Martin Petrie

Martin Petrie (1823–1892) was an English army officer and author. Petrie, his wife and his daughter Mary Petrie were involved in the foundation of Westfield College. His other daughter Irene Petrie died as a missionary in Kashmir.

He was born on 1 June 1823, at the Manor House, King's Langley, Hertfordshire, the second son of Commissary-General William Petrie (died 1842); his mother Margaret was daughter and coheiress of Henry Mitton of the Chase, Enfield. He was brought up in Portugal and the Cape of Good Hope, where his father's career took him. As a young man he was mainly in France, Italy, and Germany.

On 14 April 1846 Petrie entered the army as an ensign in the Royal Newfoundland Corps, and served for 11 years in North America, becoming a lieutenant on 7 January 1848 and captain on 5 May 1854. On 26 January 1855 he was transferred to the 14th Foot regiment, and left Newfoundland on 20 March in the SS Vesta, which carried 24 passengers, seven of them, including Petrie, being officers on their way to join regiments in the Crimean War. When 300 miles off St. John's the vessel, already damaged by ice-floes, was caught in a storm, and the engine-room was flooded. Petrie managed to save the ship. His hands, however, were lacerated and frostbitten: he was invalided for some time, and could not proceed to the Crimea.

In May 1856 Petrie joined the Royal Staff College, and in December 1858 he passed the final examination, coming out first on the list. He was attached to the topographical department of the War Office from 10 March 1859 to 30 June 1864; then for 18 years (1864–1882) he was examiner in military administration at the Staff College, and latterly at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst also. He became major on 13 July 1867, and exchanged to the 97th Foot later that year; in July 1872 he retired on half-pay, in 1876 became colonel, and in 1882 withdrew from the service.

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