The following bio is by Terry Martin, a descendant of Watsons, researcher of the Hillman and connected families, 2024:

Martha Watson Porter was the only within-wedlock daughter of Dr. Thomas Tennessee Watson and his wife, Martha Sanders. However, her father had two known children each by two other women. Our Martha received the bulk of her father's inheritance, but in his will, if his other children would have their surnames changed to Watson, they, too, would receive a sizeable inheritance. In any event, our Martha had four half-siblings: Thomas T. and Jane Holder (possibly Holden) by way of a mother named Nancy Holder (or Holden), and John T. and Lucy Mira (or Mina) Bradley, by way of a mother named Lucy Mira (or Mina) Bradley. By an act of the Kentucky state legislature, their surnames were changed to Watson.

Martha's mother died just days after her birth.

Martha was the first wife of Alexander James Porter. They married in Lebanon, Wilson County, TN on June 1, 1847. They had three children. The first, Sallie Ann Porter, was born March 14, 1848 but lived only a year and died on July 14, 1849. Their son, James Alexander Porter (see his link on this page), drowned in the Cumberland River while trying to save other friends from drowning. Their last child, Mary Amanda "Mannie" Porter, was born on January 14, 1851. This daughter grew to adulthood and married Joseph Webster Allison (actually her stepmother's younger brother) on June 12, 1872. They had 4 known children. Mary Amanda "Mannie" Porter Allison died on December 14, 1922.

Martha died quite young, only 30 years old, on June 7, 1860. Alexander married secondly to Rebecca Greer Allison on June 5, 1867 and had several more children.

In Nashville lore, Martha is known as the Gray Lady or Gray Ghost of Riverwood Mansion, though the home was called Tammany Wood in her day.