Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Martin, Henry
MARTIN or MARTYN, HENRY (d. 1721), essayist, was the eldest son of Edward Martyn of Upham, in the parish of Aldbourn, Wiltshire, and was brother of Edward Martyn, Gresham professor. He was a lawyer by profession, but in consequence of bad health was unable to attend the courts. He wrote a few papers in the 'Spectator.' No. 180 is undoubtedly his, and possibly Nos. 200 and 232. In No. 555 Steele acknowledges his indebtedness to him. He says that Martyn's name could hardly be mentioned in a list in which it would not deserve precedence; and in an ensuing list gives it precedence over Pope, Hughes, Carey, Tickell, Parnell, and Eusden (Spectator, ed. Chalmers, London, 1808, Preface, p. lix). In 1713 and 1714, during the controversy concerning the treaty of commerce made with France at the peace of Utrecht, when a number of leading merchants instituted a paper called 'The British Merchant, or Commerce Preserved,' to counteract the influence of Defoe's 'Mercator,' Martyn took a leading part in the enterprise, and it was in a great measure due to his papers in the 'British Merchant' that the treaty was ultimately rejected [see King, Charles, fl. 1721, and Moore, Arthur, fl. 1712]. As a reward he was made inspector-general of imports and exports of customs by the government. He died at Blackheath, 26 March 1721 (British Merchant, London, 1721, Preface, p. xiv).
His only son, Bendal Martyn (1700–1761), born in London 8 Jan. 1700, was admitted scholar of King's College, Cambridge, 3 Feb. 1718–19. He graduated as B.A. 1722, and M.A. 1726, and was made fellow of King's College 4 Feb. 1721-2. His name disappears from the list of fellows in 1754. He was entered of the Temple, but did not practise law, and obtained a place in the custom house, which he relinquished in 1738, when he was appointed by Sir Robert Walpole to the treasurership of excise. This office he retained till his death at Highgate in 1761. In 1740 be inherited a good estate from an aunt, and in 1753 was one of the esquires at the installation of Sir Edward Walpole as knight of the Bath. He was a learned and agreeable man, and an excellent musician. He wrote fourteen sonatas for the violin, which were published after his death.
[Hawkins's History of Music, bk. 18, ch. 170; Cooper's Memorials of Cambridge, i. 228; Harwood's Alumni Etonenses, p. 299; Ward's Lives of the Gresham Professors, pp. 333, 334.]
Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.195
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 279 | i | 15 | Martin, Henry: after 'Spectator' insert and the 'Guardian' |