Miss Harriet Martineau
Gender: Female
Marital Status: Single
Born: 1802
Died: 1876
Place of birth: Norwich, Norfolk, England
Occupation: Sociologist and writer
1866 Petition: Yes
Petition Area: The Knoll, Cumbria, England
Other sources: https://www.parliament.uk/1866
https://artsandculture.google.com/entity/m01fbhx
Michael Hill and Susan Hoecker-Drysdale, Harriet Martineau: Theoretical and Methodological Perspectives (2003)
Family information: Father was a textile manufacturer.
Additional Information: Harriet remained a quiet supporter of the women's suffrage movement.
Other Suffrage Activities: Harriet had been forced to leave the family home and work when her father's manufacturing business failed. She described this as 'the best thing that ever happened'. She began selling articles to monthly magazines and quickly built a reputation for her social and political insight. A sociologist, she was outspoken in her writings on many issues, including the restrictions on women's education, social life and intellectual development. Her first commissioned book was Illustrations of Political Economy and she went on to publish many more. Her circle of friends included scientists such as Charles Darwin. The popularity of her works meant that she earned a living from her writing ? a significant achievement for a woman in this period. Her work was known and drew praise and condemnation in equal measure from male politicians, economists and social commentators of the day.