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Below is a family biography included in The History of Maury County, Tennessee published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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THOMAS G. MARTIN was born in Giles County, Tenn., September 27, 1831, and is one of ten children of George W. and Narcissa (Pillow) Martin. The father was born in the Old Dominion, and came to Tennessee with his parents at the age of six years, and located with them in Nashville, and was engaged in that city for many years as a wholesale dry goods merchant. He died August 19, 1854, from an accidental gun-shot wound. He was prominently connected with political affairs, and was once nominated as candidate for governor of Tennessee, which he declined. Thomas G.’s mother was born in Maury County, Tenn., in 1811. His paternal great-grandmother in the early settlement of Virginia, killed a huge black bear in a hand-to-hand conflict. She was going to one of her neighbors, and had to pass through a dense canebrake, in which she saw the huge monster reared in the attitude of battle. Realizing that to run was certain death she advanced and dealt him a blow with a hickory wagon standard, which happened to be lying near, and crushed in his skull. His maternal grandfather, Gideon Pillow, was an aid-de-camp of Gen. George Washington during the Revolution. December 21, 1854, our subject was married to Mary M. Wingfield, who died in June, 1858, having borne two children: George W. and Ellen W. November 22, 1860, Mr. Martin wedded Larissa Kittrell, and one son, Seth Kittrell, blessed this union. In September, 1862, Mr. Martin enlisted in the Ninth Battalion of Tennessee Cavalry, but was transferred to the Ninth Regiment Tennessee Cavalry, and served in the Georgia campaign. He was paroled in 1865, and returned to Maury County, where he has since resided. He is a member of the Episcopal Church.

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This family biography is one of the numerous biographies included in The History of Maury County, Tennessee published in 1887 by Goodspeed.  The History of Maury County was included within The History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Bedford & Marshall Counties of Tennessee. For the complete description, click here: History of Maury, Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Beford and Marshall Counties of Tennessee

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