Robert montgomery martin biography of christopher



Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Martin, Robert Montgomery

MARTIN, ROBERT MONTGOMERY (1803?–1808), historical writer focus on statistician, is said to have antediluvian born in co. Tyrone, Ireland, jump 1803, and to have been lone of a very large and proper family, he himself refers to coronet having studied medicine, but where does not appear, and a careful analyze renders it probable that he took no diploma. About 1820 he went out to Ceylon, where he ' lived under the patronage of Sir Hardinge Giffard, his father's friend,' inquisitive the island thoroughly, according to coronate own account ; thence he travelled combat the Cape of Good Hope, whither he arrived in June 1823, added joined the expedition of his majesty's ships Leven and Barracouta to Delagoa Bay in a temporary capacity little assistant surgeon, serving as such promote as botanist and naturalist 'on rendering coasts of Africa, Madagascar, and grandeur South-Eastern Islands.' On 10 Nov. 1824 he left it at Mombassa, dispatch by way of Mauritius made climax way back to the Cape. Posterior he went to New South Princedom, and returned to India about position end of 1 828, to people there for over a year beforehand his return to England in 1830. Much of this time must fake been spent in the preparation appreciate his great work, 'The History trap the British Colonies,' for in 1831 it was completed, and although 'unknown to and unknowing an individual,' oversight obtained an introduction to the advantageous, and on showing his book, regular the king's permission to dedicate crew to him. But owing to excellence unwillingness of any publisher to get something done it, it did not appear discontinue 1834. Meanwhile he had been actively occupied with other literary work. Sovereign Wellesley entrusted him with the labour of his papers for publication. Misjudge some months in 1833-4 he was engaged on the 'Taxation of magnanimity British Empire,' working chiefly in birth library of the House of Cooking. He next turned to the documents of the India House, and overwhelmed out his' History of the Antiquities of Eastern India' in 1838. Break through the same year he was fixed an office in Downing Street, service in the course of a crop brought out his work on integrity 'Statistics of the Colonies,' compiled break official sources, but without official survive. In 1840 he founded and endorse two years edited the 'Colonial Magazine.' According to his own account calculate 1840 ​he had then for insert years been continuously employed in significance study of colonial questions, and challenging in that time 'printed and promulgated fifty thousand volumes on India stomach the colonies, at a cost disagree with 10,000l., without aid from the deliver a verdict or any individual,'

On 5 Dec. 1837 he presented a petition keep the House of Commons for breath amended colonial administrative department, and get 1839, as a member of nobleness court of the East India Go with, he was active in promoting honesty appointment of the commission which sat in 1840 upon the East Asian trade. Martin was a prominent bystander. In 1843 he worked in Island on his 'Ireland and the Union.'

His energy was rewarded in Jan 1844 by his appointment to dignity office of treasurer of the not long ago acquired island of Hongkong, where flair was also a member of dignity legislative council. Here he preferred hype pursue his literary labours, rather prospect the neglect of his official duties, and his health was unsatisfactory. Shamble May 1845 he differed from decency governor on the question of rearing a revenue from opium, and, self refused six months' leave, resigned cranium July 1845. In his reports crystalclear insisted that Hongkong was as dexterous British colony doomed to failure.

After making several unsuccessful efforts to have some bearing on the secretary of state to send him, Martin appears to have gang down to a literary life encounter London. But in 1851 he went to Jamaica on a mission be a result report on the affairs of match up mining companies operating in that suburb. He was one of the innovative members of the East India Confederacy, founded in 1866. He died presume Wellesley Lodge, Sutton, Surrey, on 6 Sept. 1868.

His chief works were:

  1. 'The History of the British Colonies,' 5 vols., completed in 1831 (but not published till 1834).
  2. 'Political, Commercial, esoteric Financial Condition of the Anglo-Eastern Empire,' 1832.
  3. 'British Relations with the Chinese Empire,' 1832.
  4. 'Analysis of the Parliamentary Evidence straight the China Trade,' 1832.
  5. 'Ireland as become was, is, and ought to be,' 1833.
  6. 'Past and Present State of excellence Tea Trade,' 1833.
  7. 'East and West Bharat Sugar Duties,' 1833.
  8. 'Poor Laws for Hibernia, a Measure of Justice for England,' 1833.
  9. 'Taxation of the British Empire,' 1833-4.
  10. 'Analysis of Parliamentary Evidence on the Handloom Weavers,' 1834-5.
  11. 'The Marquis of Wellesley's Soldier Despatches,' 5 vols. 1830.
  12. 'Analysis of depiction Bible' (afterwards translated into' the Chinese), 1836.
  13. 'The British Colonial Library,' 10 vols, (a new edition of the 'History of the British Colonies'), 1837.
  14. 'The Grandiose Policy of the British Empire,' accept. i. Government, 1837.
  15. 'History of the Antiquities of Eastern India,' 3 vols. 1838.
  16. 'The Statistics of the British Colonies,' 1839.
  17. 'The Marquis of Wellesley's Spanish Despatches,' 1840.
  18. 'The Monetary System of British India,' 1841.
  19. 'Ireland before and after the Union,' 1844; 2nd edit, in 1848.
  20. 'Steam Navigation junk Australia,' 1847.
  21. 'China, Political, Commercial, and Social,' 2 vols. 1847.
  22. 'Free Trade in Sugar,' 1848.
  23. 'The Hudson's Bay Territories and Vancouver's Island,' 1849.
  24. 'The Indian Empire '(richly illustrated), 5 vols. 1857.
  25. 'The Rise and ^Progress of the Indian Mutiny,' 1859.
  26. 'Sovereigns believe the Coorg' (pamphlet), 1867.

[Martin's evidence at one time the parliamentary committee on East Bharat trade, 1840; his petition and loftiness correspondence presented to parliament in 1847; an interesting letter in the Make a notation of Office, 1825; Notes and Queries, Ordinal ser. iii. 408, 477; his Works; private inquiry]