MARTIN, JAMES CROSBY (1856-1926) was born in England, and came to Canterbury with his father, Thomas Martin (1825-1900), a farmer, of Leithfield, Canterbury. Educated at the Riccarton school and at Christ's College (1869-72), he was articled to a law firm in Christchurch and admitted to the bar in 1881, joining the firm of Duncan and Cotterill. Martin was appointed crown solicitor in Christchurch in 1884, and stipendiary magistrate in Wellington in 1894. In 1897 he became Public Trustee, and three years later a judge of the Supreme Court. He had held that position for a few months when he resigned and went to Australia. Returning shortly afterwards, he entered into practice at Auckland with Devore and Cooper, and later with Devore alone. In a few years he retired to live at Russell, where he took a keen interest in the sport of fishing and in the history of the Bay of Islands. He occasionally returned to practice (notably when he acted as crown prosecutor in the murder trial of Denis Gunn). Martin was a good oarsman at Christchurch and Wellington and was a volunteer for many years (including eight as captain of E battery of artillery). He married (first) a daughter of E. Saunderson, of Great Peaks, Canterbury, and second Mrs Simms, daughter of Mrs Marshall (Brisbane). He died on 11 Jun 1926.

Lyttelton Times, 14 Jan 1901; NZ Herald, 15 Jun 1926.

Reference: Volume 2, page 33

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