La Martiniere Girls’ College, Lucknow, was established in Moti Mahal premises in 1869 with less than a 100 students and staff. Today, it has 2700 students (110 boarders) and 247 staff. It has always ranked as one of the leading schools of India, and academically, since 2015, it has consistently been rated in the top 10 all-girls boarding schools of India. The Founder, Major General Claude Martin (5th January, 1735 – 13th September, 1800) was an officer in the French, and later the British, army in India. He rose to the position of Major General in the British East India Company’s Bengal Army. Born in Lyon, France, he came from a humble background. He was a self-made man who left a substantial legacy in the form of his writings, buildings and educational institutions that he founded posthumously.Claude Martin left the greater part of his wealth to a variety of charities. Being almost entirely self-educated, he realised the value of a formal education and set aside a vast portion of his estate for the founding of schools at Kolkata, Lucknow and Lyon (France), the city of his birth. These schools play a major role in training the youth of today to become educated, disciplined and useful citizens of the world. Thousands who have passed through these schools are deeply grateful for Claude Martin’s generosity and foresight. The schools celebrate Founder’s Day on 13th September, the anniversary of Claude Martin’s death. As a diplomat he was exemplary. He walked the tight rope between the Nawab and the Company with such astuteness that both needed his services till the end. He was a money-lender and banker who was trusted more than the Company or the Nawabs. Such credibility ensured that a shrewd businessman like him could turn all his ventures into profitable enterprises. He was a man of fine taste who gave Lucknow many of its famous historical buildings.
