| Description | Papers in this collection consist mainly of letters from James Martineau to his sister Harriet Martineau, 1820-1839.
There are also a few letters between other members of the Martineau family, 1833-1908, including from James Martineau to his mother [Elizabeth Martineau née Rankin]; correspondence from Ellen Martineau to Harriet Martineau and G. R. Porte; David Martineau to Ernest Martineau; and Clara Martineau to her brother Ernest Martineau.
There are also a small number of financial papers, 1894-1902, relating to the Martineau family and businesses, and that of Nettlefolds Limited.
Most of the correspondence from James to Harriet is written in the style of a ‘crossed letter’. A technique also called cross-hatching or cross-writing. This is where a manuscript letter was written first in the regular way, and then the paper is turned, and the writing continues over the other text at right-angles. This was done mostly during the early days of the postal system in the 19th century to save on expensive postage charges, and to save paper. |
| Administrative History | James Martineau (1805-1900):
James was the seventh child and youngest son of Thomas Martineau and Elizabeth Rankin. James Martineau, philosopher and theologian, is best remembered for his views on religion based on reason and conscience. He wrote many books, perhaps the best well known is 'The Seat of Authority in Religion'. He was first apprenticed as an engineer but soon decided to train for the Unitarian ministry and entered Manchester College which was then at York. As a qualified Unitarian minister he started his ministry in Dublin, 1828. James married Helen Higginson in December 1828.
In the summer of 1832, James moved from Dublin to Liverpool where he was a great success. He was at one time President of the Philosophical Society and took a full part in Liverpool’s social life. He joined the staff of Manchester College in 1840, at the time of its return to Manchester. James was involved with Unitarian affairs nationally, e.g. the passage of the Dissenters’ Chapels Act, the opening of the universities to dissenters without doctrinal tests, and the decision to move Manchester College to London (associated with University College London) where in due course he became principal (1869-85) and president in 1887. James Martineau died at the age of 95 in January 1900.
(Information from the Martineau Society, website correct 2025: https://martineausociety.co.uk/the-martineaus/james-martineau/).
Harriet Martineau (1802-1876):
Harriet Martineau was a political economist, author, journalist, social commentator and leading feminist intellectual. She published widely and her publications included popular works on economics, several novels, and various children's stories. She was also a regular contributor to and editorial writer for the 'Daily News' and 'Edinburgh Review'.
She was born in Norwich in 1802, the sixth child of Thomas Martineau and Elizabeth Rankin. Harriet began her literary career at an early age and her first article on 'Female Writers on Practical Divinity' appeared in the Unitarian periodical, 'The Monthly Repository' in 1821. Her first major successful work was 'Illustrations of Political Economy' (1832-34), followed by 'Poor Law and Paupers Illustrated' (1833), and 'Illustrations of Taxation' (1834). She visited America between 1834 and 1836 and on her return wrote 'Society in America' (1837) and 'Retrospect of Western Travel' (1838). She continued to travel, visiting Italy, Egypt, and Palestine, after which she published 'Eastern Life' (1848). Later publications included 'History of England during the Thirty Years' Peace' (1849) and a translation of Comte's 'Philosophie Positive' (1853). She lived initially in London then moved to Tynemouth near Newcastle to be near her brother. She spent four years there during a period of ill-health but from the 1840s lived at Ambleside in the Lake District in a house she designed herself.
Harriet Martineau was an exceptional correspondent throughout her life and exchanged letters not just with publishers but also with political, literary, and other prominent individuals of the time. She suffered from ill-health for many years and was also profoundly deaf. During her later life she was cared for by her nieces, most notably Maria Martineau, 1827-1864, daughter of Robert Martineau and Jane (nee Smith). |