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Note: There was a David Martin of Mays Co, Londonderry, Ireland in 1650, but there is one generation missing. Our first known is David Martin born 1700 - father of John. John's son David died in SC. His widow & 7 children came to So Ind around 1818.
Around 1743, the Reformed Presbytery (Covenanters) were formed. About 1756 Rev. Wm. Martin who was educated in the Univ. of Glasgow, Scotland, was ordained at Vow, Ireland, Antrim and placed in charge of the societies centering in Ballymoney.
Rev William became active in establishing the Covenanter Presbyterian Church in Ireland. In 1760 in the S.E. part of Ulster, the societies were divided into two seperate congregations, separated by the River Bann. Martin chose Kellswater Congregation and lived at Bangor for many years.
By 1763 there were sufficient ministers to form the Presbytery of Ireland. William Martin , of course, was a member. Conditions became steadily worse for the Presbyterians in Northern Ireland. They were not only taxed to support a church not their own, but most of them were either employed in some branch of the textile industry or were farmers. Business was bad in one and rents too high in the other. Activities of agents during the period that South Carolina offered a bounty to settlers, had resulted in considerable migration. So, it was not an unfamiliar undertaking by 1772.
About this time, William Martin received a "call" to come to SC. Presbyterian tradition is that he decided to go and, following an incident of violence resulting from high rents, he preached a sermon calling on all his congregation to accompany him. Whether this is true or not is immaterial, since the facts are clear that he did go and took with him a party of some 467 families on five ships. In fact, Rev. William Martin (Kellswater) is shown as one of the agents in signing up the passengers for the Lord Dunluce, on which he sailed.
About 1750, some Presbyterians from Octoraro, in eastern PA, VA and MC had come to SC and settled on Rocky Creek. By 1755, immigrants from Ireland were coming in. Many were Covenanters.
After some years, the five or six Presbyterian groups (Associate, Covenanter, Burgher, Anti-Burghes, Seceders, etc.) combined to build a Union Church which they called "Catholic" as all groups were to worship there. It was located "on the Rocky Mount Road, 15 miles southeast of Chester". (From Scotch Irish Migration to South Carolina)
William Martin had three wives. The first Mary? died in Ireland. They had a daughter Jenett b. May 23, 1766, d. Aug 23, 1841 in Randolph Co, IL. The second wife was Jenny Cherry who had a daughter Nancy Stinson Martin. She married John McCaw. Williams's third wife was Susanna Boggs. They owned two slaves (Bob & Savannah)
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