William Alexander Martin ^{1 2}

  General Notes:

There are two different William A. Martins from the Catawba County area of North Carolina, both born approximately the same time and both died approximately the same time and in the same area.

There is a NC death certificate for William A. Martin (viewable at https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-DRG9-2R8) who was born in 1840 and died single in 1914 at Stanley, Gaston County, NC and is buried at New Hope Cemetery at Stanley according to the death certificate. His parents are listed as Alfred Martin and Catherine Bumgarner. Apparently that cemetery is now called the Gaston Memorial Park located on New Hope Road. There is no memorial page for this William A. Martin anywhere in Gaston County on the Find A Grave web site but there is one which shows his gravestone at the New Hope United Methodist Church Cemetery at Iron Station, Lincoln County, NC. The death certificate lists a birth date of 7 May 1836 and a death date of 21 Apr 1914. Due to the difference in the birth years and the burial location, It is not clear if these were two different William Martins or not. Fortunately neither one was the William Martin that was married to Louisa Chapman.

The other William A. Martin and the correct person for this family was born in 1833 (or possibly in 1836) and died in 1900 at Gastonia, Gaston County, NC. Many researchers list his parents as Daniel Martin and Elizabeth Hudson. No record of his birth, marriage, or death has been located. Fortunately the marriage records and death records of some of his children list their father as William, or Bill Martin and their mother as Louisa Martin, Louisa Chapman, or Catharine Louise Chapman. A memorial page on Find A Grave (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/103522106) was created that gives specific dates of birth and death but no other information as to where those dates were found. The Find A Grave memorial page does not provide a photo of the gravestone.
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  Noted events in his life were:

• He appeared on the 1880 US Census in Bandys Township, Catawba, NC on June 1880. ¹

1880 US Census
Sheet 354A, Roll 0957, District 40
Bandy's Township, Catawba County, North Carolina, United States
W. A. Martin..Self..46..NC..Farmer

(Living with wife and 2 sons.)

NOTE - If his birth date was 26 Apr 1836, then his age should have been 44 instead of 46.
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• He was buried after 5 May 1900 in the Williams-Chapman Cemetery in Catawba County, NC.

Find A Grave Memorial #103522106

NOTE - This may not be the correct person. See the General Notes for William Alexander Martin concerning his birth and death dates.

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William married Louisa G. Chapman, daughter of Jones Chapman and Nancy Mary Ann Williams, about 1870.¹ (Louisa G. Chapman was born on 8 September 1838 in , Lincoln County, NC,^{1 3 4 5} died on 27 January 1923 in Morganton, NC ^{5 6} and was buried after 27 January 1923 in Catawba County, NC ⁵.). The cause of her death was Mitral Insufficiency.

  Noted events in their marriage were:

• They appeared on the 1880 US Census in Bandys Township, Catawba, NC on June 1880. ¹

1880 US Census
Sheet 354A, Roll 0957, District 40
Bandy's Township, Catawba County, North Carolina, United States
W. A. Martin..Self..46..NC..Farmer
Luisa C. Martin..Wife..42..NC..Keeping House
Joseph Z. Martin..Son..6..NC
Geo. H. Martin..Son..4..NC
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