Sarah Martin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sarah Martin (1791 - October 15, 1843)was a British philanthropist. She was born at Great Yarmouth; and lived in nearby Caister. She earned her living by dressmaking, and devoted much of her time amongst criminals in the Tollhouse Gaol in Great Yarmouth.

She took an interest in the prisoner's welfare and began visiting the Gaol in 1818 to hold Sunday services to inspire the inmates to improve their lives. She offered practical help alongside spiritual advice and taught them how to read and write as well as make items like spoons and books, which they sold. The prisoners were able to develop a sense of purpose and pride, using their earnings to buy clothes.

A collection of her poems entitled Selections from the Poetical Remains of Miss S. Martin was published in 1845.

This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.