MARTINEAU, ill:WU-tin, lT.rt nutrr ( 181)2 70). An English writer, sister of James Mar tineau, born at Norwich, England, June 12. 1802; educated mostly at home. She early became a convert to Unitarianism. Miss Martineau began writing when a girl. contributing her first article in 1821 to the Monthly Repository. the Unitarian organ. In 1829 the house in which had been placed the small fortunes of the family failed, and Miss Martineau turned to literature for sup port.. Her health hail been preearimis from girl hood, and she now frequently broke down. For lest she visited America (1834-33) and Venice (1839). By 1845 she had passed from Unitarian ism to agnosticism. In 1843-46 she settled near Ambleside by the English Lakes, where she lived till her death, June 27, 1876. Miss Martineau published thirty-six distinct works, comprising tales, novels, and essays on history, politics, eco nomies, and philosophy. and contributed exten sively to periodicals. In the !MU,/ Vries alone appeared more than 11100 articles. She gained her first success with Illustrations of Poliiicul Ecoolonv (1832-34) and /Mrs/rations of Taxation 11834). in which she sought to popularize cur
rent theories through fiction. Among her other works are: Society in America (1837): 11".•slern Trarel (1838) : Drerbrook, a readable novel (1839) ; 7'he Playfellow, good children's stories (1841) ; Life in the Sick Room. tiutobiographieti) Leiters on 1lesinerisni ( 18151 Ensirrn Life, Post and Present, in which she avowed her religious opinions (1848): History of England During the 'Thirty frogs' Peace, a weighty piece of writing (1819) ; Letters on the Laws of llon's Nature and Derclopment, written in conjunetion with II, G. Atkinson (1831); The Philosophy of Comte, a condensation of the Philosophic posi tire (1853) ; and Biographical Sketches (1869). Though little of Miss Martinean's work has survived as a permanent literary possession, it was of great value to her generation. She was a popularizer of the advanced thinking of her day. Consult her Autobiography with Memo rials. ed. by Chapman ( London, 1877), and M flier, Harriet Martineau (London, 1884 )