1st wife of Nicholas Martiau

Martieau's French wife and children probably did not survive " the seasoning period ". Was she Elizabeth’s mother?

Nicholas immigrated to Virginia on 11 May 1620, bearing a power of attorney of Henry Hastings, Earl of Huntingdon. He was charged with the task of "two sorts of fortifications one for the induringe of assaults and Battery ... the other for chusinge and taking some place of advantage and there to make some Pallysadoes wch hee conceiveth the fittest, and for wh'ch this frenchman is sunguler good.". In other words, Martiau was to design fortifications to protect the settlement from Indian attack.

He appeared in the 1623 Elizabeth City muster as "Nicholas Martue, age 33 years." and the muster of January 1624-25, reveals that Nicholas Martiau came to the colony aboard the "Francis Bona Venture", a 240-ton ship.[11] He designed the tall wooden palisade which reached from the James River to the Charles (later York) River, enclosing Old Yorke Village. Besides those at Yorktown, he also designed fortifications at Fort Story; and at Old Point Comfort, and Fort Monroe.

Edward Beverley died in 1625, so Nicholas married Jane after then. In 1639 he obtained a patent for land at Yorktown due him on account of importing himself, Nicholas Marlier, wife Jane, Michlas, his son, Elizabeth Marlier, his daughter, and Jane Berkeley her daughter and several others "the first year to Chiskiack."