William F. WELLS "Martin" s/o John Wells/Nancy C. Cole
Washington County, Arkansas Marriage Records page 105 59. B-105 John Wels, Nancy Cole
State of Arkansas
County of Washington
I A M Wasson an acting Justice of the Peace in and for said County of Washington do hereby certify that in the County aforesaid on the 15th day of August 1858 solemnized the rites of Matrimony between JOHN WELS aged 25 years and NANCY COLE aged 14 years both residents of Washington County and State of Arkansas according to statute in such case made and provided. Given under my hand this the 15 of August 1858
A M Wassan J. P.
FILED AND RECORDED on the 4th day of October AD 1858 P. R. Smith Clerk and official Recorder
John Wels/Wells may have been married earlier. Nancy C. Cole born 1844, (daughter of GEORGE B. COLE and ELIZABETH ANN CURTIS of Washington Co, AR), may have had other children or even no children. The census proves that William Moon Martin knew John Wells before he married Nancy C. Cole in 1858 as his father Daniel Wells lived 1850 in West Fork Twp, Washington Co, AR and son John was in his household. Daniel Wells lived 1840 in Franklin Co, AR.
Nancy C. Cole's father George B. Cole sued his wife Elizabeth A. Cole for divorce 1860 in Washington Co, AR. He later dropped the charges and in the same year George B. Cole, Elizabeth Ann and Nancy C. Cole had moved to Izard Co, AR, Nancy C. Cole still in their household, no children listed in the household.
1850 West Fork Twp, Washington Co, AR, 28 Nov 1850, page 375
18/18
Daniel Wells 48, m 500 real estate value, IL
Joanna 40 IA
JOHN 17 m farmer IA (he md Nancy C. Cole 1858 Washington Co, AR)
Elizabeth 14 IA
Washington 10, m IA
Mary 4, f Mo
Thomas 3, m Ark
Arminda 1 f Ark
1850 West Fork Twp, Washington Co, AR, Dec 3, 1850
92/92
Wm Mo Martin 47 TN
Baron 17
Robert 13
Isabella 13
Francine 9
Mary Sherill
Sarah C Sherrill
1850 West Fork Twp, Washington Co, AR Dec 3 1850
93/93
Jas Martin 43 TN
Anna 32 GA
James 14 AR
William 12 AR
Milly 11 b AR
Caleb 9 AR
Henry 7 AR
Louisa 3 AR
Joseph 5/12 AR
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Nancy C. Cole born August 1844 daughter of George B. Cole and Elizabeth A. Curtis.
It would explain why William Floyd WELLS "Martin" did not inherit and his entire family was estranged from William M. Billy Martin and Nancy C. Cole of Newton County, AR. Billy and Nancy's son, James Newton "Jim" Martin did inherit as did his son Virgil Marvin Martin, husband of Margie Belle (Brison) Martin also of Newton County, AR.
As to what happened to John Wells. I haven't gotten on his trail yet. There was a John E. Wells in the Washington Co, AR records. It is possible John Wells was killed during the Civil war. He was listed twice on the Fristoe's Cavalry roster. After Nancy C. Cole Wells and William M. "Billy" Martin married, Elizabeth and William Floyd Wells took the "Martin" surname. Elizabeth died while William Moon Martin and Nancy C. Cole were moving and she is buried beside the road they were on. William Floyd Wells "Martin" descendants used Martin as their surname. I don't know how many of their family knew he was a WELLS and not born Martin but Ken Fortney accepted that.
William M. Billy Martin probably had only four children by Nancy C. Cole: Mary Martin, Samantha Jane Martin, James Newton Martin and Dorothy Lutisha "Tishie" Martin. Margie Belle (Brison) Martin said Billy Martin married only once.
William M. Billy Martin did not marry Mary Polly Rhodes. No marriage license has been found for his marriage to Nancy C. Cole.
However, there was a marriage record of William M. Martin, a/k/a Wm. M. Martin, a/k/a William Moon Martin born 1803 and lived in Lovely County, OK 1827-1828, Crawford Co, AR, Franklin Co, AR, and in Washington Co, AR, in 1832, to Levina Sherrill at Batesville, Independence Co, AR and later census and court and land records in Washington Co, AR, as well.