# Benjamin Martyn

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'''Benjamin Martyn''' (1698–1763) was an English writer and government official. He served as the only secretary for the [Trustees for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America](/source/Trustees_for_the_Establishment_of_the_Colony_of_Georgia_in_America) from 1732 to 1752. He then served as the colony’s agent for the Crown from February, 1753 until 1763. {{sfn|Sambrook|2004}}

==Literary career==
Before he was retained by the Georgia trustees, Martyn authored a well-received tragedy, ''[Timoleon](/source/Timoleon_(play))'', in 1730, an effort supported by Alexander Pope. He and Pope collaborated on an effort to erect a monument to Shakespeare. Martyn was instrumental in founding the society for the Encouragement of Learning in 1736.<ref>Martyn, Benjamin. ''Timoleon, A Tragedy''. London: 1730.</ref>

Martyn was retained by [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 4th Earl of Shaftesbury](/source/Anthony_Ashley_Cooper%2C_4th_Earl_of_Shaftesbury), a Georgia trustee, to write a biography of his great-grandfather, [Anthony Ashley Cooper, 1st Earl of Shaftesbury](/source/Anthony_Ashley_Cooper%2C_1st_Earl_of_Shaftesbury). The 1st earl was a notable figure in seventeenth century English politics and with philosopher [John Locke](/source/John_Locke) designed the settlement plan for the [Carolina Colony](/source/Carolina_Colony).<ref>Martyn, Benjamin. ''The Life of the First Earl of Shaftesbury''. G. Wingrove Cooke, Esq., ed. Two Volumes. London: Richard Bentley, 1836. See Preface.</ref>

==The Georgia trustees==
Martyn authored several publications for the trustees on the colony, including "Some Account of the Trustees Design for the Establishment of the Colony of Georgia in America," based on a tract written by [James Oglethorpe](/source/James_Oglethorpe). The document contains the principles for settling the Georgia Colony, now known as [the Oglethorpe Plan](/source/the_Oglethorpe_Plan).<ref>Baine, Rodney M., ed. ''Creating Georgia''. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1995. Page xxv.</ref><ref>''Some Account of the Design of the Trustees for Establishing Colonys in America'' (sic), Baine, Rodney M., and Phinizy Spalding, eds. Athens, Georgia: University of Georgia Press, 1990. See Introduction.</ref>

==Notes==
<references/>

==References==
{{sfn whitelist|CITEREFSambrook2004}}
*{{cite DNB|wstitle=Martyn, Benjamin |first=Gordon |last=Goodwin|volume=36}}
*{{cite ODNB|id=18232|title=Martyn, Benjamin (1698–1763)|first=James|last= Sambrook|year=2004}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martyn, Benjamin}}
Category:People from colonial Georgia (British America)
Category:1698 births
Category:1763 deaths
Category:Place of birth missing

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