Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Martin, William (1807-1880)
MARTIN, Sir WILLIAM (1807–1880), scholar and first chief justice of New Zealand, son of Henry Martin, was born at Birmingham in 1807. He was educated at King Edward VI's School, Birmingham, and in 1826 went up to St. John's College, Cambridge, whence in 1829 he graduated as twenty-sixth wrangler and fourth classic, and took the second chancellor's medal. In 1831 he was elected a fellow of the college, in 1832 proceeded M.A., and in 1836 was called to the bar, resigning his fellowship in 1838. At college he had been a great friend of Selwvn, at whose instance in 1841 he accepted the office of chief justice of New Zealand. There he joined the bishop in a determined advocacy of the rights of the - natives ; but he acted with such discretion that no allegation of partiality was made against him by the British settlers. In 1847, when Lord Grey's instructions for the new constitution were received, he warmly supported Selwyn's protest against certain clauses as implying a breach of faith with the Maoris. He gave invaluable aid in the preparation of the early legislation of the colony, and helped the bishop, who always leaned on his advice, to frame a scheme of government for the colonial church. His health was always weak, and in August 1855 he returned to Europe on leave. After passing the winter of 1856-7 in Italy he resigned his office in June 1857. In 1858 the university of Oxford conferred on him the honorary degree of D.C.L., and the New Zealand government granted him a pension by special net. Three years later he was knighted. In 1859 he had returned to the colony, and settled at Auckland. In 1860 he declined, on the score of health, a seat on the new council for native affairs, but he did not relax his interest in native questions, and did his utmost to prevent the Maori war of 1861. His pamphlet in that year on 'the Taranaki Question' was admitted by his chief opponents to be 'the fullest and calmest exposition of the views of the friends of the Maoris.' Later he protested against the Native Settlement Acts of 1865, and issued his 'Notes on the best Method of working the Native Lands Acts.' In 1871 he helped Sir Donald Maclean [q. v.] to draft his Native Lands Bill. Having returned to England, he died at Torquay on 8 Nov. 1880. He married in 1841 Mary, daughter of the Rev. W. Parker, prebendary of St. Paul's.
Martin was admitted even by Herman Merivale, then under-secretary of state, to be 'a very remarkable man.' As a judge he was 'patient, just, sagacious, and firm,' and the governor, on his retirement in 1857, spoke in eulogistic terms of his great influence over both Europeans and natives.
Martin was an able linguist, well versed in Hebrew and Arabic and the Melanesian and Polynesian dialects, and in 1876-8 published in two vols. 'Inquiries concerning the Structure of the Semitic Languages,'
[Official records; Mennell's Dict. Austr. Biog.; Rusden's Hist. of New Zealand; Gisborne's Statesmen and Public Men of New Zealand.]