Please help me find an ancestor?

Question

How might I go about finding an ancestor, if possible through the internet for free?

My grandad's grandad is the ancestor. He was born in 1823 in America but I'm not sure of his actual birthplace. His name was Alonzo Dule Martin I think or something similiar and he was of "Spanish-American" descent, so I guess that would be considered hispanic right? Do you think this is more likely to mean he was born to 2 spanish parents but in America or that part of his ethnicity was spanish and he was other things too?

Anyway, he and his wife lived on the East Coast and I'm pretty sure owned property in New York (would this refer to NYC or NY state?) He sold up and travelled overland to the CA goldfields where his wife died so he sent his young son Alonzo to relatives to raise. Then he moved to Australia, then Dunedin, New Zealand where he married in 1860's and did some other stuff then died December 19 1911.

What sources should I use to find more about him?

Answer 1

Alonzo Dewey MARTIN

Birth: 27 SEP 1822

Death: WFT Est. 1853-1913

   (NOTE--Alonzo and Clarissa (Jones) Martin had only one known child. During his first marriage Alonzo and Clarissa lived for a time in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Shortly after his son Alonzo, Jr.'s birth in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, his wife Clarissa died, and in 1850, Alonzo returned to live with his mother in Chautauqua County, New York. He emigrated to New Zealand, married , and has a family there.

Source: Clara J. McCabe 1958 p. 100;

1855 Census: Carroll, p. 9;

History of Chautauqua County by Young: p. 451

         Married: Est. 1836-1849

Clarissa JONES

Birth: WFT Est. 1809-1832

Death: ABT. 1850

      Children:

Alonzo Jones MARTIN II

Birth: 3 APR 1849 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Death: 1 MAR 1906

   (NOTE--Alonzo's middle name may have been John. In 1866 Alonzo II married Eliza Mary Bain, born 1848 in Washington Co., New York, the daughter of Philip J. and Alice (Spencer) Bain. Eliza Mary died June 26, 1907 at the age of 59 years. Alonzo Jones Martin II died in 1906 at the age of 56 years 10 months and 27 days.)

Alonzo D.'s parents:

Captain William MARTIN

Birth: 7 NOV 1789 in Claverack, Columbia Co., New York

Death: 13 SEP 1883 in Kiantone, Chautauqua Co., New York

        Married:  1815 in Busti, New York to

Roxa A PIER

Birth: 7 AUG 1797 in Otsego Co., New York

Death: 18 MAR 1883 in Kiantone, Chautauqua Co., New York

         Children:

1. Isaac MARTIN b: 28 JAN 1817 in Chautauqua Co., New York

2.Abram MARTIN b: 12 OCT 1818

3.Lorenzo MARTIN b: 21 OCT 1820 in Chautauqua Co., New York

**4.Alonzo Dewey MARTIN b: 27 SEP 1822

5.James Davis MARTIN b: 15 JUL 1823

6.Sally Ann MARTIN b: 6 FEB 1826 in New York

7. Lois Adeline MARTIN b: 6 SEP 1831

8.George Levant MARTIN b: 21 SEP 1834

9. Elvira Annette MARTIN b: 10 DEC 1842

(NOTES--Captain William Martin, son of Aaron Martin who was a native of Dutchess County, New York, removed to Chautauqua Co., with his father in 1811, and bought a part of lot 23, tp. 1, r. 11. (Kiantone, New York)

His father was a Tanner, and commenced tanning on a small scale, but soon relinquished it, and attended exclusively to Farming in the Town of Busti in 1813. Aaron and Mary Martin had 6 children; William was the eldest; Isaac, who was in the war of 1812, and died in Tennessee; George, who was a Justice in Kiantone; James, who removed to Kentucky; Maria and Jane.

Captain William was born in Claverack, Columbia Co., New York, November 7, 1789, and was married in Busti, in 1815, to Roxa Pier, daughter of Levi Pier.

He was ensign in Lieutenant William Forbes Company, in the War of 1812, and was taken prisoner at the Battle of Buffalo, and kept in Montreal until May, 1814 - four months - sent to St. Johns, was there exchanged, and returned home in June. He was called out again in September, was at Fort Erie, and left five days before the "sortie."

   Mr. Martin still resides on the farm on which he settled. (book published in 1875) He had 9 children.

Captain William Martin was the son of Aaron Martin, and Mary (Eggleston) Martin. Aaron came to Busti, Chautauqua Co. in 1813, a year before the Pier's family arrival. William preceded his parents, coming to Chautauqua County in 1811. He died September 13, 1883 in Kaintone, Chautauqua Co., New York at the age of 93 years 10 months and 6 days.

     Roxa (sometimes spelled Roxy) died in 1883 at the age of 85 years 7 months and 11 days. The Martin family lived in Busti and Kiantone, Chautauqua Co., New York.)

(Here's a start for you. At http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.co...  is a 6 generation listing for Alonzo Dewey Martin's family that goes back to

Adijah DEWEY,who  was born 3 MAY 1666 in Northampton, Massachusetts. You can then click on his father's name--Thomas Dewey, born in 1639 in Connecticut, and HIS father, Thomas Sr.  who was born in 1603 in Sandwich, Kent, England !!)

His mother's generation list is at http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.co...

and it goes back to

Robert ASHLEY , b. 1615 in England

Both are shown under "Phil's Ancestry" (or "philsged"  on rootsweb's World Connect page, the bottom of 2 listings. In the brown square on the results page, it says "View 7 additional hits for ALONZO DEWEY MARTIN at Ancestry.com". I didn't check these out, because by the time I got this far, it was 3:15 a.m.!!  Hope this helps.

Answer 2

First off, when you say "Spanish-American", I'm thinking you might mean Mexican, as the Spanish settled Mexico, including the present-day Southwestern United States. In popular usage, the term "Hispanic" is usually used to refer to people from Mexico or people of Mexican descent, although it can refer to other Spanish-speaking peoples in the New World. Legally, "New York" can refer to either New York City or New York state. Ask your father (or your grandfather if he's still alive) if your great-great-grandfather lived in "New York City" or "upstate" New York.  

First, get as much info as you can from your parents and other relatives. Then, I don't know if the Catholic church maintains archives that can be used a genealogical resource, but talk to your priest next.

To add to your question about slave-owning: I don't know about Australia or New Zealand, but in early-19th century Alabama you could be anything from a tenant farmer on some body else's land to the owner of your own plantation, and you could have as or as few slaves as you needed to work however much land you had. Early 19th-century Alabama had a lot of "yeoman farmers " , who while they owned the land they farmed, typically did not own quite enough for a plantation. As a result of having smaller properties, they did not have as many slaves as the large plantation owners.