Person

Tupper, Martin Farquhar, 1810-1889

1810-1889

Martin Farquhar Tupper was born on July 17, 1810, in London, England.

He was an English poet and writer. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford (B.A., 1832; M.A., 1835; D.C.L., 1847). In 1835, he was called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn, but he never practiced as a barrister due to his stammering problem. Tupper began his literary career by publishing an essay “Sacra Poesis” in 1832. In 1838, he published his book "Proverbial Philosophy: a Book of Thoughts and Arguments," which embarked on a quarter of a century of phenomenal popular success with thirty-eight editions and numerous translations. Literary earnings, together with the patrimony he inherited in 1844, enabled Tupper to lead the life of a country gentleman at Albury House in Surrey and to support his family. He continued publishing books, e. g., "Geraldine" (1838), "An Author’s Mind" (1841), "The Crock of Gold" (1844), "A Thousand Lines" (1845), and "Probabilities" (1847). In 1845, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and received the gold medal for science and literature from the King of Prussia. He was an early supporter of the Student Volunteer Movement and did much to promote good relations between Britain and America. In 1851, he embarked on a wildly successful tour of the eastern United States and eastern Canada. In 1876, he returned to the USA for another tour and carried out a series of public readings.

In 1835, he married Isabella Devis (1811–1885). He died on November 29, 1889, in Albury, Surrey, England.