# Thomas Martyn

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{{Short description|British botanist (1735–1825)}}
{{Other people}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
thumb|Thomas Martyn
'''Thomas Martyn''' (23 September 1735 – 3 June 1825) was an English botanist and [Professor of Botany](/source/Professor_of_Botany%2C_Cambridge_University) at [Cambridge University](/source/Cambridge_University).<ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Martyn, Thomas (1735-1825)|volume= 36|year=1893|pages=321–323}}</ref> He is sometimes confused with the [conchologist and entomologist of the same name](/source/Thomas_Martyn_(zoologist)). {{Botanist|Martyn|Martyn, Thomas|border=0|inline=1}}

==Life==
thumb|''Gentleman's guide in his tour through Italy'', 1787
Thomas Martyn was the son of the botanist [John Martyn](/source/John_Martyn_(botanist)) (1699–1768). He was educated in [Chelsea](/source/Chelsea%2C_London) and at [Emmanuel College, Cambridge](/source/Emmanuel_College%2C_Cambridge), graduating BA in 1756 and becoming a fellow of [Sidney Sussex College](/source/Sidney_Sussex_College%2C_Cambridge) and being ordained deacon in 1758. In 1759 he became MA and priest.<ref name=Venn>{{acad|id=MRTN752T|name=Martyn, Thomas}}</ref> In 1762 he succeeded his father as Professor of Botany at the University, and held the post until his death in 1825, though he only lectured until 1796 'as the subject was not popular'.<ref name=Venn/> Thomas Martyn's professorship at Cambridge lasted for 63 years, while his father had held the same post for 29 years. Thomas Martyn was elected a [Fellow of the Royal Society](/source/Fellow_of_the_Royal_Society) in 1786.

==Works==
Two of Martyn's major works are ''Plantæ Cantabrigiensis'' (1763) and ''Flora Rustica'', 4 vols. (1792–1794). He translated the ''[Lettres sur la botanique](/source/Letters_on_the_Elements_of_Botany)'' of [Rousseau](/source/Jean-Jacques_Rousseau). In 1788 he published ''Thirty-eight Plates with Explanations'', illustrating the plant system devised by [Linnaeus](/source/Carl_Linnaeus)<ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EegTAAAAYAAJ | title=Memoirs of John Martyn ... And of Thomas Martyn ... Professors of Botany in the University of Cambridge | date=1830 | publisher=Hatchard }}</ref> As a priest in the Anglican church Thomas Martyn preached until he was 82 years old; in 1830 [George Cornelius Gorham](/source/George_Cornelius_Gorham), his curate, published a dual biography consisting of additions to Martyn's memoir of his father and Martyn's autobiographical memoir (''Memoirs of John Martyn, F.R.S., and of Thomas Martyn, B.D., F.R.S, F.L.S., Professors of Botany in the University of Cambridge'', London, Hatchard & Son). 
Thomas Martyn's other written works include: ''The English Connoisseur'' (1766); ''The Gentleman's Guide in his Tour through Italy'' (1787) and ''The Language of Botany'' (1793).
His book in 1807, ''The Gardeners' and Botanists' Dictionary'', improved and expanded [Philip Miller](/source/Philip_Miller)'s 1731 book ''[The Gardeners Dictionary](/source/The_Gardeners_Dictionary)''.<ref>Thomas Martyn {{google books|g-FBAQAAMAAJ|The Gardener's and Botanist's Dictionary: Containing the  (1807)}}</ref>

== Publications ==
* Thomas Martyn, ''Some account of the late John Martyn, F.R.S., and his writings''. London: 1770. An expanded version of this memoir was prepared and published by George Gorham in 1830.{{sfn|Gorham|1830}}

For a full list, see Gorham p.&nbsp;267{{sfn|Gorham|1830|loc=[https://books.google.com/books?id=EegTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA267 p.&nbsp;267]}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== Bibliography ==
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|last=Gorham|first=George Cornelius|title=Memoirs of John Martyn and of Thomas Martyn. Professors of Botany in the University of Cambridge|date=1830|publisher=Hatchard and son|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EegTAAAAYAAJ}}
{{refend}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Martyn, Thomas}}
Category:1735 births
Category:1825 deaths
Category:18th-century English botanists
Category:Fellows of the Royal Society
Category:Alumni of Emmanuel College, Cambridge
Category:Fellows of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge
Category:19th-century English botanists
Category:Professors of Botany (Cambridge)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Thomas Martyn](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Martyn) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Martyn?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.