Major T S Martin FRSA.

I have found an etching of the market cross by Major T S Martin FRSA.

It is labelled as no.12 in a series of 100 and signed on the back by T Martin.

I can’t find out much about him, except that he was an art teacher at Queen Elizabeths boys school, went on strike, while he was mayor of Mansfield.  I assume my father, Sid Dernley, met him via the Conservative club, of which they were both members.  He lived on Chesterfield Road

Does anyone know any more?

Nigel Dernley

Comments about this page

  • As a QEGS pupil between 1964 and 1970 I well remember Major Tim – as woodwork teacher for 2 years and avid philatelist (his favourite subject and trader), accomplished local artist and passionate loyalty to the Mansfield Conservative Association. A facsimile of Mr Chips! Despite my contrary politics I and a friend were quite happy to take the odd half crown (12.5p) payments to post Conservative electoral leaflets. Occasionally went to his house at lunchtime for squash and golf on his lawn – his wife was delightful and kind.

    By Dr Shaun Welsh (15/05/2021)
  • He was a great woodwork teacher at QEGS, in the category of tough but fair. I cannot recall knowing he was a major but it fits completely – straight stature, trimly turned out, and a disciplinarian about workshop rules. I still have a lidded box that I made in the class, good for coins and keys. I recall we made a shield in the same shape as the QEGS badge for our first ever project, but that is long gone. Now that I watch ‘Repair Shop’ I wish I had spent more time on woodwork!

    By Paul Beardsley (31/07/2019)
  • In response to Nigel Dernley’s comment, Tim Martin indeed met your parents at the Conservative Club, in fact I joined them although rarely, I recall your mother well. Tim was a most likeable man, his wife delightful, often had lunch with them with my mother.

    By Mark Wilson (08/07/2019)
  • Tim Martin was woodwork & art teacher in my time at QEGS, 1946/51. My first woodwork effort was a toothbrush rack, not very good but Mum liked it. Small in stature, with a wee moustache, he gave a sharp wack on the hand for the slightest misdemeanour, after asking which hand you wrote/drew with.

    By Michael Jepson (02/02/2019)
  • I met Tim at Mansfield Library with his wife they knew my mother who resided on Debdale Lane in the 1950s to 1966. Father was Tug Wilson past district coroner under Claude Mack Nottm. Tim I then knew at The Conservative Club and the Forest Lodge Freemasons. He was a most cheerful likeable man they resided in one of the mock Tudor houses on chesterfield Rd I believe adj to the Rufford Pub. He was very well respected. Mark Wilson .

    By Mark Wilson (27/10/2018)
  • I suppose the woodwork might have been useful if you were interested. I also remember the stamps; the history of penny reds and blacks.

    By Laurence Kinsella (24/10/2018)
  • I have heard that, as member of the conservative club, he introduced Ken Clarke to the Mansfield seat in the general election.

    By Rob Moore (16/11/2017)
  • I was at QEGS 1940 to 47.  I did woodwork with Tim for a couple of years and Art for the whole time.  All he ever taught was construction of Gill Sans lettering, otherwise it was just a matter of drawing things and having them marked.

    He was a Major in the Home Guard (never in the army) and would sometimes take us down to clean rifles etc.

    Immediately postwar he, together with his lovely wife and Mr Redding, took a party of us to Paris in a heatwave (some of us swam in the Seine which was filthy).

    My uncle (only 11 years my senior) was also taught by him.  In those days Tim would spend the summer running ‘trips on the Skylark’ on his father-in-law’s boat at Skegness (or one of the other east coast resorts).

    By RM Renshaw (24/10/2016)
  • I was a pupil at QE school for boys between 1966 and 1973 ( Robert Cooper then). I liked Tim Martin, he was my first form teacher and he taught me handicrafts. He always seemed relaxed and friendly enough! There was art on display in the woodwork room from time to time, he was enthusiastic and quite a talented artist himself I believe; I do not think he taught me art but he helped me appreciate it. I remember when he became mayor and he wanted the school to give us the day off. Some compromise was found, a bank holiday made mayor’s day perhaps? But he was a spirited chap who would ” go his own way”….at times.

    By Robert Ede Cooper (18/08/2016)
  • One of my most enduring memories of Timother Stuart Martin, our woodwork teacher, was the early afternoon when I was a Shellite ( 1st. year ). The lesson was Religious Education and Cecil George Eyres, the RI teacher, was off work ill, so Tim took us instead. He started the lesson with ‘ Open your Bibles at page whatever and start reading quietly’. After 2 minutes of silence and boredom he asked ‘Anyone want to buy any stamps?’. The atmosphere changed immediately for us 11 year olds. A little bit later, he pointed at me and said ‘Ward, come here. I want you to go into town for me and take these 2 cheques for the Old Boys association to the National Westminster Bank’. I took the cheques obediently and headed for the door. Again he called me ‘ ……and Ward, after that, go home’. I couldn’t believe my luck. It wasn’t yet 2 in the afternoon and as a result of this got out of 2 lessons which I wasn’t particularly fond of. Happy days.

    By Allan Ward (21/07/2015)
  • He was in deed Art and Wood and Metal work teacher. He told me I was useless in his subjects. I believed him until two years ago.

    By Gerald Wilkinson (25/04/2015)
  • I remember him teaching me woodwork at QUEGS (66-68 ish), not very successfully – but that was my fault! I also remember the stamps. A bit eccentric, but seemed like a decent bloke.

    By Garry Marsh (07/02/2015)
  • Major Martin was Mayor of Mansfield in 1969. There is an interesting article on him in the book ‘Mansfield 1891- 1989 Our Mayors, Chairmen, MPs, their descendants and other local leaders.’ He was a founder member of both the Mansfield Society of Artists and the Mansfield Philatelic Society. He was President of the Old Mansfield Society and the Mansfield Sherwood Forester’s Association among many other positions he held in the town.

    By Liz Weston (24/02/2014)
  • Major Martin was actually woodwork teacher at QE . He was also a fanatical stamp collector and could quite easily be distracted during lesson to talk about stamps instead of making lamp stands or little boxes !!

    By Andrew Henshaw (21/02/2014)

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