Birth17 January 1780
Memo(find-a-grave)
Death11 October 1865
Memo(find-a-grave)
BurialMartz Cemetery, Tenth Legion, Rockingham, VA
Spouses
Birth1 October 1775
Memo(find-a-grave)
Death30 November 1814
Memo(find-a-grave)
BurialMartz Cemetery, Tenth Legion, Rockingham, VA
Marriage4 September 1798
Marr Memo(Rockingham Martz tree)
Parent-Proof notes for Sarah Hawkins
She is named as the wife of Michael in the Rockingham Martz tree. It says they married 4 Sep 1798 in Tenth Legion, VA and that she was the daughter of Benjamin and Magdalene Hawkins
Census History notes for Sarah Hawkins
Michael was listed in the 1810 Census with a very large family and it is said he died 30 Nov 1814 and so we find Sarah in the 1820 Census as the head of a very large family.
Find-a-Grave notes for Sarah Hawkins
Sarah wrote her will 22 Feb 1865. In proved Nov Term 1865. She mentioned son Dorilas, daughter Mary, son Jackson and the heirs of son Hiram. Curiously, that left a lot of her other children totally unmentioned. I think it may be that the ones she mentioned were those that stayed in or near Rockingham while the others had moved away.
All of this perhaps came to a head in this family when Hiram’s son Dorilas died in 1872. His will was contested although it seems it was also resolved quickly with a settlement that seemed to cover the entirety of Michael and Sarah’s family, their children if alive, and the next generation of heirs of any deceased.
Birth, Parent-Proof, Designation notes for Michael (Spouse 1)
Michael was named in his father’s will and from the order, it would seem that he was Sebastian’s fourth oldest son. However, I believe Peter was listed out of order and I believe Michael was actually the sixth oldest. Michael pre-deceased his father.
Michael was listed in the 1810 Census in Rockingham County, age 26-45 with eight young children. He is designated S6.
Relocated and Census Tracking notes for Michael (Spouse 1)
Michael died 30 Nov 1814 so he only was listed in the 1810 Census. After that his wife Sarah was then reported in his place in 1820 through 1850.
Death and Find-a-Grave notes for Michael (Spouse 1)
Michael wrote his will 15 Nov 1814 and it proved in the January Court 1815. There are references to his widow who he calls Sarah in one place and Sally in another. He did not name any of his children by Sarah but apparently he had two additional children who he called base-born (illegitimate?) and he did name them and provide for them. They were Serena and Betsy Herring. He named his brother Martin his Executor.
Michael and Sarah are buried at Martz Family Cemetery in Rockingham. This cemetery was in complete disarray until Roger Martz and his wife went there in 2020 and spent several days cleaning it up, re-establishing the fencing, and carefully re-placing, photographing and cleaning every tombstone there — and adding all of them to find-a-grave. Every descendant of anyone buried in this cemetery owes Roger a huge thank-you.
Discrepancies notes for Michael (Spouse 1)
The Rockingham Martz tree says Michael died 30 Nov 1841, a simple typo, it was 30 Nov 1814.