Wellington magnate: the Honourable John Martin, his children and their milieu, 1841 - 1918

Abstract

The genesis of this thesis lies in a dilapidated old house that my family and I moved into nearly three years ago. Carrigafoyle on The Terrace in Wellington is breathtakingly large. Its four floors encompass an area of more than 9,000 square feet. Astonishingly beautiful stained glass windows, carved woodwork, moulded ceilings and brass fixtures decorate the interior. Strangely, at the time we moved in, no one seemed to know anything about Carrigafoyle's past. I was curious to discover the answer to two questions: first, where did the money come from to build such a house? Secondly, what kind of lives did the inhabitants of Carrigafoyle lead?