Martha B. Whitaker was born 1820 in Halifax County, NC, the eldest of 8 known surviving children (4 boys/4 girls) born to wealthy planter Louis Henry Branch Whitaker and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter.
She was the paternal grandchild of Eli Benton Whitaker (1771-1841) and his (1st) wife Martha Branch; and gr-grandchild of John Whitaker (1747-1816) and Christian Benton, all of Halifax County. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, Col. William Whitaker of England (1618-1662) who settled in Surry County, VA. Her grandfather, Eli Benton Whitaker would eventually remove to Leon County, FL where they established a prosperous plantation. On her mother's side, she was the maternal grandchild of James & Martha Hunter of Edgecombe Co.
Martha was 25 years old when she married 38-year old wealthy physician and planter, Dr. J. J. W. Powell of Halifax County. Soon after their marriage, the couple removed to Edgecombe County where Dr. Powell had inherited a farm, which would later be known as "Coolmore" Plantation.
Here they would become parents to 3 known surviving children: Richard Harrison Powell (1845), Henry Whitaker Powell (1845), and Joseph Clay Powell, Sr. (1857).
Shortly after the manor house at "Coolmore" was completed, Dr. Powell died on April 27, 1861, at the age of 53. The following month, on May 20, 1861, NC seceded from the Union and Martha's two eldest sons, Richard and Henry, promptly enlisted. They were just teenagers, aged 15 and 14, respectively. They left Coolmore in the hands of their widowed mother and 4-year old brother, Joseph Clay Powell Sr, and would never be seen again as they both perished in the war.
Martha Whitaker Powell never remarried and would remain on the plantation where she buried her husband and both her sons. Her only surviving son, Joseph Clay Powell, would inherit upon her death in 1892 at age 72. The family graves at Coolmore were moved to Greenwood Cemetery about 1919.
She was the paternal grandchild of Eli Benton Whitaker (1771-1841) and his (1st) wife Martha Branch; and gr-grandchild of John Whitaker (1747-1816) and Christian Benton, all of Halifax County. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, Col. William Whitaker of England (1618-1662) who settled in Surry County, VA. Her grandfather, Eli Benton Whitaker would eventually remove to Leon County, FL where they established a prosperous plantation. On her mother's side, she was the maternal grandchild of James & Martha Hunter of Edgecombe Co.
Martha was 25 years old when she married 38-year old wealthy physician and planter, Dr. J. J. W. Powell of Halifax County. Soon after their marriage, the couple removed to Edgecombe County where Dr. Powell had inherited a farm, which would later be known as "Coolmore" Plantation.
Here they would become parents to 3 known surviving children: Richard Harrison Powell (1845), Henry Whitaker Powell (1845), and Joseph Clay Powell, Sr. (1857).
Shortly after the manor house at "Coolmore" was completed, Dr. Powell died on April 27, 1861, at the age of 53. The following month, on May 20, 1861, NC seceded from the Union and Martha's two eldest sons, Richard and Henry, promptly enlisted. They were just teenagers, aged 15 and 14, respectively. They left Coolmore in the hands of their widowed mother and 4-year old brother, Joseph Clay Powell Sr, and would never be seen again as they both perished in the war.
Martha Whitaker Powell never remarried and would remain on the plantation where she buried her husband and both her sons. Her only surviving son, Joseph Clay Powell, would inherit upon her death in 1892 at age 72. The family graves at Coolmore were moved to Greenwood Cemetery about 1919.
Martha B. Whitaker was born 1820 in Halifax County, NC, the eldest of 8 known surviving children (4 boys/4 girls) born to wealthy planter Louis Henry Branch Whitaker and his wife, Elizabeth Hunter.
She was the paternal grandchild of Eli Benton Whitaker (1771-1841) and his (1st) wife Martha Branch; and gr-grandchild of John Whitaker (1747-1816) and Christian Benton, all of Halifax County. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, Col. William Whitaker of England (1618-1662) who settled in Surry County, VA. Her grandfather, Eli Benton Whitaker would eventually remove to Leon County, FL where they established a prosperous plantation. On her mother's side, she was the maternal grandchild of James & Martha Hunter of Edgecombe Co.
Martha was 25 years old when she married 38-year old wealthy physician and planter, Dr. J. J. W. Powell of Halifax County. Soon after their marriage, the couple removed to Edgecombe County where Dr. Powell had inherited a farm, which would later be known as "Coolmore" Plantation.
Here they would become parents to 3 known surviving children: Richard Harrison Powell (1845), Henry Whitaker Powell (1845), and Joseph Clay Powell, Sr. (1857).
Shortly after the manor house at "Coolmore" was completed, Dr. Powell died on April 27, 1861, at the age of 53. The following month, on May 20, 1861, NC seceded from the Union and Martha's two eldest sons, Richard and Henry, promptly enlisted. They were just teenagers, aged 15 and 14, respectively. They left Coolmore in the hands of their widowed mother and 4-year old brother, Joseph Clay Powell Sr, and would never be seen again as they both perished in the war.
Martha Whitaker Powell never remarried and would remain on the plantation where she buried her husband and both her sons. Her only surviving son, Joseph Clay Powell, would inherit upon her death in 1892 at age 72. The family graves at Coolmore were moved to Greenwood Cemetery about 1919.
She was the paternal grandchild of Eli Benton Whitaker (1771-1841) and his (1st) wife Martha Branch; and gr-grandchild of John Whitaker (1747-1816) and Christian Benton, all of Halifax County. She is a direct descendant of this family's patriarch, Col. William Whitaker of England (1618-1662) who settled in Surry County, VA. Her grandfather, Eli Benton Whitaker would eventually remove to Leon County, FL where they established a prosperous plantation. On her mother's side, she was the maternal grandchild of James & Martha Hunter of Edgecombe Co.
Martha was 25 years old when she married 38-year old wealthy physician and planter, Dr. J. J. W. Powell of Halifax County. Soon after their marriage, the couple removed to Edgecombe County where Dr. Powell had inherited a farm, which would later be known as "Coolmore" Plantation.
Here they would become parents to 3 known surviving children: Richard Harrison Powell (1845), Henry Whitaker Powell (1845), and Joseph Clay Powell, Sr. (1857).
Shortly after the manor house at "Coolmore" was completed, Dr. Powell died on April 27, 1861, at the age of 53. The following month, on May 20, 1861, NC seceded from the Union and Martha's two eldest sons, Richard and Henry, promptly enlisted. They were just teenagers, aged 15 and 14, respectively. They left Coolmore in the hands of their widowed mother and 4-year old brother, Joseph Clay Powell Sr, and would never be seen again as they both perished in the war.
Martha Whitaker Powell never remarried and would remain on the plantation where she buried her husband and both her sons. Her only surviving son, Joseph Clay Powell, would inherit upon her death in 1892 at age 72. The family graves at Coolmore were moved to Greenwood Cemetery about 1919.
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Wife of Dr. J. J. W. Powell
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