• Name: Burney, Martin Charles
• Gender: Male
• Birth Date: 1788
• Death Date: 1852

Son of Captain James Burney.

The references to the Burney family are difficult to unpick. The first entry is 1792 when Godwin is with Jardine and talks of Burney and Blair. In 1793 he dines at Burney's with Jardine and Charles. Then in 1794 he 'advs' Burney at a dinner at Perry's celebrating Thomas Hardy's acquittal. A month later he first refers to Capt Burney with whom he dines at Crisps. We should assume that Godwin is implicitly distinguishing between Burney and Capt. Burney. In 1796 'sup at Carr's , w. Carlisle, Shee, Montagu, Stoddart, Burney and Littledale' . In 1802 he calls on Burney, and in 1804 there are several references to Burney, one to 4 Burneys, and one to Capt Burney, associated with the Lambs. We know that Captain Burney and his son Martin Charles Burney (who was 15 in 1803) (see Lucas, Life of Lamb, p. 286) were close to the Lambs and it is possible that 4 Burneys refers to Captain Burney, his wife Sarah and two of his children. Given the relative frequency of the use of M Burney, we should take this to refer to Martin; Captain to refer to his father James (although we should also include the one occasion (his death) when he is refered to as James Burney). But this leaves the earlier references to Burney more puzzling. The fact that Godwin does not record Charles Burney senr's (father to Fanny, Captain James, and Charles) death in 1814 suggests that Godwin was not intimate with him; which in turn would suggest that the early Burney entries are to Charles Burney, his son (1757-1817). But there are later references in the diary to C Burney and to Dr Burney which would have to be explained by the need in later years to distinguish him from Captain and Martin Charles Burney with whom Godwin was now much more closely connected, and, indeed, from Charles Parr Burney, who became William's headmaster (at the school in Greenwich that his father previosuly ran).

The 1813 entries for Dr C Burney, and C Burney's - the former he writes to (probably in relation to schooling). The latter is linked to Deptford (next door to Greenwich), which suggests that he followed up his letter with a call on the school; although at this time it may still have been run by Charles Burney (1757-1817). On 23 August 1814 Godwin calls on Burney in Greenwich, which suggests that he is calling either on Charles or his son Charles Parr, and five days later he visits Greenwich Chapel and calls on Burney and Place, which again suggests Charles or Charles Parr - the DNB suggests that the school is handed over to the son in 1813. In 1815 there are a number of entries of 'Write to Burney' and then Godwin calls on 'Burney and WG, Greenwich.' This suggests that by this time Godwin is using Burney to refer to Charles Parr Burney, the Greenwich headmaster with whom he is negotiating over the admission, and education of William. Charles Parr's dates are (1785–1864), which suggests that the Burney entries in the 1790s are not to him. In 1815 Godwin also Advs Dr Burney (probably Charles Parr's father). In 1816 the coincidence of Write to Burney and William (on two occasions) again suggests Charles Parr. The 1818 reference to Burney is more difficult to link to the others, so we must simply assume that this too is to Charles Parr. The only entry for 'C P Burney' is in 1823 when he calls; but this is compatible with there having been little contact after William left school, with Godwin having had much more contact with captain and Martin Burney, and with a felt need on his part to distinguish him.

On this account, we have coded as follows. Captain Burney is Captain James Burney (1750-1821), elder brother of the Rev Dr Charles Burney (1757- 1817) and of Fanny Burney (1752-1840) the author. Entries to Capt Burney are coded as such. James Burney (entry 17.11.1821) - is also Capt Burney. Moreover, given the closeness with the Lambs, whenever there are plural Burneys linked with the Lambs (prior to 1821) we should assume that this is a group that centers around Capt Burney.

In his 1796 Diary List Godwin suggests that in 1793 he met both Burney and C Burney. In fact, only one Burney is recorded in 1793, when he dines at Burney's with Jardine and Charles. Given the other entries for Charles we should assume that this is a surname rather than Charles Burney, but it makes the identification of Burney more uncertain. Given the relatively consistent use later of Capt Burney for James these earlier entries should be coded as Charles.

All M Burneys are coded as Martin Charles Burney who was a very close friend of the Lambs and was one of Lamb's bondsman, who had to pledge £500 along with another and Lamb himself for Lamb to be a member of the East India Company, apparently after James White's death in 1821 - although Martin Burney was never in a financially strong position and White dies at about the same time as Capt Burney who leaves his family ill-provided for). Martin Burney was the nephew of Dr Charles Burney d. 1817 (who was Fanny and James's half-brother) and was the son of Capt Burney and his wife Sarah. (see Lucas, Life of Lamb. This means that whenever there are plural Burneys associated with the Lambs M Burney ought to be included. We have taken the 1793 mention of 'Burney' to be Dr Charles, rather than M Burney, on the grounds of his age ; the Burneys in 1811 to be M and James/Capt; and the 1813 Burney's as Charles Burney, given the Deptford association.

The other Burney entries involve some uncertainty. It seems highly likely that entries to Burney, and C P Burney, after 1814 are to Wiliam's headmaster at Greenwich and we have coded all 1814 and after Burneys, 'Burney, Greenwhich', c p Burney, as such. Entries prior to 1814 for Burney are coded as Charles Burney 1757-1817 - as are the entries for Charles (Dr) Burney, and Dr C Burney in 1813 (on the grounds that Godwin may well have discussed placing William with the school with Charles when he was still running it. The Dr Burney entry for 1815 is also be coded in this way; but the 1826 entry must refer to someone else and the likeliest candidate is Charles Parr Burneywho became DD in 1822.

• See E.V. Lucas, The Life of Charles Lamb, 2 vols (1905, 7th edn. London: Methuen and Co. Ltd., 1921). See Vol. 1, pp. 285-6.

This table lists the people this person is most frequently noted with in the diary.