Robert Porter (1775-1859) author of Martham
Robert wrote “The Strangers Guide Book for the Polite Village of Martham”
Robert was born in Martham on 2nd March 1775. For many years he rented The Vicarage at Martham that was owned by The Reverend Paul Whittingham, Vicar of Martham in 1807. On 16th October 1820 he married Elizabeth Carrier at St Mary the Virgin at Martham.
Robert is famous for writing a book called ‘The Strangers Guide to the Polite Village of Martham’ published in 1830 whilst he still lived at The Vicarage. The book is deposited in the Norfolk Record Office in Norwich (Ref: 90/1,2.536) and is small, being about A5 size. It is written by hand in a jocular tone and includes general historical and local statistical material as well as sketches, maps, drawings of comically distorted figures and caricatures including a miniature portrait of the author himself. There are informative sketches of Martham Green just after the 1812 Inclosure Award. There is a plan of houses in Martham and a map of estates in Martham, West Somerton and Winterton belonging to John Barker Huntington Esq. Other entries show a surveyor of 1824; a painting of the ship ‘Mercury’ on her way from Tobago in 1800. Pasted in and inserted are prints and copy prints including adjacent churches and halls; abstracts of accounts of East and West Flegg Poor Law Union 1823-1824, 1828-1829 and of Tunstead and Happing Union 1829-1830.
Robert died on 25th January 1859 at Burgh St Margaret but was buried with his wife in the graveyard at St Mary the Virgin, Martham, section F, plot H5.
