Sarah Martin (1791 – 15 October 1843) was a prison visitor and philanthropist. She was born at
Great Yarmouth
Great Yarmouth ( ), often called Yarmouth, is a seaside resort, seaside town which gives its name to the wider Borough of Great Yarmouth in Norfolk, England; it straddles the River Yare and is located east of Norwich. Its fishing industry, m ...
; and lived in nearby
Caister
Caister-on-Sea, also known colloquially as Caister, is a large village, seaside resort and civil parish in the English county of Norfolk.
Caister is located north of Great Yarmouth and east of Norwich.
History
Caister's history dates bac ...
. She earned her living by
dressmaking
A dressmaker, also known as a seamstress, is a person who makes clothing for women, such as dresses, blouses, and evening gowns. Dressmakers were historically known as mantua-makers, and are also known as a modiste or fabrician.
Notable dr ...
, and devoted much of her time amongst criminals in the
Tolhouse Gaol in Great Yarmouth.
Early life
Born in June 1791, her father was a local tradesman. Orphaned at an early age, she was raised by her grandmother, a glovemaker. At the age of fourteen, she was apprenticed to a dressmaker in Yarmouth. After a religious conversion at the age of nineteen, she began to teach Sunday school.
[Macaulay, James. "Sarah Martin, the Yarmouth Prison-Visitor", ''Queen Victoria and other excellent women'', London, The Religious Tract Society, 1904, p. 101]
/ref>
After this she began to provide comfort for those in the workhouse infirmary. Every Monday for seven years, she provided educational instruction to the workhouse children. Eventually a schoolroom was constructed in the yard. In 1838, when a new workhouse was built, a master and schoolmistress were appointed a regular provision made for instruction. She then directed her attention to teaching factory girls at the chancel of St. Nicholas Church.[
]
Prison visits
She took an interest in the prisoners' welfare and began visiting the gaol in 1818.[ At first she read the bible to prisoners, later she began to hold Sunday services to inspire the inmates to improve their lives. Martin offered practical help alongside spiritual advice and taught them how to read and write as well as make items like spoons and books, which they sold. The prisoners were able to develop a sense of purpose and pride, using their earnings to buy clothes.
]
Death and afterwards
After becoming very ill Sarah Martin died on 15 October 1843 and was buried at Holy Trinity, Caister-on-Sea.poem
Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...
s entitled ''Selections from the Poetical Remains of Miss S. Martin'' was published in 1845. Sarah Martin's monument can be found in Great Yarmouth Minster
The Minster Church of St Nicholas is the minster and parish church of the town of Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk, England. It was built during the Norman era and is England's third largest parish church, behind Beverley Minster in East Yorkshir ...
. Sarah Martin's name is on the Reformers’ Monument, in Kensal Green Cemetery
Kensal Green Cemetery is a cemetery in the Kensal Green area of North Kensington in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in London, England. Inspired by Père Lachaise Cemetery in P ...
.
References
External links
*Henry Gardiner Adams (ed
MARTIN, SARAH
''A cyclopaedia of female biography'' 1857. pp. 515–522
{{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Sarah
1791 births
1843 deaths
People from Great Yarmouth
British women poets
19th-century British poets
19th-century British women writers
19th-century British writers
People from Caister-on-Sea
19th-century British philanthropists