Samuel Martin (1694 in Greencastle Estate – 1776) was a prominent planter in
Antigua
Antigua ( ), also known as Waladli or Wadadli by the native population, is an island in the Lesser Antilles. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region and the main island of the country of Antigua and Barbuda. Antigua and Bar ...
.
Samuel Martin was born on the
Greencastle Estate, Antigua Greencastle or Green Castle may refer to:
Places Germany
* Green Castle (''Grünes Schloss''), Weimar; see Duchess Anna Amalia Library
Ireland
* Greencastle, County Donegal, Republic of Ireland
* Greencastle, County Down, Northern Ireland
* Green ...
, the son of Major Samuel Martin, who, in 1701, was murdered during a slave revolt after having demanded the enslaved
Africans
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
on his estate work on
Christmas Day
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, ...
. The seven year old Samuel escaped a similar fate, being hidden in nearby fields by his nanny. She was herself enslaved and was subsequently freed in recognition of this act. Samuel was sent to live in
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
while his mother remarried
Edward Byam Edward Byam (1663/4 – December 1741) was the Governor of Leeward Islands in 1715 and Lieutenant Governor of Antigua between 1715 – 4 December 1741.
Biography
He was born between 1662
He wrote ''Essay upon Plantership'' (1754), a treatise on managing a sugar plantation.
Martin fathered 21 children, at least sixteen of whom died during his lifetime. The eldest of his sons,
Samuel
Samuel ''Šəmūʾēl'', Tiberian: ''Šămūʾēl''; ar, شموئيل or صموئيل '; el, Σαμουήλ ''Samouḗl''; la, Samūēl is a figure who, in the narratives of the Hebrew Bible, plays a key role in the transition from the bibl ...
, became a British member of parliament and secretary to the Treasury; Henry became comptroller of the Navy, a member of parliament, and a baronet;
Josiah
Josiah ( or ) or Yoshiyahu; la, Iosias was the 16th king of Judah (–609 BCE) who, according to the Hebrew Bible, instituted major religious reforms by removing official worship of gods other than Yahweh. Josiah is credited by most biblical s ...