William Martin (Athelhampton) facts for kids

Sir William Martin was an important person who lived a long time ago, from about 1446 to 1504. He was from a place called Athelhampton, which is near Dorchester, Dorset in England. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Dorset in 1478. This means he was chosen to represent his area in the country's government.

Sir William Martin is famous for building the Great Hall at Athelhampton House around 1485. He also got special permission to build a fence around 160 acres of land to create a deer park. Plus, he was allowed to make his home stronger, like a small castle, to protect it.

Early Life of William Martin

William Martin was born around the year 1446. His father was Thomas Martin, and his mother was Elizabeth Clevedon. He grew up in Athelhampton, where his family lived.

Sir William Martin's Family Life

Sir William Martin was married two times.

• His first wife was named Isolde or Isabel Farrington. They had a son together named Christopher Martin.
• Later, he married Christina or Christian Paulet. With her, he had another son named Richard Martin and a daughter named Elizabeth Martyn.
• His daughter, Elizabeth Martyn, later married a man named John Carew.

Where He Was Buried

Sir William Martin passed away in 1504. He was buried at a church nearby called St Mary the Virgin in Puddletown. You can still see statues there that look like him and his family. These statues help us remember what important people looked like long ago.

Not to Be Confused

Sometimes, people have mixed up Sir William Martin with another person who had a very similar name, Sir William Martyn. That other Sir William Martyn was the Lord Mayor of London around the same time. But they were two different people!