Harriet Martineau was a journalist, writer, and sociologist living 200 years ago, but what relevance can, and does, she have now, 160 years after her death? She was a pioneering figure within the town of Ambleside and within her fields of work. Crowned the ‘Mother of Sociology’, her written works were not only bold for the time but are still studied today. Her impact locally was vast as well, inspiring several key figures in Lake District Arts and Culture. All of this was accomplished despite Martineau’s battle against illness and fortitude in her struggles with her disabilities.
Martineau on Disability:
Harriet Martineau was a sickly child who endured numerous bouts of illness throughout her life. She lost both her sense of smell and taste as a young child, and her hearing declined from the age of 12. Not deterred by her disabilities, Martineau used an ear trumpet and refused to let her disabilities get in the way of her social and professional life.
She developed a series of ‘principles’ to navigate through difficult situations and turn them into enjoyable ones. In 1834, Tait’s Edinburgh Magazine published her ‘Letter to the Deaf’, which detailed her experiences and ‘Principles’ with people newly losing their hearing. She advocated for the de-stigmatisation of disability and urged those also suffering from disability to take steps to improve their situation. When others treat deafness as normal, she wrote, ‘our daily difficulties are almost gone.’
Martineau in Ambleside:
Martineau moved to Ambleside in 1845, where she was involved in the construction of the Knoll on Rydal Road. Dissatisfied with the conditions for local workers, she founded ‘The Windermere Permanent Land, Building and Investments Association’, an association that could lend money to members wishing to build housing in Ambleside, with repayment over 13 years. A subsequent 13 houses were built on Ellerigg Road for the people of Ambleside.
Martineau would go on to give talks to the working people of the village on a range of topics, including:
History of England
Travels in the Holy Land
Sanitary Matters
Russia and the War
Martineau on Politics:
Martineau, spurred on by the collapse of her family’s textile business, set out to inform people of her economic opinions and the improvements she believed could be made. The resulting publication became a Victorian best seller with sales exceeding those of Dickens’ novels. Martineau wove the four principles of political economy – Production, Distribution, Exchange, and Consumption – into fictional tales with characters easily related to by the masses.
Martineau on Travel:
Martineau was an avid traveller, inspired by her desire to observe both physical, social, and political landscapes. In 1834, she travelled to the United States for ‘rest and refreshment’ and to discover more about the new democracy. She was disturbed to find that the Declaration of Independence’s claim that ‘all men are created equal’ applied only to white men, and her anti-slavery stance made her vastly unpopular in the South. Upon her return from America, she published Society in America, the 1837 critique of the nation’s failure to uphold its own principles. This was followed by the 1838 travelogue Retrospect of Western Travel.
She was also keen to write about her local landscape in the Lake District, her growing knowledge allowing her to publish A Complete Guide to the English Lake District in 1855. A notable feature of the publication included panoramic views with named peaks, accompanied by clear yet poetic route descriptions, such as her account of the Ambleside waterfalls walk.
Martineau on Campaigning:
The world Martineau grew up in was incredibly different from today. Throughout her life, she was an advocate for social reform, abolition, women’s rights, and better living conditions. Her parents provided the base for Martineau’s forward thinking, providing their daughters and sons with similar educations. Building on these progressive views, Martineau anonymously published an 1823 article advocating equal education for women – one of her first campaign pieces.
Martineau, encouraged by her eldest brother, wrote for the radical publication the Monthly Repository. Following a two-year visit to America in the 1830s, Martineau published further works, notably campaigning for the abolition of slavery.
HARRIET MARTINEAU LETTER – JUNE 10th 1858
Eight pages, click the image, then use left and right arrows to navigate through the pages.
