She was the youngest daughter of Simon Martin, a partner in Gurney"s Norwich bank, who married, at Street Michael-at-Plea, Norwich, in 1809, Hannah (Ransome), a quakeress. She was born at Northrepps Hill House, near Cromer, in 1830. About 1849, she left Norwich with her mother to live at Clifton, Bristol, where acquaintance with Doctor Addington Symonds gave them a passport to the society of the place.
She was educated at a private school until the age of sixteen.
The family soon removed to Norwich. Mission Martin has depicted her early childhood verv faithfully in one of her first stories, The Dawn of (1867). The proximity of Norwich Cathedral and its precincts strongly influenced her subsequent line of thought.
When as a girl she read Longfellow"s Evangeline, she was so much impressed with it that she wrote to the poet, and thus began a correspondence that lasted until her death.
She finally settled at Clifton, and began to write from a desire to amuse and instruct young people. Her first story, Happy Days at Fernbank, was published in 1861.
Between that date and her death she wrote over two hundred stories. This enormous production was stimulated by heavy losses in 1878, when the failure of the West of England bank not only swept away her husband"s income and position, but involved him as a shareholder in certain liabilities.
These Mistress Marshall cleared off with indefatigable courage.
Marshall died at home in Clifton on 4 May 1899 from Pneumonia, and was buried on the 9th in the cemetery of Long Ashton. Emma and Hugh had nine daughters, the youngest daughter Christabel Marshall was a campaigner for women"s suffrage, a playwright and author
