My direct paternal ggg grandfather Charles William MARTIN was born c1780 in Magdeburg, Prussia.
Charles came to England via France about 1795, joined the British Navy and fought at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805.
Charles (widower) of HMS ACHILLE married (following banns) Priscilla SHERKEY on 13th December 1813 at St Thomas, Portsmouth. On 1st March 1814, Charles made an order allotting part of his monthly pay to his wife.
During 1814 and early 1815 he saw service with HMS ACHILLE in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like so many sailors following the defeat of Napoleon, he was discharged from the Navy on 8th August 1815.
Charles not surprisingly chose to make his new home in Frome, Somersetshire where Priscilla was born. Charles and Priscilla had 5 children. Their youngest, Charles Alfred (1824-1913), wrote a letter in about 1879 that revealed his father was ' a man of colour boorn in upper german but i expect of african descent ...'.
Charles is believed to have died in Frome in 1824.
My Y-DNA contradicts the origins of the MARTIN family in that my paternal DNA signature (Q-YP910) is Native American!
Will I ever trace my true paternal genealogical roots?
Mr Gordon P MARTIN
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