Martha Storm

(1713-1811)

Martha was born in Robin Hoods Bay in 1713, the daughter of Matthew Storm (1676-1757) master-mariner, and Joanna nee Moorsom (1676-1748).

 The Storms were a nautical family. Martha's brothers Isaac and Taylor owned ships; her sister Dorothy married John Moorsom, master-mariner, and her sister Mary's second husband was the master-mariner Benjamin Chapman[2]. The little harbour in the Bay will have been a place she would have frequented, watching out for her father’s ship, the Matthew and Joseph, and later those of her brothers.

 Bay Town

 
 Whitby was the nearest place of any size to Robin Hood’s Bay, by land or by sea, and communications between the two places were well-established.

When Martha was about 26 she married (at St Stephen’s Church, Fylingdales[3] on 28 April 1740) John Holt, master mariner of Whitby, who was about four years her junior. John was the son of Joseph Holt. Joseph Holt and Matthew Storm were both master mariners, but were also brought together by being members of the Whitby Old Presbyterian[4] congregation: they were both trustees of a benefaction to this congregation made by the sailmaker Leonard Wilde in his will.

After they were married they lived in Whitby, appearing in the 1742 Poor Rate Assessment at Fair Isle, but the following year they had moved over the river and were living in Scate Lane (now Brunswick Street). Possibly they were living in one of the properties of John’s father Joseph – if so it may have been at the junction of Scate Lane and Baxtergate, a site which was redeveloped in the 19^th Century with the building of the church there. They moved into the family house at Baxtergate (now The George Hotel) presumably in 1751, after the death of John’s mother. It is possibly at this time that the Baxtergate house was rebuilt in contemporary style.

Martha Holt, c 1775. Etching by Harvey Taylor 
based on a miniature in the Whitby Lit & Phil

Martha’s oldest child was Joseph, presumably named for her father-in-law. He was baptized at Flowergate Presbyterian Chapel Whitby on 8 March 1740. All of Martha’s children were recorded as being baptized in this chapel (with the exception of Margaret, where it is more likely to be an omission from the register than her not being baptized there) possibly because she retained allegiance to the denomination she was brought up in, and insisted that it should be so. The birth of a child, particularly a son, would no doubt have brought great pleasure to the family. Sadly Joseph died young, being buried at Whitby Parish Church on 11 July 1742.

Her next child John was also born 28 August 1742 and baptized on 27 September 1742. We know his birthdate from the book of Mrs Katherine Manley, the Whitby midwife, who recorded the deliveries she had attended since 1727. Martha had Mrs Manley to help with the birth of all her children except Joseph (and his early death may have influenced her decision) and Elizabeth. John child was named for his father; and the next child Martha was named for her mother. Martha was born 27 October 1745 baptized on 27 November. Jane, named for her aunt, was born 21 September 1747 an baptized on 19 October.  Margaret was born 18 March 1744, and her baptism is not recorded - though why this was the case I do not know. She was presumably named for her grandmother, who was at this time a widow. Elizabeth, possibly named for her aunt Elizabeth (née Linskell) who married her uncle Thomas (1721/2-1782), was baptized on 18 May 1749. Thomas, possibly named for his uncle, was born 11 July 1751 and baptized on the 28th. William was born 15 November 1752 and baptized on 2 January 1753. Mary, the youngest child, was born on 7 June 1755 and baptized on 9 July.  

With many children, possibly some living-in apprentices, several servants and a large house to organise, Martha would have been kept very busy. As male and female roles were not so divided as they were to become in the next two generations, it is probable that she took a lively and practical interest in her husband’s work, particularly as her father, Matthew Storm, was in a similar line of business.

In 1757 her father died, having lived to be over 80. Martha inherited some money under the terms of his will (which he had made on 8 October 1748) Matthew left his ship Mathew and Joseph to his son Isaac (whereof he is Master also), and a parcel of land in Robin Hood's Bay known as Taylors Ground to his son Taylor. All the rest of his property is divided equally (share and share alike) between his surviving children: his sons Isaac and Taylor; his daughters Dorothy Moorsom, Jane Baker, Martha Holt and Mary Chapman; and his grandson Mathew Storm (son of the deceased Thomas). This includes his Freehold Messuages Tenements Lands Closes Grounds and hereditaments whatsoever situate lying and being in Robinhoods Bay and in Fylingdales aforesaid and also in Stenton Dale in the parish of Scawby otherwise Scalby.

With her inheritance, and her husband’s increasing wealth, she will have ensured that the house in Baxtergate was run as well as possible, and that it kept up with the improving social status of the family. In the earlier part of her married life, when her husband was still at sea for many months of the year, she would probably have entertained women in a similar position, almost certainly providing tea. Tea drinking had been introduced to Britain in the 17th Century, and by this time had become the fashionable thing to do. Jonas Hanway[5] was to fulminate against the habit: It is also an amazing consideration how men are enslaved by foolish customs: and how in this northern climate we, who have so many potations beyond what China can boast of, are become such devotees to tea; but his words had no effect upon the popularity of the custom, which was indulged in by all sectors of society, and had the support of no lesser man that Doctor Johnson. It would be surprising too if Martha did not have a rather fine teapot and teacups: G Robertson[6] remarked that about this time, too, the tea equipage began to be introduced "in form", or in full sets of British china, of no little decoration.

Possibly Martha had their home redecorated in the modern fashion, culling ideas from some of the contemporary fashion plates, magazines and pattern books that were then common. One could ornament ones house with ready-made Adam motifs: fluted fans, plaques, wheat-ear drops, festoons and  scrolls. Perhaps they used some of the newly fashionable wallpaper (over 2 million yards sold in 1785, over 10 times the amount sold in 1713).

We have no real idea what the inside of the Baxtergate house looked like, as it has been enormously altered several times since then, particularly when it became a hotel (originally the Station Hotel, then the George). However it is possible that some of the interior features may be original.

 The interior of the George Hotel, formerly the Holt house in Baxtergate

Unfortunately tragedy struck in 1761 when Martha’s daughter Jane died at the age of 13. Jane was buried at the Parish Church on 4 May.

 Martha’s daughter Margaret married Nathaniel Campion in about 1763, but unfortunately Margaret’s first two children, Jane and Martha, both died under the age of two. John had married Mary Millner in December 1765, in the same month as Martha married Robert Boulby. Although Robert and Martha’s eldest child Michael died (in 1771) when he was five, and John and Mary’s first son Thomas died (in 1768) before reaching his first birthday, Martha was to live to see many grandchildren survive into adulthood.

Elizabeth married Joseph Atty, master mariner, on 3 January 1773 at Whitby Parish Church, and Thomas married Esther Stockton in a few weeks later on 22 February 1773. Mary married Christopher Richardson, gentleman,  at Whitby Parish Church on 15 February 1779 by license.

After 43 years of marriage, Martha’s husband John died, and was buried at Whitby Parish Church on 9 October 1783. Martha was to live for another 28 years as a widow.

Her son William married Mary Lotherington, from a Quaker family, in August 1789 at Whitby Parish Church.

Unfortunately in addition to her granddaughter named Martha who is mentioned above, Martha was to outlive four other grandchildren named after herself, as well as her daughter Martha: Martha Boulby, the daughter of Robert and Martha died in September 1777, only two days old, and her mother was buried four days afterwards (aged 33), presumably of perinatal complications; another Martha Campion, the daughter of Nathaniel and Margaret was buried in February 1778, aged six ; Martha Holt, daughter of William and Mary was buried in March 1799, aged two; and Martha the daughter of John and Mary, who had grown up and married William Harrison, died in childbirth on 7 March 1803, aged 36. Such tragedies were common at the time; but such losses were no less keenly felt then than they are now. However Martha did have two surviving grandchildren called after herself, and a large and flourishing family - she lived to see at least eight great-grandchildren.

It seems that John and Martha had moved out of the Baxtergate house into a (presumably smaller) one in Flowergate some time on or before 1778. She probably lived here until she died, with no other member of the family living there after her husband’s death. Under these circumstances Martha no doubt appreciated the company as well as the ministrations of her personal servant Ann Thomas, although visits by members of her considerably extended family must have been frequent.

Martha made a will in 1804. She left £100 to her granddaughter Jane Boulby; £20 each to her sons John, Thomas and William to buy mourning with; and One Bed with the Blankets Quilts and Furniture thereunto belonging (from my Household Furniture) to her servant Ann Thomas. Everything else, her Money Securities for Money Plate China Linen Household Furniture and all other my Personal Estate and Effects whatsoever which I have any power to dispose of was equally divided between her daughters Margaret Campion and Mary Richardson, and her granddaughter Martha Atty. She signs the will with a very shaky hand, and it is witnessed by Robt Ruston and John Marwood. When probate was granted her effects were valued at under £800 [equivalent to about £40,000 in modern values].

Martha died in at the age of 98[7]. She was buried beside her husband John at Whitby Parish Church on 22 November 1811.