James Martin (engineer)
Sir James Martin CBE FIMechE FRAeS CEng (11 September 1893 – 5 January 1981) was an Irish engineer who together with Captain Valentine Baker founded the Martin-Baker aircraft company which is now a leading producer of aircraft ejection seats.
Sir James Martin | |
|---|---|
 Martin in 1974 | |
| Born | 11 September 1893 |
| Died | 5 January 1981 (aged 87) Southlands Manor, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Resting place | St. Mary the Virgin Churchyard, Denham, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Nationality | British Irish |
| Occupation | Engineer |
| Known for | Inventor of the ejector seat and founder of the Martin-Baker aircraft company |
| Spouse | Muriel Haines |
| Children | 4 |
| Parent | Thomas Martin & Sarah Coulter |
Life
James Martin was born 11 September 1893 in Killinchy Woods (birthplace on Glasswater Road), Crossgar, County Down in Ireland. He established his own engineering firm in 1929.[1]
In 1934, he and Valentine Baker formed Martin-Baker; Captain Baker took the test pilot role. It was in a crash of their third design, the MB 3, that Baker was killed.
In 1964 Martin was awarded the Gold Medal of the Royal Aero Club.[2]
In 2004, Martin was inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.[3]
Northern Bank
Martin's contribution to engineering was commemorated by the Northern Bank in its Inventor series of banknotes, which featured his portrait on the bank's £100 note. The note was discontinued in 2013 when the bank reissued its banknotes under the new Danske Bank brand.[4]
Notes and references
- "Sir James Martin – Photograph and short history". Archived from the original on 26 September 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- "The Medals & Awards of the Royal Aero Club". The Royal Aero Club of the United Kingdom. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 10 October 2020.
- Sprekelmeyer, Linda, editor. These We Honor: The International Aerospace Hall of Fame. Donning Co. Publishers, 2006. ISBN 978-1-57864-397-4.
- "Current Banknotes: Danske Bank". The Association of Commercial Banknote Issuers. Archived from the original on 28 October 2017. Retrieved 30 November 2013.