Biographies R
Martin J. Roark
Captain Martin J. Roark was born June 26, 1833, three miles north of Greenville, Ky. He is the ninth of twelve children (four boys and eight girls) born to William and Martha (Martin) Roark, natives of Virginia, and Fayette County, Ky., respectively, of Irish and Scotch descent. William Roark was a soldier in the war of 1812; was in the battle in which Tecumseh was killed; he was a son of William Roark, a farmer, and a native of Ireland. William married Mary Everly.
The mother of our subject was a daughter of Samuel and Martha McDonald [sic]. They were born in Scotland. The father of our subject came from North Carolina to Kentucky about 1800, and settled in central Kentucky; about 1818 he moved to Muhlenberg County.
Capt. Roark was reared on a farm until he was seventeen years old. He received a good education, and attended the State Normal School one year; commenced teaching at seventeen, and taught two years; then engaged as salesman for five years in Greenville; then attended school for one year; taught one year, and then sold goods until the breaking out of the war.
In October, 1861, he enlisted in Company K, Eleventh Kentucky Volunteer Infantry, Federal; was elected captain, P.B. Hawkins, colonel commanding; took part in the battle of Shiloh, in which he was wounded, three times; was at Stone River, and numerous skirmishes; was offered the lieutenant-colonelcy of another regiment, but refused to leave his company. He resigned in July, 1863, on account of disability, returned home and taught school one year; was made deputy provost marshal; in 1865, was elected representative of the county; in 1866, was admitted to the bar by Judges Thomas Petree and James A. Stuart, and has practiced ever since. He made the race for state treasurer in 1867, and for congress in the Second District in 1868, on the Republican ticket.
He was married May 6, 1858, to Nannie W. Davis, of Butler County, daughter of Capt. Benjamin and Margaret (Hill) Davis, natives of Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. Her father was a farmer and slave holder, and also representative of Butler county several terms.
Captain and Mrs. Roark are members of the Presbyterian Church; he is a member of the F. & A.M. and K. of H. They have one child, R.N. Roark.
Source: Battle, J.H., W.H. Perrin, and G.C. Kniffen. cite>Kentucky: A History of the State. Louisville, KY: F.A. Battey, 1885. Pages 920-921.
Updated July 9, 2018