Peter Martin, "was born in West Earl Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, February 26th, 1769. He was married to Anna Zimmerman, December 25th, 1793. She was born February 18th, 1775. He followed farming in his native state, but owing to the poor harvests for several years in succession, together with low wages and many business failures, caused him to make arrangements with his numerous family to move to Canada. Two of his daughters, Barbara, married to David Martin and Maria, married to Christian Zimmerman, remained in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, while the parents with fourteen of their children, together with Daniel Weber and others, moved to Canada in 1819. They, at their arrival here, settled first on the farm now owned by Dilman Shantz and the heirs of the late Abraham Groff, but not finding this to their taste they finally located on the farm now possessed by Menno Gingerich. Here they resided until their deaths. He died March 2nd, 1831, and she died December 12th, 1836. They had a family of seventeen children, all of whom were married."

Eby, Ezra E. (1895). A biographical history of Waterloo township and other townships of the county: being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin: as also much other unpublished historical information chiefly of a local character. Berlin [Kitchener, Ont.]: [s.n.].

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Martin Meeting House

According to Isaac Horst, "Martins meeting house was the first of the Old Order places of worship to be built. A meeting house is reported to have been built in 1830; burial was begun in the adjoining cemetery in 1831. Martins was aptly named. The first three bishops of the area were Martins, all descended from the pioneer, Peter Martin. The land on which the house stands was formerly owned by Martins (1979: 376)." Peter Martin, Jr. purchased 220 acres of land from his brother, Henry Martin, on May 8, 1824. Apparently he set aside four acres for a meeting house and burying ground at that time. The first burial is reported to have been that of Peter Martin, Sr., who died March 2, 1831. The meeting house was enlarged in 1900.

John Weber was the first minister, followed by Abraham W. Martin, Samuel Weber, Paul Martin, Tobias Martin and Urias Martin. At one time surrounded by countryside, the meeting house and cemetery are now completely encircled by the commercial development brought about by the rapid expansion northward of the city of Waterloo.

Waterloo County Churches A Research Guide To Churches Established Before 1900 By Rosemary Ambrose
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Son of Bishop Henry & Anna (Burkhard) Martin, husband of Anna Zimmerman.
Birth and death dates above are from Ezra Eby.