Sir Henry Martin, 2nd Baronet facts for kids

Sir Henry William Martin, 2nd Baronet (born December 20, 1768 – died February 3, 1842) was an English gentleman who enjoyed playing cricket. He was also known for his travels and his detailed journal about them.

Sir Henry was born in Bishopstown, County Cork, Ireland. He was the oldest son of Henry Martin, who was an officer in the navy. His younger brother, Thomas Byam Martin, also became a naval officer.

Cricket Player

Sir Henry was an amateur cricketer. This means he played for fun, not as a job. He played in 7 important cricket matches, known as first-class cricket, between 1797 and 1813. He also played in many other significant games.

His name was often spelled "Marten" in old cricket records. Sir Henry mostly played for teams from Surrey. He was also a member of the famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in London. Sir Henry passed away on February 3, 1842, at his home in Upper Harley Street, London.

Travels to the West Indies

Sir Henry's family had lived in places like Antigua and Montserrat for a long time. He wrote a 271-page book called Travel journal of Sir H. W. Martin. This journal is kept in the British Library's collection of old writings. You can even see many pages of it online.

His Travel Journal

This journal is a very detailed record of Sir Henry's trip to the West Indies between 1836 and 1837. He wrote about everything he saw and did. For example, he wrote about leaving Piccadilly in London in December 1836. He noted how much the coach ticket cost and the exact time it took to reach Falmouth.

He traveled with his family and a servant on a ship called the Mutine. On board, there were also miners going to Cuba. Sir Henry wrote down the ship's location every day. He also described what happened during the journey.

They arrived in the West Indies in February. His journal then describes the places he visited. He wrote about the land and the way people lived. For instance, he mentioned the shops in Martinique. He said they were so good they could be in Paris. He also described a hotel run by a woman named Parker. He noted she was very smart and well-known. This journal gives us a great look into life in the early 1800s.

Sir Henry owned sugar farms in Antigua. In the 1830s, the British government ended slavery. This brought big changes to how these farms operated.

External Sources

• CricketArchive profile