The Throgmartin Clan
So Where did this name Throgmartin come from ? It's actually English and comes from Warwickshire, England. The name Throgmartin has went through several translations but it all stems from French immigrants who came to Alcester, Warwickshire, England and called this new country their home. The very first Throgmartin was actually Throgmorton. That name changed to Throckmorton which stayed the same throughout the 1500's and 1600's. In the 1700's when the family immigrated to the USA they came under the name Throckmorton but the name went through several changes. First settled in Williamsburg, VA the family scattered from there and headed further South. Some ended up in Tennessee, some in Illinois and others in Arkansas and as far South as Texas. Its safe to say that all these family members were from the same lineage, the only difference was in the way they spelled their names.
I once seen a Federal Government paper that was signed by my Grandfather ( after being released from jail for bootlegging ) and he signed his name William Throgmorton. Yet other papers indicated his signature as Throgmartin. Allot of the name changes also came at the hands of the Government itself. Census takers who may have not been familiar with their accent mistook certain letters for another. So Throckmorton would end up being butchered by the census takers and come out as Throgmorton.
A long line of Throgmartin's has been traced to Arkansas which is where my grandparents came from. My Grandfather, William A Throgmartin married Sarah Elizabeth Stone in the early 1900's. My grandfather was 16 and my grandmother was 14. We have to remember that life expectancy was short back then and as a matter of fact allot of Throgmartin's were lost to Yellow fever back in this time period. People got married at young ages back then. It was common. They began their family soon after their marriage and the first born was my Uncle Raleigh, who was named after the famous family member in England Sir Walter Raleigh. Next in line was my Aunt Dortha, then my Uncle Georgie, whose legal name was really William A the III, next up was my Aunt Imogene and then of course my father Lindy. He received his name because Charles ( Lucky Lindy ) Lindbergh had just completed his famous flight to Paris. In all a total of 5 kids were born.
My Grandfather and Grandmother were both farmers and my Great Grandparents the Stones owned a large farm where slaves worked their property for years along with my Great Aunts and Uncles. My Grandfather though had a hidden talent that made him extra money and that was bootlegging. He made some amazing high quality whiskey to help bring in extra money for the family. In the early 20's, my Grandparents packed up their family and headed to Flint, Michigan where my Grandfather picked up his trade again, bootlegging. When prohibition hit he found a ready market and sent most of his Whiskey to Chicago where Al Capone used it in his illegal night clubs. Some of it also found its way to Detroit where the ruthless and bloody " Purple Gang " bought it for their blind pigs ( night clubs ). It wasn't long and my grandfather had a large operation going in the country at his farm in Shiawassee County. It also wasn't long before his massive operation caught the attention of the Federal Government and his still was busted. A newspaper article later revealed that it was the largest still ever found in Michigan and one of the most modern, complete with all copper piping. My grandfather served one year and on his return to freedom moved the family to Lansing, Michigan where he went to work as a legitimate Auto Worker at Oldsmobile.
When my Father hit his adult years, he found he had an amazing talent of his own, cards and billiards. My Grandfather, always a gambler hit the road with my Dad and the two branched out as far as Ohio and Indiana to play pool or get into poker games at illegal night clubs. My Father moved around the State quite a bit playing pool as his reputation prevented him from getting any local games. I myself have seen him " run the table " on people. In a grudge match when I was 12 my father ( who had long gave up gambling and pool playing ) agreed to a 10 game match against a big mouth who repeatedly taunted my Dad with the words " ahhhh your not that good ". Finally to shut him up my father agreed to play him in a 10 match shoot out at the Golden 8 ball on Michigan Ave, in Lansing. My Dad broke the first set of balls and then ran the table on him in 9 straight games. The guy paid him his money and never spoke to my father again. In my adult years I ran across people who would say " Your Dad was one of the very best ".
Of the 5 Throgmartin kids, Raleigh, Dortha and of course my Father settled in Lansing. My Uncle Georgie moved to California for a brief time then came back and settled in Kalamazoo. My Aunt Imogene moved to Elkhart, IN and lived their till her later years when she moved back to Michigan. The Throgmartin family was very close, and with my Grandfather, the Patriarch of the family being adamant on Sunday family dinners and gatherings he kept the family close throughout his lifetime as well as the kids lifetimes. At one time I can remember when we lived on Magnolia St. in Lansing. Just down the street 7 doors was my Grandparents, and around the corner my Uncle Raleigh and Aunt Kay lived. We seemed to always get together for dinners or gatherings and birthdays and anniversaries were big celebrations. Holidays were also big blow outs with huge feasts. My Grandfather never allowed any strife in the family and if one or two kids had a feud, they better get over it quick before my Grandfather found out and settled their differences. It was the way my Grandfather ran the Throgmartin Clan and he accepted nothing less from his kids or grandkids.
This same philosophy was passed down by my Dad to me and my siblings and was also found throughout the entire Throgmartin family. Today, I still practice the same laws a laid down by my Grandfather and father and their words will never leave my mind.
The Throgmartin Clan
Photos from the Past
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Friends are always outside your family nucleus. Your family are the ones you should always be able to count on. Keep your friends close to you but your family closer and within your hearts.