by Snyder E. Roberts

Muddy Creek Methodist Church was one of the first churches established in Roane County. The history of the church (now Martel Methodist Church near Lenoir City) is closely interwoven with the record of the Rev. John Winton family.

The October 1974 issue of the Roane County Historical Society Bulletin contained excerpts from Alya Dean Irwin’s well-researched book, Fuqua, on the background of the Rev. John Winton family. William and Betsey Winton and James and Arabella (Goode) Cunningham came from Ireland about 1769 to PA, and they later settled in Rockingham and Shenandoah counties, VA.

In 1784 William’s son, John Winton married Arabella, the daughter of Rev. War soldier, James Cunningham. Shortly after 1785, the Wintons and Cunninghams migrated to Taylor’s Bend on the French Broad River where a Methodist Church was established—later known as Pine Chapel. Arabella was of the Methodist faith, and according to the Journal of Bishop Francis Asbury, during John Winton’s stay in Jefferson County, he “embraced the Methodist faith and became a local preacher.”

John and Arabella Winton moved to Roane County, TN, in 1795 (then Knox County) where, over a period of time, John acquired several thousand acres of land in Roane, Anderson, Rhea, McMinn, Coffee and Overton counties. The center of his holdings was at Muddy Creek (Martel community). Here John and Arabella built their first home, established a “campground” for revival meetings, and a “meeting house.”

John’s name first appears in Roane records in 1802 as a member of Capt. Thomas Coulter’s Militia company.

The Martel Methodist Church has compiled a booklet on the Church’s remarkable history. It shows that Rev. John Winton was ordained a Deacon on 30 October 1800 by Bishop Francis Asbury, Bishop Whatcoat, and Bishop McKendree.

The Rev. John Winton Family

Rev. John Winton (11-8-1761—8-2-1846) married (1784) Arabella Cunningham (5-18-1763—1839) and had the following children:

• William (1785—1869) married Mary Mitchell (1793-1881) and later went to Springfield, MO
• James A. (1789-1849) married Rhonda Mitchell (1795-1886)
• Mary (1789-1839) married John Montgomery (1784-1860)
• Jane (1791-1814)
• Job (1794-1814)
• George (1796-1839) lived in Anderson County
• Charlotte (1798-1814)
• John W. (1800-1867)
• Elizabeth (1802-1877) married William Montgomery (1788-1840) and lived in Sevier County
• Robert (1803-1875) married Susannah Fuqua Jackson (1814-1898) later to Springfield, MO
• Jesse (1804-1828)
• Nancy (1806-1878) married Samuel Johnson
• Dolly (1807-1872) married Rev. John Grant

Rev. John, Arabella, and several of their children are buried in the Martel Methodist Church Cemetery.

Misc. Note:
Roane County Deed Book A, p 73, 26 Aug 1802, James Winton sold to Robert Allison, for $1241, 320 acres on NE side of Muddy Creek, near Thomas Eldridge‘s spring, also corner with Abraham Goodpasture. Wit. Isham Cox, John Browder.

December, 2025, additions: 

More details about Rev. John Winton’s family are in the FamilySearch Tree.  Click here to view.

Significant details about Rev. John Winton’s family are in his WikiTree profile.  Click here to view.