Abstract:
Martin was born in Marseilles, France, in 1762, and arrived in New Bern near the end of the Revolutionary War. He sought employment, beginning as a French tutor, but few were interested in learning the language. He then learned the printer's trade, and advanced rapidly from printer to newspaper editor, legislator, and one of the first to publish a history of North Carolina. He was also a lawyer and outstanding jurist. His was a full life indeed.