Martineau, HARRIET, born at Norwich, 12th June 1802, was the daughter of Thomas Martineau, a Norwich manufacturer. She received a good classical education, and worked diligently and conscientiously, but did not in her school-days show promise of anything remarkable. Increasing deafness and constant ill-health made her often anxious and unhappy as a girl, uncertain in temper, and silent in habit. Her first appearance in print was in 1821, when she wrote an article for the Monthly Repository, a religious periodical. In the next few years she wrote Devotional Exercises, articles for the Monthly Repository, and short stories about machinery and wages. In 1829 the failure of the house in which she, and her mother and sisters, had placed their money obliged her to earn her living. In 1830 she wrote Traditions of Palestine, and gained three prizes for three Theological Essays for the Unitarian Association. In 1831 she resolved to bring out a series of stories as Illustrations of Political Economy, knowing that the work was wanted. Notwithstanding repeated refusals and discouragements from publishers, she persevered in her plan, and in 1832 the first number appeared. A fortnight after publication the demand for this number reached five thousand, and from that day the way was open to her for life, and she never had any other anxiety about employment than what to choose, nor any real care about money. Her popularity was extraordinary during the appearance of Illustrations of Political Economy. She removed to London in 1832, the better to carry on her work. In 1834 she went to America for two years, and soon after her return published Society in America and a novel, Deerbrook, in 1839. She went abroad the same year, returned ill, and settled at Tynemouth, where she remained, a complete invalid, till 1844. During her illness she wrote The Hour and the
Man, four volumes of children's tales, and Life in the Sick-room. She recovered through mesmerism, left Tynemouth, and fixed her abode in the Lake Country, where in 1845 she built herself a house in Ambleside. The same year she published Forest and Game-law Tales. In 1846 she visited Egypt and Palestine, and on her return issued Eastern Life. In 1849 she completed Knight's History of the Thirty Years' Peace; in 1851, in conjunction with Mr H. G. Atkinson, she published a series of Letters on the Laws of Man's Social Nature and Development; and in 1853 she translated and condensed Comte's Philosophie Positive. She also wrote Household Education, Biographical Sketches, and contributed largely to the daily and weekly press and the larger reviews. She died 27th June 1876, and was buried at Birmingham. Her Autobiography, written and printed many years before, was published with an editorial volume in 1877.
Harriet Martineau was brought up as a Unitarian, and describes herself when a girl as 'sincerely and heartily religious.' Her views gradually changed, and she became an Agnostic. She was a vigorous thinker, seeing clearly and saying clearly what she had to say. Her sympathy, kindness of heart, integrity of mind, and impartiality of judgment won esteem and affection for her, even from those who did not share her opinions, and few literary women have in their time enjoyed more fame than she did.