author
W. Carlos (William Carlos) Martyn
1841–1917
A 19th-century American minister and historical writer, he brought Protestant history and biography to a wide popular audience. His books on the Huguenots, the English Puritans, Martin Luther, and the Pilgrim Fathers show a lifelong interest in faith, reform, and public life.
1 Audiobook
The Pilgrim fathers of New England : a history
by W. Carlos (William Carlos) Martyn
About the author
Born in New York City on December 15, 1841, William Carlos Martyn was an American clergyman and author who spent much of his career writing lively works of history and biography for general readers. Reference sources describe him as a Presbyterian minister, and records of his books show a steady focus on Protestant and reforming figures and movements.
His best-known works include The Life and Times of Martin Luther, A History of the Huguenots, A History of the English Puritans, The Dutch Reformation, and The Pilgrim Fathers of New England. He also wrote biographical studies such as Wendell Phillips: The Agitator, suggesting an interest not only in church history but also in moral courage and public debate.
Church history sources connect him with several pastorates, including the Bloomingdale Reformed Dutch Church in New York City and later the Noroton Presbyterian Church in Darien, Connecticut, where he served until his death in 1917. He died on August 4, 1917, leaving behind a body of work that aimed to make religious history vivid, readable, and closely tied to questions of character and conviction.