USA > New Hampshire > Genealogical and family history of the state of New Hampshire : a record of the achievements of her people in the making of a commonwealth and the founding of a nation, Vol. II > Part 2
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(Vlll) Albert, fifth child and third son of the six children of Manassah S. and Clarissa ( Andrews ) Ball, was born May 7. 1835, in Boylston, Massachu- setts, and at five years old was sent to the district school, where all his education was obtained with the exception of one term at the high school when he was in his sixteenth year. At the age of nineteen
Albert Ball
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he went to Worcester, Massachusetts, to learn the machinist's trade, beginning to serve his time with the Wood & Light Company, in what was known as the "stone shop" at the Junction. He afterwards worked for Williams & Rich, and later for L. W. Pond. When with Mr. Pond he had charge of the work of making planers or of building them by the job, and it was at that time, in 1863, that he brought out his first invention, which was in re- peating fire-arms. In the same year he brought out a surface polishing machine which was used for polishing flat surfaces, and which he used for polishing the flat surfaces on the planer heads. When working with Williams & Rich at Worcester, Massachusetts, he became acquainted with E. G. Lamson. of Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, who was manufacturing cutlery and sewing machines at Windsor, Vermont, and was in search of small tools for making sewing machine needles. Having a small engine lathe which he had made for his own use, Mr. Ball made for Mr. Lamson a lathe which proved very satisfactory in the construction of the needles. When Mr. Ball brought out the fire-arm patent he sold it to Mr. Lamson, who was then making guns for the United States government. The latter agreed to purchase it on condition that Mr. Ball should work for him six months or a year, and in 1864 Mr. Ball went to Windsor, Ver- mont, and working for the Lamson, Goodnow & Yale Company for more than four years. When the gun business stopped Mr. Lamson took up the building of a line of machinists' tools, consisting of small lathes and planers, for which Mr. Ball made drawings and modelled two new styles of lathes and one size of planer. Mr. Lamson requested him to make drawings for the building of marble-quar- rying machines, and Mr. Ball brought out the first marble channeller, which embodied the power which consists of engine and boiler on the same frame on which the cutters were operated.
In 1869 he associated himself with Roger Love and came to Claremont, where he was employed in the building of channellers in the J. P. Upham machine shop. These were the first and only dia- mond drill channelling machines ever built, black diamonds being used in the drills that did the cut- ting. Over fifty of these machines were built be- fore the price of diamonds became so high that they could not be used at a profit for cutting marble. Mr. Ball then turned his attention to the building of steel channellers of a different type, and this style of channeller is to-day considered the leading style in the market. In 1885 he began the construc- tion of the diamond prospecting drills of which the Sullivan Machinery Company is now manufacturing twelve different styles, the call for which would be great were it not for the high price of diamonds. He also constructed rock drills, diamond and steel gadding machines for marble quarries, and brought out a line of coal-cutting machinery, such as un- dercutters driven by air, shearing machines driven by air and chain machines driven by both air and electricity, for room, pillar and long wall work. Of these machines there are ten different styles which are built by the Sullivan Machinery Com- pany, Claremont.
The first outside issue was a cloth-measuring machine which he designed for a Mr. Smith. This machine was to be used in taking account of stock in dry-goods stores, where the pieces of goods could be run through the machine, which gave the measurement in yards and fractions, and rewound
them in a manner which prevented their looking shop-worn. It also had an attachment for measur- ing and rewinding carpeting. There were one hundred and fifty of these machines built, but Mr. Smith did not succeed in selling them as rapidly as he expected to and the manufacture was discon- tinued. In the construction of this machine the measuring cylinder was made of paper, and for the manufacture of this measuring cylinder a special machine had to be designed. It was found that this cylinder made an excellent roving can for cotton mills. The first size made was called the 12 inch can, and later 9. 10, 11, 14, 16, 18 and 20 inch size cans were manufactured. The making of roving cans soon became a good business, and thousands of these cans were manufactured by the Sullivan Machinery Company. The machinery and business were finally sold to C. C. Bell, of the Laminar Fiber Company, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
The next outside manufacture was the cop tubes, designed for Jeremiah Essex, Bennington, Vermont, for mule spinning in cotton mills. The tubes were made of plate tin, and for their manufacture a press was made which cut the blanks from the sheet tin and formed it into a tube, making a head on same and a tip for holding the wire, which was after- wards wound spirally on the tin tubes to hold on the thread which was spun over them on the mule. The tubes were covered on the mule with yarn which formed a cop, and these cops were used for filling in weaving cloth. The design of the tube was to hold the thread, which was called a "cop," so that it could be run off in the shuttle without any waste-in other words, so that the cops could be handled around without damage, but would en- tirely weave off the thread they held without waste. The tin cop tube was not a success, as it received very rough handling from the kind of help which was employed in the cotton mills, and would get bent and twisted. Mr. Ball then designed a woven tube which would be elastic, and of this style some millions were manufactured. Of this style of tube there was a large variety made for the different kinds and styles of mule spindles then running in the different cotton mills. About this time there was a great stride made in the ring frame method of spinning which took the place of the mules, in con- sequence of which mule frames went out of exis- ence and the cop tube business came to an end. Then came the designing of the ring frame in which the use of metaline superseded that of oil in all the journals, oil being injurious to the cotton yarns used in making cotton goods. Of this design he built three frames, one of which was set up in the Monadnock mills, and one at Dover, New Hampshire. In testing yarn made on these ring frames it was found to be as good as the mule-spun yarn which was regarded as the strongest made at that time. The company considered the question of manufacturing these new frames, but found that a large amount of special machinery and much more extensive works would be required for the pur- pose, and that they would also have to compete with other builders. For these reasons and as other machinery was being built which was thought quite as profitable, the project was abandoned. The best features of the design were, however, taken up and used by other builders of spinning frames.
Next was the wood-pulp grinding machine de- signed for E. R. Cartmell, of Bellow Falls, Ver- mont. Of this style of machine there were some forty manufactured in the works of the Sullivan
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Machinery Company, after which Mr. Ball's interest in the machine was sold to William A. Russell & Company, Bellows Falls, Vermont. The company then took up the manufacture of corn crackers and brought out some new designs. A great manv hun- dred of these crackers have been built and sold all over the United States. Of this cracker there are four different styles manufactured.
The toilet paper wiring machine was designed for John Moore, of Bellows Falls. This machine put a wire through the corner of a bunch of paper, twisting it in such an manner as to make a loop by which to suspend the bunch. Quite a number of machines were made from this design, and Mr. Ball afterward constructed a machine for forming the wires which were put into the bunches by hand.
Mr. Ball also designed presses for making as- phalt paving blocks for street paving and asphalt tiling blocks for sidewalks and walks for private residences. Two sets of these machines were sent to Sydney, Australia.
While at Windsor, Vermont, Mr. Ball frequently visited the Springfield ( Massachusetts) armory in relation to the building of guns for the government, and was present at several of the gun tests at the armory. Colonel Benton, who then had charge of the armory, called his attention to the lubrication of bullets. After the government commenced the use of breech-loaders in the army it was found that cartridges used with the breech-loaders would gather dust and dirt on account of the grease which was used on the outside of the bullets. The army officers issued orders that all breech-loading cart- ridge should have the grease on the inside of the shell, but the Colonel said that when they tried to grease them by filling the grooves in the bullets the lubricant cost nearly as much as the bullets them- selves. He desired Mr. Ball to invent, if possible, some machinery by which the bullets could be lub- ricated cheaply. Mr. Ball immediately worked out a device which he found would be successful, inade drawings thereof, and took them with him on his next visit to Springfield. When he explained it to Colonel Benton the latter said, "build me a machine right away and send it down, a cheap machine, something that will work by hand at first, and then we can tell what we want." On his return to Wind- sor, Mr. Ball had a machine made and sent to Springfield. On going himself soon after he found that, by reason of having been overheated, the machine had failed to give satisfaction. Under his intelligent manipulation, however, it worked to per- fection and was accepted by Colonel Benton, who ordered four power machines for the different arsenals. The bringing out of this machine was to Mr. Ball a source of greater satisfaction than the introduction of any other improvement which he ever made, being. as it was, a tribute from the United States government to his superiority as an inventor. These bullet lubricating machines were afterward sold to all the armories in this country and in Europe, and are used by most of the cartridge manufacturers at the present day.
The name Martin is not only of fre- MARTIN quent occurrence in the old world. but it became common in America from an early period, and may be found amongst the carly settlers of Massachusetts, Connecticut. New Hamp- shire, Virginia and other colonies. The name is variously spelled even in the records of the same family, as: Martin, Martyn, Marten, Marttin, Mar-
tecm, Martain and Mortine. In nearly all the coun- tries of western Europe the name Martin is very common, and there is nothing in the name alone to determine the nationality of the family which bears it. Martins for centuries, however, have been members of the aristocracy and gentry of many lands. The family of Martin, of Compton Martin, Somersetshire, England, was of great cmi- nence and long descent. The first of the name of whom records appear was Martin of Tours, a Nor- man, who made a conquest of the territory of Cem- mes or Kemeys, in the county of Pembroke, about 1077. Martin was the surname of the Lords of Cemmes for seven generations when, by the death of William Martin, Lord Cemmes, the line became extinct. The name of Martin, however, was still kept up in Somerset by Robert Martin, a younger son of Nicholas Fitz-Martin, and doubtless by other younger branches of the family, and it is believed that from one of these younger branches are descended those of the name who came to New England in 1635. Through successive generations the Martins of America have been mostly honest yeoman, good and useful members of society. acting well their part in the sphere of life in which they were placed, and from their manliness and probity winning the respect of the communities in which they lived. None of them have arrived at eminence in literature or science, but some of them have at- tained political eminence and among them are judges, governors, senators and congressmen.
(I) Among the twenty-one families that accom- panied Rev. Joseph Hull from Weymouth, England, to Weymouth, Massachusetts were Robert Martin and wife. They were from Badcome, Somerset- shire, England, and arrived on the Massachusetts coast May 6, 1635. Robert Martin left no children, and his estate of one hundred and ninety-three pounds, one shilling and sixpence, was left to heirs in England. Richard, brother of Robert Martin, arrived in America, probably with Rev. John Myles in 1663. and settled in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. He was elected surveyor of highways in that town June 1, 1669, and his name appears in the list of its proprietors February 7, 1689. He contributed for the prosecution of "King Philip's war" the sum of one pound, five shillings and fourpence. His death occurred March 2, 1694, and his estate was inven- toried at twenty-two pounds, eighteen shillings and cightpence.
(II) John, son of Richard Martin, was among the signers of the compact concerning religious ob- servances in Swansea, Massachusetts, February 22, 1669. He was a farmer and weaver, and was ap- pointed constable by the general court, June 5. 1671. He was surveyor of highways in 1673 and again in 1685. He was married April 26, 1671, to Johanna Esten, daughter of Thomas Esten, of North Provi- dence, Rhode Island. She was born June 1, 1645, in Herefordshire, England,
(II1) Ephraim, third son and fourth child of John and Johanna ( Esten) Martin, was born Feb- ruary 7, 1676, in Swansea, and was a farmer in Rehoboth. Ile was married, October 16, 1090. to Thankful, daughter of Samuel Bullock, senior. She was born June 27, 1681, and died Tuly 22, 1702. Mr. Martin died June 25, 1734. They were the parents of eleven children.
(IV) Seth, eldest child of Ephraim and Thank- ful (Bullock) Martin, was born October 22, 1700, in Rehoboth, where he lived. He was married ( first ) November 8, 1722, to Rebeckah Peck, daughter of
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Jathniel and Saralı (Smith ) Peck. She was born October 10, 1700, and died April 14. 1731. Mr. Mar- tin was married (second), January 19, 1732, to Martha Washburn, of Bridgewater. He dicd June 2, 1745, and left five children.
(V) Seth (2), second child and eldest son of Seth (1) and Martha (Washburn) Martin, was born in Rehoboth, August 21, 1745. He married Mary Horton of Rehoboth, July 4. 1765. Between 1772 and 1777 they removed to Grafton, New Hampshire.
Seth Martin appears as a lieutenant on a pay roll of Colonel Jonathan Chase's regiment of militia, which reinforced the northern Continental army at Ticonderoga, by General Folsom's orders, May 7. 1777; discharged June 16. 1777 ; time in ser- vice, one month, ten days. (New Hampshire State Papers, Vol. 15, p. 14). Appears as a lieutenant on a pay roll of Colonel Jonathan Chase's regiments of militia, which marched from Cornish in Sep- tember, 1777, and joined the Continental army un- der General Gates, near Saratoga; entered service October 3, 1777; discharged October 24. 1777. (New Hampshire State Papers, Vol. 15. p. 373). (VI) Sylvester, son of Seth (2) and Mary (Horton) Martin, was born in Rehoboth, and ac- companied his parents to Grafton. He was a first lieutenant in Colonel Chase's regiment, which first went to Ticonderoga in the summer of 1777 for a few weeks, and in the fall following to Saratoga. He married Elizabeth Ford of Smithfield, Rhode Island.
(VII) Eleazer, son of Sylvester and Elizabeth (Ford) Martin, was born in Grafton county, Au- gust 16, 1789, and died May 27, 1865. He was a farmer and was also judge of the Probate Court of Grafton county. He married (first), Polly, and had children : Adoniram, Clorinda. Nancy. Albert. Celina, Sophia and Lucien. He married (second), Candace ( Constantine) Varney, had one child : Arthur Elea- zer. Mrs. Candace (Constantine) Varney, by a first marriage had a daughter, Georgiana, mentioned be- low.
(VIII) Lucien, son of Eleazer and Candace (Constantine) Martin, was born in Canaan, August 25, 1838, and died in 1868. He was a merchant in Manchester for a time and engaged in the same occupation in various other places. He was in California for some years and also engaged in trade there. He married Georgiana Varney, 1860, who is still living (1907). They were the parents of one child.
(IX) Frank Engene, son of Lucien and Georgi- ana (Varney) Martin, was born in Manchester, June 20, 1863. He attended the schools of Man- chester, being graduated from the high school in 1882. The following year he entered the general office of the New Hampshire Fire Insurance Com- pany and served as a clerk inntil 1895. when he was made assistant secretary, and in 1905 became secre- tary and now fills that place. He is principally known for his courtesy, strict attention to his busi- ness and good habits. He is a Republican, a mem- ber of the Unitarian Church, and of the Derryfield Club. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, and a member of the following lodges of that order : Washington Lodge No. 61; Mt. Horeb Royal Arch Chapter No. 118; Adoniram Council No. 3. Roval and Select Masters: Trinity Commandery Knights Templar: Edward A. Raymond Consistory, Su- blime Princes of the Royal Scoret; Thirty-second degree of Nashua; and of Bektash Temple of the
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
(Second Family.)
This very ancient name has been MARTIN traced in England from the Norman Conquest. The roll of Battle Abbey contains the name of "Le Sire de S. Martin." The name has been numerous on the other side of the water and also in this country from its first settle- ment. There was a William Martin in London, England, who assisted the Pilgrims in coming on their voyage to Plymouth Rock. In the early settle- ment of Massachusetts. Connecticut and Virginia. the name is frequently found. There is a very per- sistent tradition in the family herein traced that William Martin, or William Seaborn Martin, was born at sea in the voyage of his parents from Plym- outh, England. There was a Robert Martin who lived some years in New Haven, Connecticut, and had two sons baptized there previous to 1655. It is possible that the William Martin who heads this family was born to Robert on the sea as related by many of his descendants. There was also a Samuel Martin, of Wethersfield, Connecticut, who married, in England, Phoebe, daughter of William Bisbee, a London merchant. This couple came over about 1650. and it is not impossible that they might have been the parents of William who was given the name of the lady's father, and if born at sea might have received the second name of Seaborn from that cir- sumstance. It could scarcely have been really a part of his name. because at that time there is no instance on record of a child having a double name. This may have been a nickname applied by his par- ents and used by others to distinguish him from others of the same name. Wethersfield furnished many inhabitants to Stratford. Connecticut, and this would easily account for the removal of William to Woodbury.
(I) William Martin, possibly a son of Richard Martin of Rehoboth, Massachusetts, and wife Abi- gail were found of record at Woodbury, Connecti- cut, as early as August 30, 1685, at which time they were admitted to the church there. Mrs. Martin was a daughter of Jonathan Curtiss, of Stratford, Connecticut. and was born October 17, 1671, and married to William Martin, June 25, 1685. The latter died at Woodbury, July 4, 1715, and his widow survived him more than nineteen years, dying Jan- uarv 4. 1735. He was buried near the center of the old hurying ground in Woodbury, and a coarse native stone was set at the head and foot of his grave. On the headstone was chiseled, "Wm .. July 4. 1715." Their children were: Joseph, Samuel, Ca- leb and Phoebe. The first of these was born when the mother was in her twentieth year.
(II) Joseph, eldest child of William and Abigail (Curtiss) Martin, was baptized in November. 1691. at Woodbury, Connecticut, and passed his life in that town, where he died in 1710. He was married August 18. 1718, to Sarah Harris, and their children were : Abigail, Abiiah, Hannah, Asahel, Ruth. Amos. Joseph and Gideon.
(III) Amos, fourth son and sixth child of Jos- eph and Sarah (Harris) Martin, was baptized Octo- her 8. 1728. in Woodbury, and died in that town, April 7. 1800. in his seventy-second year. He was married January 16. 1755, to Prudence Tuttle. and they were the parents of Aaron, Isaac, Noah, Jesse, Eli and Truman.
(IV) Truman. voungest child of Amos and Prut- dence (Tuttle) Martin, was baptized March 12,
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1769. in Woodbury, Connecticut, and settled in Peacham, Vermont, before the close of the eighteenth Century. He was a pioneer settler of that town and there cleared up a farm and became one of the representative citizens. He was three time married. as the records of Woodbury show that he had four children baptized there August 23. 1795. No record of his first two marriages appear or of any children. It is probable. however, that none of these survived, as the family traditions and records have no account of them. Ile was married (third), after 1800, in Peacham, to Mary (Polly) Noyes, who was born June 11, 1779. in Bow, New Hampshire, daughter of Benjamin and Hannah (Thompson) Noyes. of Bow. (See Noyes V]). She died May 26. 1858. in Peacham. They were the parents of six children, namely : Sally, born 1809. died June 13. 1835. Trit- man. 1810. died April 30. 1810. Amos, August 6, ISIT, died February 17. 1866. Benjamin F., July 21. 1813. see below. Truman. February 23, 1818, died October 15. 1896. Hannah. October 6, 1820, died July 17, 1907.
Benjamin Franklin, son of Truman and Mary (Noves ) Martin, was born July 21. 1813. in Peach- am, Vermont, and received his education in the pub- lic school and academy of that town. When but eighteen years of age he set out to earn his liveli- hood, and proceeded on foot to Meredith Bridge. now Laconia. New Hampshire, where he learned the art of paper-making. He was apt and willing, and rapidly mastered the details of the trade, and his subsequent career as a business man and manufac- turer amply testified the value of careful prepara- tion and steady pursuit of any calling. After one year in the mills at Laconia, he was able to take a journeyman's place, and proceeded to Millbury. Massachusetts, where he was engaged in that capac- ity. His hahits were correct. and his carnings were not dissipated in youthful follies, so that a few years found him in position to engage in business on his own account. In partnership with his brother-in- law. Thomas Rice. he leased mills at Newton Lower Falls, near Boston, and together they operated them until 1844. In that year Mr. Martin purchased a mill at Middleton, Massachusetts, which he success- fully operated nine years Desiring to enlarge his business, he leased a mill and residence at Law- renee, Massachusetts, and had shipped his house- hold effects there when his attention was called to the facilities offered by the waterpower at Man- chester. this state. Upon investigation he decided to locate here and immediately proceeded to build a mill at Amoskeag Falls. This is still in operation, and has proved one of the leading industries of New Hampshire's metropolis, under the impetus given it by the master mind of Colonel Martin. After twelve years of extensive and profitable business, he sold out in 1865. but could not be contented out of its activities, and renurchased the mill in 1860. Five years later he again sold the mill and retired from his long activity in paper-making, to enjoy the fruits of an industrious carcer.
Several of the financial institutions of the city owed much of their success to the keen business in- stinct, shrewdness and foresight of Colonel Martin. He was a director of the Merrimack River Bank, from its establishment in 1854. and was its president in 1850, resigning in 1860. He was one of the first trustees of the Merrimack River Five Cents Sav- ings Bank, and was made its vice-president in 1860. He was made a director of the Manchester Bank upon its charter by the state, and so continued after
its reorganization as a national bank, and was a trustee of the Manchester Savings Bank. A direc- tor of the Concord & Portsmouth Railroad Com- pany and the Manchester & Lawrence railroad, he was elected president of the latter in 1878. Colonel Martin was also president of the Manchester Gas Company, and while accumulating a competence was helping the industrial development of the town. He was furthermore a generous contributor to all elevating influences, both by example and financial aid, and his interest and influence in everything that pertained to the material, social and moral advance- ment of his home city was marked. His fine home on upper Elm street was the seat of hospitality and genial cheer, and his public spirit pervaded all por- tions and interests of the city.
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