Biographical Summary
Christopher Martin was born probably
around 1580, probably in the vicinity of Great Burstead, Billericay,
which is where he married the widowed Mrs. Mary Prower on 26 February
1606/7; she brought into the family her son from her previous marriage,
Solomon Prower. Christopher and Mary had a child together,
Nathaniel Martin, baptized on 26 February 1609/10 in Billericay.
No other children are recorded to the couple.
On Easter in 1612, Christopher Martin
got into some trouble with the ecclesiastical authorities for refusing
to kneel at communion--an indication that he had a bit of Puritan in
him. In 1617, Chistopher Martin invested £25 in Ralph Hamor's
company traveling to Virginia. He and step-son Solomon then had
another run-in, this time with the Archdeaconry Court at Chelmsford in
1619, for refusing to follow Catholic ritual. In May 1620, he
purchased four shares of the Virginia Company from Captain George Percey,
with the apparent intention of going to Virginia. He shortly
thereafter became involved in the Pilgrims attempt to procure passage to
Virginia, and was placed in charge of purchasing the provisions for the
Mayflower. For the voyage, he was elected governor of the
Speedwell.
Christopher Martin's governing
abilities were heavily criticized by the passengers, however.
Passenger and assistant Robert Cushman wrote:
Mr. Martin . . . so
insulteth over our poor people, with such scorn and contempt, as if they
were not good enough to wipe his shoes. It would break your heart to see
his dealing, and the mourning of our people; they complain to me, and
alas! I can do nothing for them. If I speak to him, he flies in my face
as mutinous, and saith no complaints shall be heard or received but by
himself, and saith they are froward and waspish, discontented people,
and I do ill to hear them. There are others that would lose all they
have put in, or make satisfaction for what they have had, that they
might depart; but he will not hear them, nor suffer them to go ashore,
lest they should run away. The sailors are so offended at his ignorant
boldness in meddling and controlling in things he knows not what belongs
to, as that some threaten to mischief him . . .
Christopher Martin, his wife Mary, and
his step-son all died the first winter at Plymouth.
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