Matthew Martin (merchant) facts for kids

Matthew Martin (1748–1838) was an important English merchant. He was also known as a naturalist, someone who studies nature, and a philanthropist, meaning he worked to help others.

Early Life and Interests

Matthew Martin was born in Somerset, England, in 1748. He worked as a merchant in the city of Exeter.

He was very interested in science and nature. He became a member of the Bath Philosophical Society. In 1794, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is a special honor for scientists and thinkers.

Later, Matthew Martin worked as a secretary for a group dealing with claims from Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). He then lived in Westminster, near a famous area called Poets' Corner.

Helping Others

Matthew Martin cared deeply about people in need. In January 1805, he helped start the Bath Society for the Investigation and Relief of Occasional Distress. This group aimed to find and help people who were struggling.

Matthew Martin passed away in Blackheath on November 20, 1838. He was 90 years old. His wife had died earlier, in 1827, at the age of 73.

His Writings and Research

Matthew Martin wrote books about nature. In 1785, he published The Aurelian's Vade-mecum. This book was a guide for people who studied butterflies, hawkmoths, and moths. It listed plants that their caterpillars liked to eat. In 1786, he also published Observations on Marine Vermes, Insects, &c., which was about sea creatures and insects.

Helping the Poor

Around 1796, Matthew Martin started looking into the lives of beggars in London. He joined a group called the Society for Bettering the Condition and Increasing the Comforts of the Poor. For a time, he worked as their secretary.

He set up a special office called the Mendicity Enquiry Office. In just seven months, this office interviewed 2,000 adults and 3,000 children. Most of the adults were women.

Matthew Martin wanted to understand why people begged in London. In 1800, he received £1,000 from the government to help with his research. His report, called Letter to Lord Pelham on the State of Mendicity in the Metropolis, came out in 1803. It was re-released in 1811.

He believed there were about 15,000 beggars in London, including children. He also thought that workhouses, which were places for poor people to live and work, sometimes made begging worse.

In 1812, Matthew Martin continued his research. He received more government money and donations from people. He published An Appeal to Public benevolence for the Relief of Beggars that year. In 1815, a special committee in Parliament heard a report based on 4,500 cases of begging that he had studied.