IS 12.] Account of the late Mr, William Martin^ F, L, S, 557 
Jar attention to the education of her son, 
always taking care to send him to the 
best schools, which her itinerant rrtode 
of life and her straightened circum¬ 
stances would permit^ and anxiously en¬ 
deavouring to prevent his forming any 
improper acquaintance. Mrs. M., hav¬ 
ing been a performer during a period of 
more than 26 years, retired from the 
stage in the year 179f. She was never 
separated from her son till the time of 
his death, and is now living with his 
w'idow and children at Macclesfield, in a 
very infirm state, at the advanced age 
of 65. 
Young Llartin, in his childhood, made 
the best possible return to his excellent 
mother for lier unwearied care and at¬ 
tention, by manifesting a most amiable 
and affectionate disposition, and by 
shewing a great fondness for learning, in 
which he made a progress, at least, equal 
to the advantages he possessed. The 
necessitous circumstances of his mother 
left her no choice as to his destiny. She 
was compelled to make him an actor; 
and, in order to obtain a small addition 
io her income, found it necessary to 
usher him upon the stage at a very early 
period of his life. 
When he was only five years old, he 
was frequently brought forward to sing 
upon the stage, accompanied by the 
German flute, and was always favoura¬ 
bly received by the audience. At eight 
years of age he was so far improved, 
that his performance excited the sur¬ 
prise, and procured him the applause, 
of all who saw him. At nine he deli¬ 
vered a lecture on hearts to several 
crowded audiences in the different rooms 
at Buxton. Soon afterwards he played 
the part of Trip, in the School for Scan¬ 
dal, at Denbigh, before several persons 
of distinction, who complimented him 
very highly on his promising abilities, 
and made him many presents, which 
proved a seasonable relief to his mo¬ 
ther. 
About this time he began to learn the 
Latin language, to which he applied very 
closely. And, in his leisure hours, he 
amused himself with drawii'.g and en¬ 
graving. In drawing he had not at 
first any master : but he received some 
instructions in engraving from a blind 
actor, wiio taughi him to engrave on 
pewter. From this time he occasionally 
raised a little money by engraving, at 
first on pewter vessels, and afterwards 
on elate, 
¥ 
The Buxton company, in which he 
and his mother now had engagements, 
besides travelling in Derbyshire, per¬ 
formed at different towns in Lancashire, 
Cheshire, Staffordshire, Notcingliam- 
shire, and Yorkshire, In the last-named 
county they played at Halifax, where he 
was introduced to the late Mr. James 
Bolton, eminently distinguished as an 
artist and a naturalist by his works on 
the] British Ferns, Furguses, and Song¬ 
birds. lliis happened when he was in 
his 12th year. Bolton then kept a 
writing-school at Stannary, near Hali¬ 
fax, and young Martin had the pleasure 
to become his pupil in penmanship. He 
also received his first lessons in drawing 
from the same master, who, by frequentr 
ly entering into conversation with his 
pupil about birds, a.nd other objects of 
natural history, inspired him with a taste 
and passion for this science, which he 
retained to the end of his life. With 
the information he then received on these 
subjects, he used to return from school 
delighted to his mother. He received 
many acts of kindness from Bolton, w'ho 
furnished him with books and drawings, 
and directed him in the choice of those 
books that he was to purchase for him¬ 
self. In penmanship our autlior has not 
done so much credit to his preceptor, as 
in drawing. His handwriting does not 
in the least resemble Mr. Bolton’s. It 
is extremely remarkable, perfectly unique 
indeed, and with difficulty legible, a cir¬ 
cumstance which occasioned him no 
small trouble and vexation in the printing 
of his works. 
To Bolton he remained extremely 
gratekil for the advantages and favours 
he had received, and always spoke of 
liiin as his greatest friend and benefac¬ 
tor. A regular correspondence was 
maintained betwixt them, till the death 
of his master, whose labours were, un¬ 
fortunately, often interrupted by long 
and dangerous indispositions. It has 
been ascertained, by an a[)plication tii 
Mrs. Bolton, that Mr. Martin’s letters 
to her late husband are in the possession 
of her daughter, who went to America 
about two years ago, with the view of 
residing there, and took the most valua¬ 
ble of her father’s papers along with her. 
There is every reason to believe these 
letters would afibrd ample materials for 
a biographical memoir; and, whilst it is 
to be regretted, that the letters in ques¬ 
tion cannot at present be consulted, it 
has fortunately happened, that several 
4 B 2 Qf 
