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James Henry Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

James Henry Martin (1835 – 21 November 1909) was a British shipowner and entrepreneur. He founded Killick Martin & Company with James Killick.

James Henry Martin
Born1835 (1835)
Died21 November 1909(1909-11-21) (aged 73–74)
Hastings, United Kingdom
Occupation(s)Shipowner and Entrepreneur

Biography

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Early life

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James Henry Martin was born in Middlesex in 1835.[1]

His father James Martin was born in Gillingham, Kent in 1799 and during the 1870s and 1880s, he was Joint Principle Surveyor of Lloyds Register.[1]

Prior to 1861, James Henry Martin worked for Phillips, Shaw & Lowther, owners of the clipper ships like Ariel and Titania. During his period with the partnership, James Henry Martin concentrated on the running of the office and securing of cargo.[1] In 1885, he changed its name to Shaw, Lowther and Maxton, when Peter Maxton, former captain, joined the partnership. Incidentally, Maxton was friends with Captain James Killick and captained two ships, 'The Lord of the Isles' and 'Falcon' the same time Captain Killick was master of ‘Challenger’ in the tea trade from China.[1]

Killick Martin, Killick Martin & Company

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On 1 March 1861, James Henry Martin along with Captain James Killick founded the partnership Kilick Martin.[1] The original 'Notice of Opening a Partnership' stated that it commenced business as ‘Ship and Insurance Brokers’.[2] The company went on to be known as Killick Martin & Company from 2 March 1862 when David William Richie became a partner.[3] David William Ritchie's father was the Joint Principle Surveyor, Joseph Horatio Ritchie alongside James Martin. The two partners in Killick Martin & Company originally would have become acquainted via their fathers.[citation needed]

Killick Martin & Company went on to own and operate twenty ships between 1862 and 1879. These included the likes of Challenger, Wylo, Lothair and Kaisow.[1][4][5]

The company has constantly evolved and continues to trade to this day.[6]

James Henry Martin married Louisa Barber Smith on 10 June 1871 in St. Mary's Church Lewisham and went on to have three children: James Henry Martin (born 1874), Alfred Scott Martin (born 1876) and Louisa M Martin (born 1884).[citation needed]

James Henry Martin retired from the business during the mid-1880s due to a psychotic breakdown; Walter Johnson had the task of taking him to a mental home in Scotland.[citation needed]

Whilst the extent of James Henry Martin's illness is unknown, he is listed in the 1891 English census living with his children in Lewisham, London. His wife died on 5 June 1894.[citation needed]

James Henry Martin died on 21 November 1909 in Hastings, Sussex.[citation needed]

Legacy

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House flag of Killick Martin & Company

Killick Martin's House Flag is held within the National Maritime Museum,[7] and a Builder's model of Lothair in the Hong Kong Museum of History.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f MacGregor, David R. (David Roy) (1986). The China bird : the history of Captain Killick, and the firm he founded, Killick Martin & Company (2nd rev. ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-381-8. OCLC 15024735.
  2. ^ Tyco99 (21 April 2020), English: Killick Martin partnership certificate, retrieved 22 April 2020{{citation}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "THE LONDON GAZETTE, 13 NOVEMBER, 1953" (PDF).
  4. ^ Lubbock, Basil, 1876-1944. (1984). The China clippers. London: Century. ISBN 0-7126-0341-7. OCLC 60012071.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  5. ^ MacGregor, David R. (David Roy) (1983). The tea clippers : their history and development, 1833-1875 (2nd ed., rev. and expanded ed.). London: Conway Maritime Press. ISBN 0-85177-256-0. OCLC 9997008.
  6. ^ "Killick Martin website".
  7. ^ "House flag, Martin Killick & Co - National Maritime Museum".

Further reading

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  • The China Clippers by Basil Lubbock 1914.
  • The Tea Clippers 1833-1875 by David MacGregor (1983 enlarged and revised) ISBN 0 85177 256 0
  • Clipper Ships by David MacGregor (1979) ISBN 0852426186
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