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Savannah Morning News, x 9 July 1927:

"Mrs. Martin Has Hundred Eighty-Six Living Descendants

Family Believed To Be Largest In The State

Mrs. W.C. Martin, age 84 years, has lived to see her family develop through five generations, and while she has not been able to see each of her 186 descendants, she has found a fond spot in her heart for each of them and as the tidings of another great-great-grand child comes to her, she still finds her abundance of love sufficient to welcome it into the large number of descendants.

Believe To Be Record.

While her nine children do not make a record of the largest immediate family, it is believed the roll of her grandchildren, great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren is the record of the state, if not the country. Mrs. Martin is grandmother to 65, now grown up and married, great grandmother to 100, some grown up and married, and great great grandmother to 12. Including the nine of Mrs. Martin's immediate family, the total makes 186 members of the great family, all of them living.

Sixty-two years ago Miss Isabelle Peters of Lowndes County and W.C. Martin were united in marriage. They became the parents of six girls and three sons. They are:

Her Children.

Mrs. G.W. Fountain, who lives at Fifty-fourth and Montgomery Streets and with whom Mrs. Martin is staying, had one child in her family. Mrs. Fountain is the grandmother of three children.

Mrs. Carrie Radcliffe of Argyle had eight children in her family and is now the grandmother of seven.

Mrs. Mattie Powell of Nashville, Ga., became the mother of ten children and is now grandmother of two.

Mrs. Ida Dixon of Blackshear is mother of eight children and has one grandchild.

Mrs. Sallie Sanders of Savannah, became the mother of eight children and now has seventeen grandchildren.

Mrs. Mary Fletcher of Valdosta, who has 11 children and 37 grandchildren.

Barney Martin of Hastings is the father of 5 children and has 2 grandchildren.

J.H. Martin of Miami is the father of 6 children and has 26 grandchildren.

The other son is Billy Martin of Nashville, Ga., who is the daddy of 8 children and has 5 grandchildren.

To name all the descendants would make the story read like a city directory.

Nearly All Baptists.

The religion of the families extends only to two faiths, Baptist for all, except two which are Methodist.

Mrs. Martin's birthday was last Monday, the Fourth of July. She has been visited regularly by Rev. John S. Wilder, pastor of Calvary Baptist Temple, and during her year of confinement from old age, there have been very few days in which she has not been called upon by the minister.

Mrs. Fountain laughed heartily at the expression on the face of the reporter when she asked if the press wanted the names of all of the family, and Mrs. Sanders, who was also present, offered to run into the house and get a brand new tablet to take all the names down on if he cared to.

May Be More.

Mrs. Fountain, who interviewed the reporter as Mrs. Martin was confined to her bed and asleep, stated the record was accurate up to this time last year, but close touch between all branches of the family tree has been made impossible since then and it is not known how many new members have come since that time."
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Application for Pension Due to a Deceased Pensioner

Georgia, Chatham County

Personally before me, the Ordinary of said County, comes Mrs. G.W. Fountain, of said County, who, after being sworn, on oath, says that she knew Mrs. Isabelle Martin of said County, and that the said Pensioner was on the Pension Roll of said County, at the time of death, which occurred in Berrien County, in this State, on the 26th day of April, 1929, and that the Pensioner left no widow surviving, and no estate of any value sufficient to pay funeral expenses, which amounted to the sum of $185.00, per sworn statements fully and completely itemized hereto attached.

Signed: Mrs. G.W. Fountain

Sworn to and subscribed before me,
Henry McAlpin, Ordinary
Chatham County
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Application for Pension By A Widow

State of Georgia,
Chatham County.

Personally appears before me, Isabelle Martin, of said State and County, and hereby applies for the pension allowed by the Act of 1910, as amended by the Act of 1919 and the Constitutional Amendment of 1920, and submits testimony to support the same, and after being duly sworn true answers to make to the questions propounded, answers as follows, to wit:

1. What is your name, and where do you reside?
"Isabel Martin, Savannah, Ga."
2. How long since when have you been, continuously, a bona fide resident citizen of the State of Georgia?
"All of my life, 87 years."
3. When, where and to whom were you married?
"William Martin, Lowndes County, Ga., before the close of the Civil War."
4. When, where and in what Company and Regiment did your husband enlist as a soldier in the Confederate Army or Georgia Militia?
"1861, Lowndes Co., Co. H, Capt. Benjamin F. Mosely, 26th Ga. Inf. C.S.A."
5. When and where did the command of your husband surrender or discharge from the Service?
"I do not know."
6. Was your husband personally present with his command when it was surrendered or discharged?
"No."
7. If he was not present, state specifically and clearly where he was at?
"At home."
8. When did he leave the command?
"1862.
a. For what cause did he leave?
"Wounded and ill with fever."
b. By whose authority did he leave?
"I suppose the surgeon in charge."
c. What was his condition when he left the command?
"Very bad."
d. When and where did your husband die?
"1900, Berrien County, Nashville, Ga."
e. Were you residing together when he died?
"Yes."
f. Are you now a widow?
"Yes."

Signed: Isabel (her mark "X") Martin

Sworn to and subsribed before me, this the
19th day of April, 1928.

Henry McAlpin, Ordinary
of Chatham County.
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