The most recent study of the origin of the Massachusetts Lakin family is the 1995 paper of Richardson34 which supersedes all previous work, including the 1909 paper of Manning21 (which remains useful for the later descendant generations). This William Lakin, father of William and John Lakin who settled at Groton, Massachusetts, died in England in 1633; Richardson transcribes his will in its entirety.159 “William Lakin’s widow, Mary, married second in St. Nicholas, Nottingham, on 22 July 1637, William Martin, husbandman, of Bradmore in the neighboring parish of Bunney, Nottinghamshire. The bondsman for the marriage license was Richard Plant if St. Nicholas parish in the city of Nottingham; his connection to the Lakin or Martin families, if any, is unknown. (Orig. marriage bond on file with the Dept. of Manuscripts and Special Collections, Univ. of Nottingham, Nottingham, England; pub. abstract cited above.)

“About 1644, William and Mary Martin and her two Lakin children immigrated to New England. In that year, William Martin appeared as a proprietor at Reading, Massachusetts. He and his wife were admitted as members of the Reading church in 1648. In 1655, he and several other men successfully petitioned the General Court for the creation of the new town of Groton. That same year, he was named one of the first selectmen of Groton by the General Court; and soon afterwards, he became one of the first inhabitants there. (Caleb Butler, History of the Town of Groton [Boston, 1858], hereafter Groton Hist., 9-14.) His wife, Mary, died at Groton on 14 August 1669 (VR, 2: 244). He died there on 26 March 1672, aged about 76 years (VR, 2: 244).”37

For further details of the life of William Martin see the entries for his wife Mary (_____) Lakin, and her first husband, William Lakin.