Hugh Martin

Hugh Martin (11 August 1822 – 14 June 1885) was a Scottish minister of the Free Church of Scotland and a theological author.

Life

Born in Aberdeen on 11 August 1822, Hugh was the son of Alexander Martin, a clothier and haberdasher living at 79 Gallowgate. He studied at Aberdeen Grammar School then later took an arts degree at Marischal College, where he graduated with an MA in 1839. He then took a second degree in theology at King's College, Aberdeen.

In 1842, Hugh was converted to the principles of the Free Church of Scotland by Rev Dr William Cunningham, who became his life-long mentor. In the Disruption of 1843, he joined the Free Church faction and was one of the first ministers ordained directly into that faction without transfer from the Church of Scotland. Licensed to preach by the Free Church in 1843, he was thereafter ordained as a minister of Panbride near Carnoustie. He lived in a villa on Findhorn Place.

He retired to Lasswade, south of Edinburgh in 1865 due to ill-health. He, however, continued to lecture at the University of Edinburgh and was later awarded an honorary doctorate DD by the university in 1872. and his son Alexander was the Principal of New College, Edinburgh 1918–1935, as well as one of the architects of the union of the United Free Church of Scotland and Church of Scotland in 1929.