Sir William Martin (1807-1880) was the first chief justice of New Zealand and he and his wife, Mary Ann, were close friends and colleagues of Bishop George Augustus Selwyn and his wife, Sarah. After several years in New Zealand he resigned his position owing to illhealth but remained in the country assisting the Selwyns with their work at St John's College before eventually returning to England in 1874 when they joined the Selwyns in Lichfield. After Bishop Selwyn's death in 1878 they moved to Torquay where Sir Martin died soon after in 1880. His wife remained there working for the church and society until her death a few years later. She donated her husband's book collection to Selwyn College for the library.