Frederick Martin (1830–1883) was a British writer of Swiss-German background, known as the editor of ''

The Statesman's Year Book ''The Statesman's Yearbook'' is a one-volume reference book published annually since 1864 providing information on the countries of the world. It is published by Palgrave Macmillan. History In the middle of the nineteenth century, the British Pr ...

''.

Life

Born at

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

, Switzerland, on 19 November 1830, Martin was educated at

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

. He settled in England at an early age. For some years after 1856 he was secretary and amanuensis to

Thomas Carlyle Thomas Carlyle (4 December 17955 February 1881) was a Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher. A leading writer of the Victorian era, he exerted a profound influence on 19th-century art, literature and philosophy. Born in Ecclefechan, ...

, whom he helped in historical researches. In 1879

Lord Beaconsfield Benjamin Disraeli, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield, (21 December 1804 – 19 April 1881) was a British statesman and Conservative politician who twice served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. He played a central role in the creation ...

, who found ''The Statesman's Year-Book'' useful, awarded Martin a pension of £100 a year. He died on 27 January 1883 at his house in Lady Margaret Road, in north-west London, leaving a widow and family.

Works

Martin started a short-lived biographical magazine called ''The Statesman'', in which he began an account of Carlyle's early life. Carlyle objected, so Martin closed it down. He inaugurated ''The Statesman's Year-Book'' in 1864. He continued to supervise it till December 1882, when he was compelled by ill-health to give it up, and it was taken over by

John Scott Keltie Sir John Scott Keltie (29 March 1840 – 12 January 1927) was a Scottish geographer, best known for his work with the Royal Geographical Society. History Keltie was born in Dundee and attended school in Perth. He matriculated at the Univers ...

. Martin's other works included: * ''The Life of John Clare'', London, 1866. * ''Stories of Banks and Bankers'', London, 1866. * ''Commercial Handbook of France'', London, 1867. * ''The Story of Alec Drummond of the 17th Lancers'', 3 vols. London, 1869. * ''Handbook of Contemporary Biography'', London, 1870. * ''The History of Lloyd's and of Marine Insurance in Great Britain'', London, 1876. * ''The Property and Revenues of the English Church Establishment'',' London, 1877. Martin contributed a memoir of

Thomas Chatterton Thomas Chatterton (20 November 1752 – 24 August 1770) was an English poet whose precocious talents ended in suicide at age 17. He was an influence on Romantic artists of the period such as Shelley, Keats, Wordsworth and Coleridge. Althou ...

, prefixed to an edition of the latter's ''Poems'' (1865); superintended a new edition of John Ramsay MacCulloch's ''Geographical Dictionary'' (1866); and revised the fifth edition of

George Henry Townsend George Henry Townsend (15 January 1787 – 23 February 1869) was an English literary compiler and journalist, who wrote several books that are of value in a study of his period. Townsend was born in Bermondsey, Surrey, England to John and Cordelia ...

's ''Manual of Dates'' (1877). He wrote for various newspapers, and was an occasional contributor to the '' Athenæum''. He contributed to the second volume of ''The National History of England'' (1873, 4 vols.)

Notes

;Attribution

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Frederick 1830 births 1883 deaths Burials at Highgate Cemetery British magazine editors Swiss emigrants to the United Kingdom 19th-century British journalists English male journalists 19th-century English male writers Amanuenses