James Henry Martin was born to Maria Ann Tapscott and John F. Martin in Jan 1856, and grew up in Fauquier County. It was
there, on 24 Dec 1877, that he married Texanna Proctor. Born c1859 in Virginia, probably in Loudoun
County, where she spent her childhood, Texanna was one of nine known children
of Samuel K. Proctor (birth year, highly variable) and Margaret A. Johnson
(born Jan 1839).
 |
Margaret A. (Johnson) Proctor
Smith Tapscott (Photo
supplied by Cortez Marks) |
Following Samuel’s death in May 1870 from an accident involving a
plow and a thrasher, Margaret married James Henry Martin’s granduncle, William
Tapscott, in Fauquier County on 1 May 1872 (more on that, later). When that marriage
didn’t pan out, she married William H. H. (Henry Harrison?) Smith on 3 Feb 1887
in Baltimore, Maryland. William’s first wife, Martha Jane Davis, who he married
in DC on 29 Dec 1866, had died in DC 19 Feb 1886. William and Margaret lived
for a while in DC, where William had a rather good job as a clerk in the Bureau
of Pensions. Like Margaret’s previous marriage, this marriage also failed,
ending about 1901 in a rather nasty divorce, with Margaret declaring desertion
and demanding support. Margaret may not have succeeded in
her demands since William died in DC on 8 Feb 1903. By 1910, Margaret was
working as a dressmaker, while living in Atlantic City, New Jersey with her
daughter Texanna. Margaret is not seen again.
After living for a while in Fauquier County, James Martin and Texanna
ended up in Washington, DC, where James worked for the Columbia Institution for
the Deaf and Dumb and Blind, which would become Gallaudet University. It may be
that eventually James and Texanna were not living together at least part of the
time since they appear in two separate records in the 1900 DC census—James was
shown at the Columbia Institution and Texanna is shown at home with their six
(at the time) kids. It was in DC that James met a tragic end. On 4
Jul 1908, he drowned in the Potomac River during an outing with two male
friends. It was claimed that when a small boat carrying the three men careened, the passengers were thrown overboard. Two made it to shore. James did not, because, it was claimed, he was exhausted from swimming earlier in the day. But, according to a great grandson, Cortez Marks,
My Grandmother Etta V. Martin [one of James's daughters-in-law] told me that James didn't come home for dinner
and his wife, Texanna, sent some of the kids to go down where he was supposed to be, but couldn't find him. Then somebody said that he had drowned. When the police
searched the body [not found until the next day], he only had a penny on him. But he had been paid the day of the drowning. The
family always said he was robbed and pushed overboard.
James left seven children: James Mallel (8 Dec 1878–31 Jul 1947), Earnest
Winfield (15 Sep 1879–aft 1918), Henry Otto (31 Mar 1883–3 Oct 1952), Landon
Marvlyn (Sep 1884–12 Nov 1981), Olive Fately (Sep 1886–21 Jun 1972), Ivy Wade (6
Jan 1892–22 May 1968), and Haywood Trimble (8 Sep 1892–1 Aug 1971).
Texanna. who used the name “Texas” more and more as she grew
older, lived out her life in the Atlantic City, New Jersey area. She died in
Absecon, New Jersey, 23 Dec 1939.
