Understand
Historian calls for Norwich writer Harriet Martineau to receive greater recognition
Overview
Historian Stuart Hobday has urged the city of Norwich to give greater recognition to Harriet Martineau, one of the 19th Century's most prolific writers and a pioneer in journalism, economics, and sociology. Despite her global fame during the Victorian era and her campaigns for women's rights and the abolition of slavery, historian Stuart Hobday notes that her childhood home in Norwich features a blue plaque for her brother James but not for her. Hobday attributes her relative obscurity today partly to her later atheism and the historical oversight of women's achievements.
Key points
- Harriet Martineau was born in Norwich in 1802 and became one of the 19th Century's most prolific writers and professional female journalists.
- Her 1832 work 'Illustrations of Political Economy' became a global hit, making her financially independent and a central figure in radical 1830s London society.
- She campaigned actively against slavery, advocated for women's rights, and is often referred to as the 'mother of sociology'.
- Historian Stuart Hobday points out that her childhood home in Norwich has a blue plaque for her brother James, but none for Harriet.
- Hobday suspects her later shift to atheism and historical neglect of women contributed to her work being less remembered today.
- To help address this, Hobday founded the Harriet Martineau Lecture as part of the Norfolk & Norwich Festival.