during this time. There were dozens of persons of that surname in the area between Lincoln County and Bourbon County. There were also quite a few persons of the same given name as well. In the 1779 roster for Benjamin Logan's Fort, there were besides John, a Joseph and Samuel Martin as well. There were 14 Martins that show up in the tax lists for Bourbon County between the years of 1787 and 1800. Two of them were name John. I have not looked at the tax lists for Lincoln, Jessamine, Fayette or Harrison County, but the 1790 reconstructed census record for Fayette/Jessamine county shows an additional 16 Martins, 3 of who were named John. Capt. John Martin is the only one showing in Lincoln County. There were a total of 19 Martins in these counties listed in the 1800 census, 3 of whom were named John.

More specifically for Bourbon County, John and Margaret (Martin) Layson arrived in late 1782. The 1787 tax lists lists no Martins, so it would appear that they came without other members of the Martin family. In 1787, a David Martin appears in Paris marrying Jane Wilkins. David Martin was born in Connecticut in 1764. I have traced his siblings, parents, cousins and nephews, and it appears the rest of his family remained in Connecticut. It seems unlikely that he is releated to Margaret in any way. It is not until 1789 that any more Martins appear in the tax lists. In that year there is a John, Hugh and Robert Martin. Robert disappears after that (it is not known if he is the same person that starts showing up in 1795). Hugh may be the same person that was born in Virginia in 1759, married in Lexington, Fayette County in 1779, was in Clark county in 1798 and Mulenburg County by 1808. His brothers all moved from Virginia to Woodford county, Kentucky. Again, it does not seem likely that he is related. This leaves John Martin of whom nothing is known. He is probably the John Martin who in 1796 witnessed a deed of John Layson and for whom John Layson's brother Robert Layson witnessed a deed the same year. He may have been the John Martin who died in nearby Harrison County in 1822, but this is pure specualtion. If anything, this is the most likely John Martin to be a brother of Margaret (Martin) Layson, and he is definately not the same person as Capt. John Martin who is living in Lincoln County at the time, and too old to be the same person and Capt. John Martin's only known son, John L. Martin, who was born in 1786. In 1790 and thereafter, a slew of other Martins start showing up in the Bourbon county records. Some of these are probably sons coming of age, while others may be newly located to the area.

For those looking for biographical information on Capt. John Martin of Martin's Station located on the South Fork of the Licking River in Bourbon County, Kentucky, see the following links:

"Kentucky Records, Volume II", by Julia Ardrey
[ http://genforum.genealogy.com/ky/bourbon/messages/673.html ]

Page 103
"December Court, 1800
Deposition of Jno. Martin to establish land of Isaac Ruddell, deposeth: he was employed to locate land known as Martin's Cabbins for Reuben Searcy, and he with Geo. Ruddell marked boundry between Ruddell and Searcy. Jas. Ruddell deposeth: he was with surveyors when land of Geo. Ruddell was surveyed."

[tjf - I'm not sure if Martin's Cabbins is the same as Martin's Station/Fort, but if so establishes that he was hired for this purpose and may not have planned on settling there.]

Page 108
"December Court, 1804
Deposition of John Martin, aged 61 yrs, to establish James Wright's Military survey, deposeth: in yr. 1775, he having settled near the plantation where "Col. James Garrard now lives," travelled the old Buffalo road near a spring where "James Wright now lives," and discovered a camp had been made, later in 1775 Jno,. Floyd told him he had made a Military survey at the place for one Huggard (Haggard) and others, etc."

[tjf - establishes John Martin's birth year and his initial location on Stoner Fork]

Page 109
"DEPOSITION BOOK A
(Old book found in the basement of the Bourbon County Court House, by Julia S. Ardery, and placed in office of County Clerk.)
Nov. 25, 1816
Deposition of Wm. Steele, taken at home of Jno Nesbitt, north side Hinkson Creek, to establish entry of 400 a and preemption of 1000 a. entered by Wm. Nesbit, states he, deponent, came to Ky. 1775 in co. with Wm. Nesbitt, Joseph Houston and others to the matter of about fourteen, at lower Blue Licks his Co. was joined by John Hinkson, John Martin and others who had just come into Ky. That each company sent our parties to explore, and on their return whole co. as well as that of Hinkston and others traveled along the buffalo trace now called Limestone, passing by Millersburg to Lexington until they came to the buffalo road now called Hinkston's trace, turned from Limestone road, that Hinkston's co. took Hinkston's trace and advanced to what is now called Hinkston's Station, that co. in which deponent was, entered Limestone trace until they came to buffalo trail, since called Ruddell's road, encamped on Miller's Run, that co. selected spots for improving and drew lots, deponent, drew place on which he has since lived, and Wm. Nesbit improved on the place this day shown, that deponent in said yr. of 1775 assisted Wm. Nesbit in making his improvement, that co. of deponant was visited by co. from Hinkson's Station in 1775, after improvements were made; that John Martin, who established Martin's Station, was one of Hinkson's co. Martin's Station was about seven or eight miles from Wm. Nesbit's improvement, and Hinkson's Station about same distance. Deponent resided in Penn. in 1779 and in 1780 came to Ky., was at Martin's and Ruddle's Stations in 1780, that John Martin and John Haggin knew of improvement in 1779 or 1780, and he believes the following of Hinkson's co. knew of Nesbit's improvement 1775 and upwards to 1780: P. Logan, Richard Clark, Joseph Cowper, Joseph Houston and Jno. Miller."

Page 109
"Deposition of Henry Thompson states he came to Ky. 1775 in company with Wm. Nesbit, Wm. Steele, Wm. McClintock, Jos. Houston and others to the number of abt. fourteen, that John Hinkson, John Martin, John Haggin and others to the number of abt. fourteen joined his company at Blue Licks, deponent left this country 1775 and did not return until 1784. Question by F. Marshall for self and those claiming under claim of Patty Harris, late Patty Wethers: "Did you not know where improvement was in 1775 or '76?" Deponent states he only heard of it, that the co. divided into companies of three or four persons, that Wm. Steele, Houston and, he believes, Wm. Flennand, Richard Clark improved with Nesbit in 1775, and he heard Wm. Craig, Wm. Houston and Robert Thompson say they worked with Nesbit 1776, heard Nesbit say he intended improving on Thompson's run for his brother, that Nesbit came abt. harvest 1776 to Penn. from Ky., that Wm. Steele made improvement 1775."

Page 110
"Depositions taken Apr. 15, 16, 1819
To establish preemption of John Miller on Hinkstons Creek. Cave Johnston, at home of Robt. E. Miller at Millersburg, states he was deputy surveyor of Fayette Co. and made John Miller's original survey in 1783. Deposition of Jas. Feryman in same. Deposition of Wm. Miller states in April, 1775, he, in company with abt. four men, came to Ky., up Licking to lower Blue Licks and traversed the county to find suitable place to improve, that John Miller, Wm. Steele, Wm. McClintock, Alexander Pollock and others composed the company, that John Miller, Alexander Pollock, John Stear and himself built John Miller's improvement in 1775, and after all the company had improved they went back to Penn., same year, and in 1776 he, John Miller and Alexander Pollock and some others returned to Ky. Further states that when he and his co. landed at lower Blue Licks 1775 they met John Hinkston and his co. of abt. fifteen, that John Martin and Jas. Cooper were of Hinkston's co., that in 1776 John Miller and Alexander Pollock went to John Cooper's, who was another of Hinkston's co., and bought corn which he had raised in 1775. Wm. Steele states in 1775 he and about eight of his co. traveled toward Ky. River and met one David McGee from Boonesborough. Wm. McClintock deposeth he returned to Penn. 1775 and did not come back with others of said co., and not until 1784. Jas. McMillan deposeth he came to Boonesborough March, 1776, his brothers, John and Robert, came to Ky. 1775, he heard Simon Kenton, John Fleming and Jonathan McMillan and one Cooper speak of Miller's improvement, that Wm. McClelland, Wm. Miller and Samuel Nesbit had improved about a mile or mile and quarter from Millersburg."

"Descendants of William NESBIT & Agnes "Nancy" McCLINTOCK", 2010
[ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mcclintock/wmnesbit.htm ]

"William Nesbit-(Cert. issd for 1400 pd &c) Wm Nisbit by Jno Martin this day claimed a settlement & preempt'n to a tract of land in the district of Kentucky on Acc't of raising a crop of Corn in the Country in the year 1776 lying on the North side of the Middle Fork of Licking Creek between a buffaloe Road & the s'd Creek adjoining of the Lower side of Wm Steeles land to include his improvement Satisfactory proof being made to the Court they are of Opinion that the s'd Nisbit. has a right to a settlement of 400 Acres of land to include the above Location & the preemption of 1000 Acres of land adjoining & that a Cert. issue accordingly."

The Lyman C. Draper Manuscripts (Reel 85, 17 CC 191-209, Page 486)
[ http://www.edenmartin.com/family/part1.htm (p33-34)]
taken from letters written by Captain John Martin's son, John L. Martin.

"John Martin was born near Goshen, Orange County, N.Y., in the year 1736. He served one year in the New York provincials on the Northern frontier during the French War, and saw active service in the field. Early in 1775, he went down the Ohio with Capt. John Hinkston and others, to Kentucky, and raised a crop of corn that year on the South Fork of Licking; aided, in 1776 in rescuing the captive girls; and the next year he was one of two spies employed at Logan's Station, and took part in the defence of that station when attacked in May 1777 by a large body of Indians. In June 1778 he was wounded in a skirmish with the Indians, at or near the present town of Washington, Kentucky. When Boonesborough was attacked in September 1778, a report reached Logan's Station where Martin then was, that Boonesborough had been taken, when Martin hastened alone to the Holston settlements, and procured a reinforcement of 150 men for the defence of Kentucky. During the winter 1779-80, he erected Martin's Station, a mile below the present town of Paris, on Licking, but was not there when it was captured the ensuing June. He served in Clark's Indian campaign of 1780, and, in 1781, we find him in service as a captain building boats for Clark's intended Detroit expedition. He aided Logan in burying the dead at the Blue Lick defeat in August 1782, and again led forth his company on Clark's Shawanoe campaign in the fall of that year, as well also in Logan's campaign in 1786. He was a member of the Danville, Ky., Convention of May 1785. He settled in Lincoln County, Kentucky, where he died April 18th, 1821, at the age of 85 years. Capt. Martin was a man of large frame, and was familiarly known, in early times, as 'the Big Yankee.' He deservedly ranked among the most efficient and meritorious of the early pioneers of Kentucky."

[tjf - establishes bith place. His son listed his birth year as 1736, but earlier we saw he listed it as 1733.

Copy of Ledger A of the Hendersen Company where John Martin is said to have settled

"settled Martin's Station on Hinkston's fork of Licking, in Bourbon, 10 miles the other side of Paris. This station was taken, with Riddle's, by the British and Indians. Many who were taken prisoners at this invasion enlisted under the British, who eagerly held out persuasive propositions, and thus made their circumstances easier ... Martin was the man who volunteered his service with Genl. Logan at St. Asaph's, or Logan's Station, to bring in the wounded man, but who, when he got out, thought the skin was closer than the shirt. Genl. Logan wrapped a feather bed about him."

[tjf - I assume this means thay Logan went out with the bed tied around him for protection, and Martin did not, hence his hasty retreat.]

"Destruction of Ruddle’s and Martin’s Forts in the Revolutionary War", by Maud Ward Lafferty (from The Register of the Kentucky Historical Society, October 1956, Vol. 54, No. 189, pp 297-338.)
[ http://kynghistory.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/1B25C3C3-F3E4-4BDB-9413-B48BF7ECB2BA/123151/DestructionofRuddlesandMartinsFort1.pdf ]

[Note: The two following quotes do not show the references from which they were taken, and since there is doubt to their validity, they should not be accepted without supporting documentation.]

Note [15]
"John Martin was born on the Atlantic Ocean, 1723, three days after his quaker parents had left the shore of Ireland for America."

[tjf - incorrectly states his birth year. Since the author did not show the source from which this was derived, I wonder if the original source date was misread and should have been read as 1733. If so, then possibly his son was wrong as to where he was born. Perhaps he was instead from Goshen, NY.]

Page 5 - Martin's Fort
"About four miles away on Stoner Creek, John Martin built his cabin in 1775 which became a fortified station about 1779. He brought his family from Uniontown, Pennsylvania, down the Ohio to Limestone and with other families settled first at Hinkson's Settlement. then at his own station on Stoner Creek in Bourbon County where the Buffalo Trace crosses the creek."

[tjf - Uniontown is located in south western PA. It seems odd that John Martin would have come from such great a distance to join forces with Lt. John Hinkson in 1774 when they both are shown on the a roster of Pennsylvania volunteers]

"Virginia's Colonial Soldiers", by Lloyd DeWitt Bockstruck, 1988, pp 137,141,144
[ http://books.google.com/books?id=0RpcjJQBm6AC&pg=PA137 ]

"Dunmore's War 1774
The Names of the Soldiers on the Pay Rolls At Pittsburgh [Archives Dept., St. Lib. Pittsburg Rolls]
Lt. John Hinckston's Roll:
Thomas Chenney; John Townsend; Silas Train; Hugh Porter; Robert Porter; James Dougan; James Cooper; William Worton; Thos. Tawnhill; John McGary; John Hagen; George Finley; James Grannell; William Anderson; John Martin; Matthew Sullivan; Robert Knox; William Haddin; Thomas Shores; William Haskins; James Connell; Christopher McMichaell, William Wilson; John Jordan"

Dunmore's War, Wikipedia, 2010
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunmore's_War ]

"Dunmore's War (or Lord Dunmore's War) was a war in 1774 between the Colony of Virginia and the Shawnee and Mingo American Indian nations. Lord Dunmore, the Governor of Virginia, asked the House of Burgesses to declare a state of war with the hostile Indian nations and order up an elite volunteer militia force for the campaign. The conflict resulted from escalating violence between British colonists, who in accordance with previous treaties were exploring and moving into land south of the Ohio River (modern West Virginia and Kentucky), and American Indians, who held treaty rights to hunt there. As a result of successive attacks by Indian hunting and war bands upon the settlers, war was declared "to pacify the hostile Indian war bands". The war ended soon after Virginia's victory in the Battle of Point Pleasant on October 10, 1774. As a result of this victory, the Indians lost the right to hunt in the area and agreed to recognize the Ohio River as the boundary between Indian lands and the British colonies."
Tax lists for Hopewell Township[tjf - show John Hinkson located there in 1768 and 1770]

"A History of Kentucky and Kentuckians, Vol. 3", by E. Polk Johnson, 1912, p 1587
[ http://books.google.com/books?id=aksVAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA1587 ]

"In the spring of 1775 a party, known as Hinkson's company, started out from Pennsylvania for Kentucky in search of lands to improve. This company consisted of John Hinkson, John Haggin, John Martin, John Townsend, James Cooper, Daniel Callahan, Patrick Callahan, Mathew Fenton, George Gray, William Haskins, William Shields, Thomas Shares. Silas Train, Samuel Wilson and John Wood. Those sturdy pioneers came down the Ohio river in boats and thence up the Licking river in canoes, landing at the mouth of Willow creek, on the east side of Main Licking, four miles above the forks, where Falmouth now stands. On account of rainy weather and high water the party was forced to remain at the latter place for two nights and one day. They then proceeded up the Licking river to near the Lower Blue Licks. A few days later, in the spring 1775, another company, known as the Miller Company--fourteen persons in all-- came in canoes down the Ohio and up the Licking to Lower Blue Licks, where they joined the Hinkson colony. Each party sent out explorers who examined the country and who reported to their respective companies at the Blue Licks. They all traveled together, following the main buffalo trace toward what is now the city of Lexington until they reached a trace turning westward, which has since been called Hinkson's trace, because the party headed by Colonel Hinkson followed it, while the Miller party encamped on a small stream which they called Miller's run, the same being at the crossing of the lower Limestone road. The Hinkson party continued its progress along the Buffalo trace until they came to the south fork of the Licking river, about one mile and a half south of what is now Lair. Here they camped and initiated operations toward settlement, clearing the land and building log cabins. They explored the surrounding country, naming the creeks after different members of the company, as Townsend creek, Cooper's run, Gray's run and Hinkson's creek. In April, 1775, Colonel Hinkson cleared a piece of ground and erected a log cabin on the banks of Licking, near the mouth of Townsend creek. Several other members of the party did likewise and they began to raise corn, with which they later furnished seed to a number of other improvers. Hinkson's settlement soon became a station and as such was the central source of supply."

"Benjamin Logan: Kentucky Frontiersman", by Gano. Talbert, 1962, pp 18,71-72,
[ http://www.frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/logansite.html ]

"The total population of Kentucky at this time (1775) was estimated at three hundred. ... John Hinkston and John Martin were on the South Fork of Licking River ... Logan's Fort had been a convenient stopping place for people who came to Kentucky by the Wilderness Trail. ... Three more groups of settlers moved in before the month of April had come to an end. ... One, led by Isaac Ruddle, went by way of Lexington. From that point to the South Fork of the Licking, Ruddle marked a trace which on several occasions was followed by Kentuckians who sought to take the offensive against the Indians. He and his people built a station on the right bank of South Licking about three miles north of the point where that stream is formed by the juncture of Hinkston and Stoner Creeks. It was a site that had been abandoned by John Hinkston in the summer of 1776. About two weeks after their arrival, these people were joined by Ruddle's brothers, James and George, who brought several other persons from Logan's Fort. John Martin, coming from Logan's with a third party of settlers, established a station on the left bank of Stoner Creek in a large horseshoe bend. The site was about two miles upstream from the point where the two creeks came together."

"A History of Kentucky", by William B. Allen, 1872
[ http://books.google.com/books?id=s_wTAAAAYAAJ ]

Page 24
"In 1776 ... Col. Benjamin Logan brought his wife and family to Logan's Fort, near where Standford now stands in Lincoln County." and "During the summer of this year Col. George Rodgers Clark visited Kentucky for the first time."

Page 35
"In 1776 the Indians became so troublesome that the weaker stations were abandoned. The settlers at Hinkston went to McClelland's Fort (where Georgetown now stands) ... About the beginning of the year 1777, Mclelland's Fort becoming to weak to withstand the frequent and desolating attacks of the Indians, was abandoned, and the settlers all went to the fort at Harrodsburg ... So annoying had the Indians become, that six spies were appointed by Clark to watch the Indians and give timely notice of their apporach ... Two were appointed for Boonesborough, ... two for Harrodsburg, and two for Logan's Fort, all of whom performed good service."

Page 44
"In 1775 he came to Kentucky ... pitched his tent in Lincoln County, about a mile from where Stanford now stands, and there built a fort called Logan's Fort."

"Historical Sketches of Kentucky", 1850, by Lewis Collins,
[ http://www.archive.org/details/historicalsketc02collgoog ]

Page 385
"To watch the Indians and give timely notice of their approach, six spies were appointed, for the payment of whom Major Clark pledged the faith of Virginia. Boone appointed [Simon] Kenton and Thos. Brooks ; Harrod, Samuel Moore, and Bates Collier; and Logan, John Conrad and John Martin. These spies performed good service. It was the custom for two each week, by turns, to range up and down the Ohio, and about the desertad stations, looking for Indian signs, &c."

Page 403
"In the year 1775, Col. Benjamin Logan ... arrived at St. Asaph's, about a mile west of the present town of Stanford, and established a fort, called Logan's fort. On the 20th of May, 1777, this fort was invested by a force of a hundred Indians ; and, on the morning of that day, as some of the females belonging to it were engaged, outside of the gate, in milking the cows, the men who acted as the guard for the occasion were fired upon by a party of the Indians, who had concealed themselves in a thick canebrake. One man was shot dead, another mortally wounded, and a third so badly, as to be disabled from making his escape ; the remainder made good their retreat into the fort, and closed the gate. Harrison, one of the wounded men, by a violent exertion, ran a few paces and fell. His struggles and exclamations attracted the notice, and awakened the sympathies, of the inmates of the station. The frantic grief of his wife gave additional interest to the scene. The enemy forbore to fire upon him, doubtless from the supposition that some of the garrison would attempt to save him, in which event they were prepared to fire upon them from the canebrake. The case was a trying one ; and there was a strong conflict between sympathy and duty, on the part of the garrison. The number of effective men had been reduced from fifteen to twelve, and it was exceedingly hazardous to put the lives of any of this small number in jeopardy ; yet the lamentations of his family were so distressing, and the scene altogether so moving, as to call forth a resolute determination to save him, if possible. Logan, always alive to the impulses of humanity, and insensible to fear, volunteered his services, and appealed to some of his men to accompany him. But so appalling was the danger, that all, at first, refused. At length, John Martin consented, and rushed, with Logan, from the fort; but he had not gone far, before he shrank from the imminence of the danger, and sprung back within the gate. Logan paused for a moment, then dashed on, alone and undaunted-reached, unhurt, the spot where Harrison lay-threw him on his shoulders, and, amidst a tremendous shower of rifle balls, made a safe and triumphant retreat into the fort."

Page 420
"Some time in June, 1777, Major Smith with a party of seventeen men, followed a small body of Indians from Boonsborough to the Ohio river, where they arrived in time to kill one of the number, the remainder having crossed over. As they returned, about twenty miles from the Ohio, they discovered another party of about thirty Indians, lying in the grass, but were themselves unobserved. They immediately dismounted, tied their horses and left nine men to take care of these. Smith, with the remaining eight men of his party, crept forward until they came near the Indians. At this moment, one of the Indians passed partly by Smith, in the direction of the horses. He was shot by one of the whites. He gave a loud yell, and his friends supposing he had killed some wild animal, burst out in a noisy fit of laughter. At that instant Smith and his party fired on the savages and rushed upon them. The fire was returned, but the Indians speedily gave way and fled. Smith had one man (John Martin) wounded."

"Historical Sketches of Kentucky, Vol. I", by Lewis Collins, 1874,
[ http://www.archive.org/details/collinshistorica01coll ]

Page 12
"Captain Banjamin Logan's Company
[In Lincoln County, at and near Logan's Station, probably in 1779]
Sergeants
John Martin
Joseph Martin
Samuel Martin"

Page 354
"Members of the Convention Held in Danville, on the 23d day of May, 1785
John Martin"

Map of Early Bourbon County [ http://frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/Bourbon_map.htm ]

[tjf - Martin's Fort is shown in Section Two, north of Paris in the area where he settled in 1775.]

"John Martin's Station"
[ http://www.shawhan.com/martinstation.html ]
Source: "Stockading Up" by Nancy O'Malley. Kentucky Heritage Council, University of Kentucky Program for Cultural Assessment, April 30, 1987, pp. 70-71

"One of the most famous Central Kentucky stations was established by John Martin, an early Ft. Boonesborough resident (Draper mss. 12CC6478). Martin first improved the site in 1775 or 1776 with William Whitsett (Ardery 1939:14; Jillson 1934:93). It was located on Stoner Creek five miles from Isaac Ruddell's Station and three miles below Paris. A major aboriginal path, identified by Jillson (1934) as the Alantowamiowee Trail, passed by the site. The improvement was enlarged and fortified as a station in the spring of 1779 after Lexington was begun (Draper mss. 12CC64-78). Numerous families settled there but, in June of 1780, Martin's Station was taken by Capt. Henry Byrd and his army (Coleman 1951). Byrd left Detroit in the spring of 1780 with 150 soldiers and 100 Indians with orders to launch a defensive against the exposed Kentucky settlements. He reached Cincinnati on June 9th where a council with the Indian chiefs led him to reluctantly agree to an attack of the interior settlements rather than attacking George Rogers Clarke's settlement at the Falls of the Ohio. At this time, 300-350 families, many of whom were loyalist Pennsylvanian Germans, lived in the Martin's/Ruddell's Station neighborhood. Byrd first arrived at Ruddell's Station with two field artillery pieces, having sent an advance unit ahead under the command of Capt. McKee. The station had been defending themselves against McKee's unit but the sight of Byrd's 6-lb cannon led them to surrender. Despite promises to the contrary, several of the inhabitants were killed. Byrd then moved to Martin's Station, arriving there on the morning of June 26. Capt. John Martin was away on a hunting trip. When demanded to surrender, the station inhabitants did so without firing a shot. The majority of inhabitants from both stations were marched as captives to Detroit (Coleman 1951).
The location for Martin's Station is well documented. John Martin had five Virginia land grants on Stoner Fork of the Licking River (Brookes-Smith 1976:126-127). His 400-acre settlement tract included the station as specified in his survey entry. Connected to his settlement was a 1000-acre preemption and three Treasury Warrants containing 333 acres, 666 acres and 801 acres respectively. His 1000-acre preemption connected to Samuel McMillan tract in which Kiser's stone house is located.,
The Martin's Station location is indicated on a plat drawn for a land dispute between the heirs of Thomas Elliott and James Garrard, Sr. et al. (Bourbon County Court Records, Sept. 3, 1804). It is in the southern corner of Martin's settlement on the west bank of a large bend of Stoner Creek (Figure IV-15). A later stone house called Fairfield was built by James Garrard, Jr. on the station tract (Lafferty 1957:30). Both the station and the house (which burned and a smaller structure rebuilt of the same stones) are the subject of a Kentucky Historical Society marker on the Cynthiana Road. Local family history claims that Mrs. James Garrard, Sr. chose the site for Mt. Lebanon (a stone house on the opposite side of the creek) from their log home which was a "stone's throw" from Martin's Station (Kentuckian-Citizen 1944). The same source stated that a stone wall had been placed around the site. Lafferty (1957) later claimed that the family cemetery (which is walled) is on the exact site of the station. This enclosure does not appear to be large enough to contain a sizable fortified settlement. However, close inspection on four occasions of exposed fields near the house and cemetery revealed no trace of historic archaeological remains. Nor did shovel probing and soil coring in areas of more lush vegetation reveal any cultural midden. Several explanations can be suggested for the paucity of archaeological indications at the site. House construction may have disturbed or destroyed some of the site, particularly since the associated spring and the aboriginal trail (still used as a farm road) is on the opposite side of the house from the garden and cemetery. The disadvantage to this area is that it is not the most elevated section of the topography and, therefore, less defensible. However, the higher hill to the north was carefully examined without result. This hill is considerably farther from water which the pioneers might have perceived as disadvantageous. It also has suffered from erosion through cultivation and archaeological remains may have been destroyed. Although physical remains dating to the eighteenth century were not located, this site was given a designation of 15Bb8l due to the excellent historical documentation of its location. However, its significance could not be determined.
The above references give a brief biographical sketch of John Martin's beginnings in Kentucky. In summary, he came with the Hinkson party to Kentucky in 1775 and settled on the South Fork of the Licking River in what is now Bourbon County. By 1777 he had moved southwest to Logan's Fort in what is now Lincoln County. In 1779, he moved back to the Licking River and established Martin's station. His station was destroyed by Indians the folloing year at which point he returned to Lincoln County."

[tjf - Note many of the earliest sources apparently get the location wrong. He sou said it was on Stoner's Fork, 3 miles below Paris and Ledger A of the Henderson Company said it was 10 miles below Paris on Hinkson's Creek. However, in John Martin's deposition, he said he located by James Garrard Sr. in 1775 and then in 1804, it was apparently drawn on a plat for James Garrard Sr.. The location is clearly show on the Early Bourbon County map as north of Paris on Stoner's Fork.]

"Samuel VanHook", 2006
[ http://www.van-hook.us/stories/SamuelNC.htm ]

"Like many new settlers, Samuel [vanHook] claimed a preemption of land, as did his son Samuel Jr. Samuel’s preemption of 400 acres was about 8 miles downstream from Ruddells Station on Licking Creek (just south of present day Cynthiana, KY). His son, Samuel Jr., claimed a preemption of 400 acres located about 5 miles east of Ruddells Station (and 1.5 miles northeast of the buffalo road that ran from Ruddells Station to the Lower Blue Licks).
In January of 1780 the Commissions met at Bryant’s Station to issue preemption warrants and Samuel Sr. and Jr. showed up to claim theirs. However, they immediately sold their warrants to a Jacob Myers. ... Oddly, Samuel (and Samuel Jr.) did not assign their preemption warrants personally over to Jacob Myers. These assignments were done by a signature of John Martin (of Martin’s Station) and attested to by Azariah Davies. So while the preemption warrants themselves say Samuel and Samuel Jr. 'appeared before the commission,' perhaps they had left after their claim had been honored and authorized John Martin to sell their warrants as best he could.
In the spring of 1780 Samuel and his family moved to Martin’s Station (about 5 miles upstream on Stoners Creek from where it joins Hinkston Creek to form Licking Creek. This was about 8 miles upstream from Ruddle’s Station). They helped John Martin finish building his station that spring. On 17 March 1780 a company was organized to defend the station against the Indians. Samuel Sr. was 46 years old at this time, and was selected as one of the sergeants of this militia under Captain Charles Gatliff. Samuel’s son, Samuel Jr., and his son-in-law, John Loveless (married to Samuel’s daughter Rachel) were privates in the company. Only 9 days later, on 26 March 1780 Indians attacked Martin’s Station. Samuel’s first wife was killed and scalped during this attack."

"The History of Bourbon County, Kentucky, 1785-1865", by H. E. Everman (Bourbon Press, 1977)
[ http://frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/everman.html ]

"Chapter One "THE CANAAN OF THE WEST"
Despite Indian uprisings, 1776 was a boom year. Along the Hinkston Creak to the north, John Miller and his brothers erected a cabin along Miller's Run. Slightly southwest of the Miller operation, John Martin erected a cabin and fortified it, hence Martin's Station. At the same time, Captain John Hinkston erected a cabin near a tributary of the Licking River. The rolling land along Hinkston Creek contained some of the richest soil in the area. Although Indians drove out the Hinkston settlers, Isaac Ruddle led a resettlement of the area in 1779, clearing land and building a cabin near a water spring. Huddle planted orchards of apples, pears, and peaches and raised corn and other vegetables. By the following year Ruddle's Fort was one of the most populated areas on Hinkston Creek.
...
The Indian menace peaked along the frontier. On June 22, 1780, Colonel Henry Byrd led 600 to 1000 British Regulars, Canadian volunteers and rampaging Indians across the open traces. The relatively level Bourbon terrain facilitated the movement of such a large force with cannon and munitions.
...
Captain Isaac Ruddle commanded the small Hinkston fortress. When he saw the superiority of the British force Ruddle agreed to surrender provided the British be in charge of the prisoners. Colonel Byrd could not control his Indian allies who zealously seized prisoners and tomahawked a few while separating families for the return march northward. Aware of Martin's Fort another five miles to the east, the invaders proceeded toward Stoner Creek. This time Colonel Byrd overruled allies and the Martin residents surrendered to the British while the Indians seize horses and other booty. After destroying the fort, the Indians departed with the Ruddle Fort victims, while the British returned to Canada with a few hundred prisoners from the other battles. These two disasters evoked General George Rogers Clark's retaliatory expedition into the northwest."

"Slave Captives at Ruddell's and Martin's Forts"
[ http://www.frontierfolk.net/ramsha_research/captivesite.html ]
[tjf - no Martins are listed]

"The Strategic Battle of Blue Licks, Kentucky", by General James David Sympson (SAR Magazine, Spring, 2007)
[ http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/bluelicksbattle.html ]

"On the morning of August 18, 1[7]82 mostly mounted Militiamen reinforcements arrived at Bryan's Station. Colonel John Todd, from Fayette County, was the ranking officer of those assembled. LTC Stephen Trigg, from Lincoln County, commanded 130 men, and LTC Daniel Boone, from Fayette County, commanded 50 men. A large contingent was expected to arrive a few days later from St. Asaph's in Lincoln County under the command of Col. Benjamin Logan. The last troops arrived by mid­morning, and the mounted militia began the pursuit of Caldwell's forces, passing Ruddle Station about halfway to Lower Blue Lick. There are two licks located close together - a smaller lick on the south side of the Licking River and a larger one on the north side. ... Seventy-seven Virginians were killed, with many of the men being killed after being captured, resulting in only 11 captives being taken to Fort Detroit. Colonel Logan's relief force buried the dead."

"In The Line of Duty Battle of Blue Licks"
[ http://kynghistory.ky.gov/history/1qtr/lodbluelicks.htm ]
[ http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.northam.usa.states.kentucky.tips/657/mb.ashx ]
[tjf - only 64 names are listed, and John Martin is not among them]

"Danville, Kentucky", Wikipedia, 2010
[ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danville,_Kentucky ]

"Between 1784 and 1792, ten conventions were held in Danville to petition for better governance and ultimately to secure independence from Virginia."

"1790 First Kentucky Census"
[ http://www.kykinfolk.com/carroll/1790census.htm ]

"Martin John Capt. Lincoln 4/20/1790"

"1790 County Map"
[ http://www.kykinfolk.com/carroll/Census/1790/1790kymap.jpg ]

"Fragments of Martin Family History", Robert Martin, 1990, Part I
[ http://www.edenmartin.com/family/part1.htm ]

Page 8
"A John Martin on October 5, 1798 to purchase 200 acres of second rate land in Logan County KY"

Page 22
"Lincoln County, one of three counties in the state in 1780, and a county from which many others (including Logan) were later created. The earliest tax records I have found for Lincoln County are for 1787. In that year, a John Martin appears with 2 horses and 5 cattle. In 1788 the lists are incomplete, and no John Martin appears."

Page 23
"In 1789 John "Martin" is listed with 2 horses and no cattle. A second John Martin appears with 1 black and 5 horses.
In 1790, there appears a "Captain" John Martin with 5 horses. On the same page also appears another John Martin -- let's call him "Poor" John with only 3 horses. In 1791, two John Martins are listed neither designated "Captain," but each with 4 horses. In 1792, there is only one John Martin, now with 7 horses, 10 cattle, and 50 acres of land (Poor John?).
In 1793, we again find a "Captain"" John Martin with 3 horses, 33 cattle and 460 acres, and "Poor" John Martin with 5 horses, 12 cattle, and 50 acres. In 1794, we again find Captain John Martin, with 1 black, 2 horses, 30 cattle, and 458 acres of land, and also "Poor" John, with 2 horses, 3 cattle, but no acres.
In 1795, we are back to a single John Martin, with 30 cattle (the Captain?) but no listed acreage.
In 1796, we find John Martin, almost certainly Captain John, with a long list of properties, including over 400 acres on Hanging Fork in Lincoln County, and thousands of acres in Bourbon, Madison, and Clark Counties. We find no Poor John. In 1797, we again find a single John Martin with the same long lists of properties. In 1798, the records are missing. In 1799, we find two John Martins -- one with no listed property, one with 1 black, 7 horses, and no identified land.
In 1800, we find a single John Martin with 1 black, 8 horses, and the familiar long list of properties, including the acreage on Hanging Fork in Lincoln County (although now the land is said to be "registered" in the names of others)."

Page 24
"One is tempted to identify the John Martin with 1 black in 1789 as the same person as the "Captain" John who appears with 1 black in 1794, and the John with the long list of properties in 1796, 1797, and 1800. This would leave another, "Poor" John Martin -- perhaps ours? -- with little property as early as 1787, and in 1789, 1790, 1791, 1792 (with 50 acres), 1793, 1794 -- and perhaps 1799. If the 1799 Poor John is the same person as the 1787 Poor John, then he cannot be ours -- since ours by 1799 (we believe) is in Logan County. But perhaps the 1799 John is new to Lincoln County; and, therefore, perhaps the 1787-1794 "Poor" John is ours. One "fact" which tends to undercut the possibility that Poor John is ours is that property records from Lincoln County show that Captain John's wife's name was Nancy; and another John Martin -- with his wife Ann -- made several land transfers in Lincoln County, in 1788, 1789, and 1791."

Page 31
"Willard Rouse Jillson's two Filson Club Publications -- The Kentucky Land Grants (No. 33), and Old Kentucky Entries and Deeds (No. 34) -- set out the definitive list of land grants and entries, warrants and deeds of land from the earliest period. These volumes list 12 grants to "John Martin" in Fayette, Shelby, Bourbon, Franklin, Fayette and Clark Counties in the 1780's and 1790's, and entries or deeds to "John Martin" in Fayette (16 properties), Jefferson (18 properties), and Lincoln (6 properties) during the same period. No doubt many of the references in these grants, entries and deeds are to the same man."

Page 36
"His wife's name was apparently Nancy ... . John and Nancy deeded several parcels of Lincoln County property in the 1780's. (There is a record of a John Martin marrying a Nancy Berry on January 17, 1781, in Lincoln County.) His one identified son, John L. Martin, born April 28, 1786 ... . Captain John had large land claims ... Captain John lived on the Hanging Fork branch of Dicks River in Lincoln County, where he died in 1821; there is no record that he ever lived in Logan County.
Another account has Captain John courting a young lady named Betty Thompson in Lexington in the early 1780's (apparently he married his Nancy after that)."

Page 44-45
"... in 1750 a John Martin (along with other settlers) was found in Big Cove, in Western Pennsylvania, on land not yet purchased from the Indians, in violation of colonial law; as a result, he was convicted of trespass, and several cabins (perhaps including his) were burned by the authorities. History of Cumberland and Adams Counties , Pennsylvania, Chicago, 1886, p. 18. History of the Early Settle ment of Juniata Valley , U.J. Jones, Philadelphia, 1856, P. 47. This is probably the same John Martin who was in Peter's Township of Franklin County, Pa. in 1751-52, History of Franklin County, Pa, Chicago, 1887, p. 155. Indians made incursions into Great Cove in 1755 during which John Martin's wife and five children were captured (id., p. 163; Jones, op. cit., at pp. 209-210; see also Indian Natives, Archibald Loudon, Vol. H, Carlisle, 1816, p. 195). John Martin's wife was released nine years later and rejoined her husband in 1764 at Fort Pitt; from there they returned to Great Cove. History of Bedford, Somerset, and Fulton Counties, 1884 , Waterman & Watkins, p. 641."

Page 47
"Early Kentucky tax records show that by 1787 one John Martin was living in Lincoln County; and by 1789, there were two John Martins in that county."

John Layson married Margaret Martin, probably in Pennsylvania. John and Margaret had 8 children some of which were born in Pennsylvania:

Sarah A. "Sally" (1780/81, PA - 1863) m. David W. Pond
Isaac (7 Jul 1782 - 6 July 1822) m. 8 Oct 1807, Mary “Polly” Moore (15 Nov 1787 - 6 May 1878)
John Martin (28 Jan 1785 - 6 Mar 1861) m. Sidney Mauk/Mock
Robert (abt 1787 - 14 Mar 1850, LA) m1. ? m2. 16 Feb 1816, Mrs. Mary B. Byrum (no heirs)
Nancy (30 Nov 1792 - 13 May 1881) m. Stephen Owens
Margaret (abt 1794 - bet 6 July 1840 and 5 Sep 1840) m. Oliver A.Forsyth

After the war, They moved to Bourbon County, Kentucky, near where the town of Paris is, but before there was a settlement there. On January 15, 1783 John Layson was granted land by survey in Bourbon County, Kentucky described as lying mostly on the South side of Stoners fork of Licking and bounded by the lines of Edwards, a creek near Huston's creek, crossing Stoner 3 times. He sold the land on August 20, 1796 to Lucas Sullivant.

John Layson is found in the 1800 Bourbon County, Kentucky, Tax list, and 1800 Kentucky Early Census Index (KYS1a1953434). In 1810 he is listed in the Bourbon County, Kentucky Census Index. In 1820 there are two John Laysons (probably he and his son) listed in the Bourbon County, Kentucky Census Index (pg 132, KY35343511, KY35343512). Again two John Laysons are listed in the 1830 Bourbon County, Kentucky Census Index (pg 298, KY559160493,KYS2b97780), however he died prior; they are most likely his son and grandson. Margaret moved with her daughter Nancy Owen to Hancock County, Illinois in 1830. She purchased 110.4 acres of land in Adams County, and 108.4 acres in Hancock County on June 5, 1835. She is found in the 1850 Federal, Adams County, Illinois, Census for Houston Township, living with her daughter Sarah Pond at the age of 97, "Deaf & Blind."

In 1830 she is living with David W. Pond in Bourbon County, Kentucky.
In 1850 she is living with David W. Pond in Adams County, Illinois.
In 1840 she is not living with David W. Pond or Stephen Owens in Illinois, or with John M. Layson in Kentucky. She is also not living with Margaret Layson in Illinois. Where is she then?