Enos Martin

Enos Martin is a Revolutionary War Veteran buried in the Old Burying Ground of the First Presbyterian Church in Caldwell NJ. Enos served as a Private in the Essex County NJ, Van Courtland Militia under Col. Philip Van Courtland and Captain Thomas Williams. Records of militia service are spotty, but show he served at least from July 22 to August 20, 1780 (along with fellow veterans buried in Caldwell, David Ogden and Joseph Gould.) He was paid 21 pounds and 15 shillings for his service. They mustered at Newark.

His gravestone reports that he was born on May 12, 1763. Indexed records suggest his father was Jeremiah Martin and his mother was Elizabeth Pearson. He would have been 17 years old when he joined the militia.

We know he was a significant landholder in what is now Caldwell. He was active in civics, joining petitions to the NJ Legislature to build a road across Second Mountain (in 1795) , opposing a bridge across Newark Bay (in 1801) and to rename the area of his residence and landholdings from Horseneck to "Caldwell" on January 20, 1797.

Enos was married to Jane Personette. Indexed records suggest she was born on March 26, 1761.

They had 8 children, George P, Calvin, Nancy, Charlotte, Betsey, Maria and Davinda and Lydia. This according to Enos’ Will, written in 1806. He had a sister, Lydia Martin who had not married as of that time. Jane, George and Calvin (who was not yet 21 in 1806) were the executors of Enos' estate. George and Calvin inherited the significant landholdings, farm implements and livestock. The six girls inherited $50 each. Each was a minor in 1806 and Enos directed his two oldest sons to raise the young girls as instructed by their mother.

After his death on the 1^st of September, 1810, Enos was laid to rest in the Old Burying Ground at the Presbyterian Church in Caldwell. He was 47 years old. Jane died only 6 years after Enos on May 14, 1816 at the age of 55. She is also buried there.

Suggestions for further research include the original files entitled "New Jersey Deaths 1670-1988" held by the LDS and the petitions to the Legislature held in the NJ Archives.