William Charles Linnaeus Martin

William Charles Linnaeus Martin was the son of William Martin (naturalist) and his wife, Mary.^[1] William Martin had published early colour books on the fossils of Derbyshire, and named his son Linnaeus in honour of Carl Linnaeus's interest in the classification of living things.^[2]

Martin was the curator of the museum of the Zoological Society of London from 1830 to 1838,^[3] when he lost his appointment due to financial cutbacks. He then became a freelance natural history writer, publishing over a thousand articles and books, including A Natural History of Quadrupeds and other Mammiferous Animals (1841),^[4] The History of the Dog (1845),^[5] The History of the Horse (1845),^[6] and Pictorial Museum of Animated Nature (1848–9).^[7] Many of Martin's works centred around the study of farm animals, particularly in the years 1847–1858.^[1]

Martin died on 15 February 1864 at his home in Kent leaving a widow. He was a fellow of the Linnean Society.^[2]