John Martin (Jamestown)

Capt. John Martin (c. 1560 – 1632) was a Councilman of the Jamestown Colony in 1607. He was the proprietor of Martin's Brandon Plantation on the south bank of the James River. Located in modern-day Prince George County, Virginia and known as Lower Brandon Plantation, in the 21st century, his circa 1616 plantation is both a National Historical Landmark open to tours and one of America's oldest continuous farming operations.

Martin was the third son of goldsmith and Sir Richard Martin (d. 1617) and Dorcas Eccleston (d. 1599). Sir Richard later held office as Master of the Mint and Lord Mayor of the City of London. (He is not the same as the Mr. Richard Martin (1570–1618) who was the recorder of London, counsel for the Virginia Company and organizer of The Society of Martin's Hundred, whose subsidiary "particular plantation" development circa 1618–19 was known as Martin's Hundred). Brothers Richard and Nathaniel Martin also worked at the Royal Mint with their father, the former as master and the latter as a clerk. Sir Richard was accused of misusing money deposited into his care at the Mint in 1597 and forced to resign as master in 1599. Sir Richard had a longstanding interest in overseas enterprise, investing in Martin Frobisher's 1577 arctic voyage (defaulted), Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation voyage (1577–80), and investing in at least one of Sir Walter Raleigh's ventures. Sir Richard assisted John in obtaining his first commission in Drake's West Indies voyage (1585–86). Captain John Martin's relationship to Sir Richard Martin is attested by the will of his brother Richard Martin, goldsmith of London, dated 5 June 1616.

Martin commanded the Benjamin under Sir Francis Drake in the 1585–86 expedition to harass the Spanish ports in the New World. On his return, Martin married Mary, daughter of Robert Brandon, a prominent English goldsmith and supplier to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Before Martin left for the West Indies, he petitioned the Company of Mineral & Battery Works to be admitted to the society with a half-share from goldsmith Richard Wycliffe, recently deceased. At the court held on 16 December 1585, the company approved the transfer of stock to Martin and admitted him to their fellowship. His father, Sir Richard, was a founding member of the company. Brothers Richard and Nathaniel had shares in the company by 1596.

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