Nestor Martin

(1825- 1916)

Nestor Martin was born at Saint-Hubert, the son of a manufacturer of copper devotional aids. In 1849, he set up his own copper foundry in Huy, and then moved it to Vrigne-au-Bois in the French Ardennes, where he married and had his first child, Arthur. The family returned to Huy in 1854 and he set up an iron and copper foundry which manufactured heating and cooking stoves. The business grew rapidly, and was soon exporting so much of its production that Martin set up daughter factories in Argentina, Canada and China, as well as in Saint-Hubert and Molenbeek-St-Jean (Brussels), and at Neuves-Forges and Revin in France. He introduced enamelled stoves in 1872, which quickly became a best-seller. He was a generous benefactor of Saint-Hubert. After his death, his company was taken over by his son Arthur (1852-1924) and then Arthur’s son Arthur II (1883-1979). It is still one of the world’s leading manufacturers of heating stoves. (see www.nestormartin.be)

Famous Belgians Actor

Actress

Anatomist, physician and author

Architect

Artist

Businessman

Cartoonist

Chemist

Comics artist

Comics writer and artist

Composer

Designer

Duchess

Engineer

Explorer

Fashion designer

Film Director

Founder

Grammarian

Heavy-rock group

Inventor

Inventor and Horologist

Jewellery designer

Journalist

King

Lamps Designer

Lord

Mayor

Musical instrument designer and musician

musician

Nobel Prize

Novelist

Painter

Poet

Priest and reformer

princess

Professional cyclist

Professional tennis player

Queen consort

Racing driver

Scriptwriters and Film-makers

Singer

Singer-songwriter

Sister

teacher

The first lady

The Stigmatist

Theatre director

Violinist and Composer

Volcanologist and Geologist

Writer