Martin was born in 1822 and married Mary Ann Stebbings in 1847.  Mary Ann was the niece of Rhoda who had married Martin's older brother Charles, and the sister of Frederick who was to marry Martin's sister Mary Ann in 1850.

In 1851 Martin and Mary Ann were living at 25/26 John St, Bermondsey which since 1840 had been the address given in the trade directories for 'Edward Garnar, leather dresser'.  By 1848 the trade directory listing had changed to 'Edward Garnar and Sons'. and in 1850 the entry reads 'Martin and Thomas Garnar, leather dressers, 25 and 26 John Street.'   By 1859 Martin and Thomas had also acquired premises at 8 King Street. 

Martin's oldest son, also called Martin, was born at 33 John Street in November 1859, but by the 1861 census the family were at 18 Glengall Grove, Camberwell (and Martin's sister Mary Ann and her husband Frederick Stebbings were living at 33 John Street).   Martin is described as a 'leather dresser employing 15 men and 5 boys' and he and his brother Thomas appear in the trade directories in the 1860's at the King Street address.

In 1871 Martin and Thomas sold their business to their nephew James (son of their older brother James who had died at the beginning of the year).  Evidence of this comes from two letters sent on 22 May 1871 to the Garnar Tannery at Hadley Luzerne, NY.  The first, signed by Martin and Thomas, says 'We thank you most sincerely for the goodwill and kindness we have received and hope that the same consideration will be shown to our nephew James Garnar who has purchased the stock, goodwill, plant and machinery for carrying on the business.'   The second, signed by James Garnar, shows that he had added the John Street and King Street addresses to his letterhead as well as his original premises at Long Lane, Bermondsey.

Martin and Mary Ann had 3 more children in the 1860's, Alice in 1862, Arthur in 1864 and Walter in 1867.  Martin's niece Mary Ann Garnar, the daughter of his brother James, also lived with them until her marriage in 1879.  Martin died in April 1878, and his widow continued to live at Glengall Grove until her death in 1888.

By 1881, Martin's oldest son Martin was married to Agnes Sophia Lockyer and they were living at 11 Langham Rd, Tottenham with a 16-year old domestic servant.  Martin is described as a 'Millinery Manufacturer' and an 1884 directory lists him as a 'wholesale milliner of Crown Court, Aldersgate Street, City.'   Martin and Agnes had 3 children in the 1880's, Martin in 1882, Leonard in 1883 and Clarence in 1890.  However, by 1891 Martin was a 'Builder's Clerk' and was living at 118 Chumert Street, Camberwell, though even as a builder's clerk, he could still afford a domestic servant.   His wife Agnes died at the end of 1900 and at the 1901 census Martin appears to have moved to Rushden, Northants with his two younger sons Leonard and Clarence and was a 'Boot Factory Manager.'  His eldest son Martin was living with his uncle Arthur in Camberwell and was a butcher's assistant.  In 1907 Martin Snr remarried, to Elizabeth Stone, and was living at Stoke Newington.  His occupation on the marriage certificate simply states 'clerk'.   I have no further information about the sons Martin  but both Clarence and Leonard served in the 1st World War.  By 1915 Clarence had emigrated to Canada and was a butcher, living with his wife Maud at 85 Earlscourt Ave, Toronto.  He enlisted in the Canadian expeditionary force on 1st October 1915, but was killed on 9 April 1917, which was the day of the Canadian assault on Vimy Ridge in Northern France.  He was buried at the Canadian cemetery at Neuville-St Vaast, about a kilometre south of Vimy.  Leonard served with the 13th Essex Regiment and married Cora Madeleine Hunt in 1915.  Unlike his brother, he survived the war and he and Cora had one son, Ronald Edward Garnar, in 1920.

The photograph shows Leonard (front left) with his father Martin.  Behind are Cora and Ronald (Leonard's wife and son) and Elizabeth (Martin's 2nd wife)

Alice Garnar, the only daughter of Martin Garnar and Mary Ann nee Stebbings, was born in 1862 and married William Henry King at Camberwell in 1885.  In 1891 they were living at Lithos Rd, Hampstead and William was a Leather Merchant; by 1901 they were at 55 Mt Park Rd, Ealing and had 3 servants.  They had 3 children: Mabel Alice King born in 1887 (who was a pupil at Avondale School, Southgate,  Enfield), Herbert Garnar King born in 1891 and William Donald King born in 1893.   Herbert was a 2nd Lieutenant with the Northumberland Fusiliers and was killed on 10 September 1915 in Greece.  Alice was a widow by this time, living at 10 Denbigh Rd, Ealing. 

Arthur Garnar, the third child, was born in 1864.