Theodore Martin

For the United States Army general, seeTheodore D. Martin.

Sir Theodore Martin KCBKCVO
Sir Theodore Martin, 1816 - 1909. Lawyer and writer,byReginald Cholmondeley
Born	(1816-09-16)16 September 1816
Died	18 August 1909(1909-08-18)(aged 92)
Nationality	Scottish
Alma mater	University of Edinburgh
Spouse	Helena Faucit ​ ​ (m.1851; died 1898)​

Sir Theodore MartinKCBKCVO(16 September 1816 – 18 August 1909) was a Scottish poet, biographer, and translator.

Biography

Martin was born inEdinburgh,the only son of Mary, the daughter of James Reid, a shipowner fromFraserburghand James Martin, a solicitor. He was educated at theRoyal High Schooland attended theUniversity of Edinburghfrom 1830-1833.He practised as a solicitor in Edinburgh 1840–45, after which he went to London and became head of the firm of Martin and Leslie,parliamentary agents.

His first contribution to literature was the humorousBon Gaultier Ballads,written along withW.E. Aytoun,which remained popular for a long time; originally contributed to a magazine, they appeared in book form in 1845.

Martin's translations includeDante'sVita Nuova,Oehlenschläger'sCorreggioandAladdin,Heinrich Heine'sPoems and Ballads,Friedrich Schiller'sWilhelm Tell,and Hertz'sKing René's Daughter.He also published a complete translation ofHoracewith aLife,and one ofCatullus.

He is probably best known for hisLife of the Prince Consort(1874–80), the writing of which was entrusted to him byQueen Victoria,a work which won him her lifelong friendship. He also wroteLivesof Professor Aytoun and Lord Lyndhurst.

Portrait byThomas Duncan,1826

In 1851 he marriedHelena Faucit,a well-known actress, and author of studies onShakespeare's Female Characters,whoseLifehe published in 1901. The couple lived for some time at Bryntysilio (The Hill of St. Tyssilio) which he bought in 1861, nearLlangollen,where in 1889 they were visited by the queen during her progress in Wales.

Funerary monument, Brompton Cemetery, London

Martin kept up his intellectual activity into old age, published in 1905 a translation of Leopardi's poems, andMonographs(1906). He was Lord Rector of theUniversity of St Andrewsin 1881, received an LLD from theUniversity of Edinburghin 1875, and Knight Commander of theOrder of the Bathin 1880.

He died in 1909 and is buried inBrompton Cemetery,London.

Sources

• This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain:Cousin, John William(1910). "Martin, Sir Theodore".A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature.London: J. M. Dent & Sons – viaWikisource.
• Chisholm, Hugh,ed. (1911)."Martin, Sir Theodore".Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
• Lee, Sidney,ed. (1912)."Martin, Theodore".Dictionary of National Biography(2nd supplement).Vol. 2. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
• Ward, A. W.; Basu, Sayoni."Martin, Sir Theodore (1816–1909)".Oxford Dictionary of National Biography(online ed.). Oxford University Press.doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/34906.(Subscription orUK public library membershiprequired.)

External links

• Works by Theodore MartinatProject Gutenberg
• Works by or about Theodore Martinat theInternet Archive
• Works by Theodore MartinatLibriVox(public domain audiobooks)