D 7. Dr. Samuel Davis Martin, son of Major John, was born in 1791 in Clark county, Kentucky, on the farm, where he died in 1881. He was five feet ten inches high, black hair and eyes, with fair skin, weighing about one hundred and eighty-five pounds and of a strong muscular frame. He was educated mostly in Clark county and at the Transylvania University.
He commenced the study of medicine in 1809 with Drs. Mitchell and Davis, of Frankfort, Ky., and in 1811 he went to Lexington and continued the study of medicine with Dr. Ridgely, of that place.
In 1812 he married Elizabeth W. Taylor, in Winchester, Ky., daughter of Jonathan Taylor and his wife, Ann Berry. She was a relative of General Zachary Taylor and James Madison, late Presidents of the United States. For further information in regard to the Taylor family the reader is referred to another page of this work.
In 1814 he became a member of the Methodist church, his wife being a member of the same church.
In 1814 and 1815 he attended medical lectures at the Transylvania University.
In 1815 he located at Winchester, Ky., and practiced medicine until 1825, when he removed to his farm and continued the practice for ten years, when he tried to give it up that he might devote more of his time and attention to his farm ; but after trying some years, he being so frequently called on to visit the sick, that he determined again to give his chief attention to the practice of his profession, and at seventy-five years of age was actively engaged in his profession, riding on horseback, and was capable of doing as much business almost as at any time of his life. He never was a candidate for any office, and the only public station he ever held was that of surgeon to the 36th Regiment of Kentucky militia. He devoted a great deal of his time and attention to the importation and raising of fine blooded stock, and took many premiums at the agricultural fairs by the exhibition of the same at Lexington, Paris, Richmond, Winchester, Nicholasville and Frankfort, Ky.
D 7. Dr. Samuel D. Martin and his wife, Elizabeth W. Taylor, had fourteen children, viz. : ...
... he died in 1881, when the following obituary notice appeared in a Kentucky paper:
DR. S. D. MARTIN.
Dr. Samuel Davis Martin, one of the oldest and, in his day, most useful citizens of Central Kentuclvy, died at his home in this county last Saturday night between 13 and 1 o'clock;.
He was born where he died on the 17th day of January 1791, and, consequently, was in the ninety-first year of his age. Kentucky, when he came into the world, was a county of Virginia, and after the new Commonwealth was created this was a part of the county of Fayette. And thus it was that Dr. Martin, although never resident beyond the present bounds of Clark, yet lived in two States and two counties of this State.
He was the son of Maj. John Martin, a Revolutionary soldier, who came to Kentucky in 1781 from Albemarle county, Virginia. His mother was Elizabeth Lewis, who was an aunt of Lewis, of Lewis and Clark's expedition. His father, had eight children, six of whom were sons, viz.: Thomas, George, James, John L., Robert and the Doctor. His sisters were Mary,, who married Gen. Dick Taylor, of Frankfort, and Eliza, the wife of N. P. Taylor, of St. Louis.
The Doctor graduated from the medical department of the Transylvania University, and, it is said, rode from home whilst a student there, when there were no fences between his house and Lexington, and never missed a lecture. At the age of eighteen he joined the Methodist church, and ever afterward led a consistent, pious, godly life. His membership was always at Ebenezer, and no man during his day took more interest in the prosperity and welfare of his church.
With the exception of a few years spent in Winchester, the Doctor passed his life on the farm where he died. His practice was very large so long as he was able to meet its requirements, and extended throughout and beyond the bounds of the county. The poor never called on him in vain, and he did an immense amount of work for charity's sake. Up to a very short time before his death, he continued to go to see some of his sick neighbors, who were anxious to have the benefit of his wisdom and experience. He took much interest in agricultural matters, and in 1839, together with Hubbard and J. P. Taylor, imported a lot of Shorthorn cattle. They were Beauty, by Laurel (2181) ; Jessy, by Plenipo (4724) ; Leonida, by Red Simon (2499); Sprightly, by Fitz Roslyn (2026), and the calf, Rosalie, by Cadet .(1770).
Shortly after this he began to gather the materials for an American herd book, and did much valuable work in preserving pedigrees, but the cares of his profession prevented its completion. The Doctor took much interest in meteorology, and for more than forty years sent reports to the department at Washington. He contributed frequently to the medical journals, and was a close observer and good talker.
When twenty-one years of age, he married Elizabeth, daughter of Jonathan Taylor, of this county. They had fourteen children, eleven of whom lived to maturity. His wife has been dead about seventeen years, and was a model woman. His funeral was preached Sunday afternoon by Rev. S. S. Pentz at his late home. It is strange to think that one who lived here before Kentucky was a State should have been among us only a few days ago. Few men have lived better or more useful lives than Dr. Martin. Always temperate and industrious, just in his dealings with his fellows and peaceably inclined, he had the warmest affection of his family and the most unbounded confidence of all who knew him. The Doctor was never an aspirant for popular honors, but
"High worth is elevated place; 'tis more;
It makes the past stand candidate for thee;
Makes more than monarch, makes an honest man.
Tho' no exchequer it commands, 'tis wealth:
And though it wears no riband, 'tis renown:
Renown that would not quit thee, tho' disgraced,
Nor leave thee, pendent on a Master's smile."
