Félix Martin (4 October 1804, in Auray, Morbihan – 25 November 1886 in Vaugirard, Paris) was a Jesuit, antiquary, historiographer, architect, and educationist.
His mother was Anne Arnel Lauzer de Kerzo, a pious matron, of whose ten children three entered religious communities, while the others, as heads of families, were highly regarded in Breton society.
Felix, having made his classical studies at the Jesuit seminary close by the shrine of St. Anne in Auray, entered the Society of Jesus at Montrouge, Paris, 27 September 1823, but on the opening of a new novitiate at Avignon, in Aug., 1824, he was transferred there.
Thence in 1826 he was sent to the one time famous college of Arc, at Dole, to complete his logic and gain his first experience in the management of youth among its 400 pupils.
Martin worked in turn as student and teacher in Brieg and Estavayé in Switzerland; in Spain, Le Passage near San Sebastian; in Belgium, the College of Brugelette.
Eleven years later, while engaged in the ministry at Angers, he was informed that, under Pierre Chazelle, ex-rector of St. Mary's College, Kentucky, he was chosen together with the Jesuits Hainpaux, Rémi-Joseph Tellier, and Dominique du Ranquet to restore the Society of Jesus in Canada, extinct since the death of Jean-Joseph Casot at Quebec on 16 March 1842.
On 2 July, Ignace Bourget, at whose invitation the priests had come, confided to them the parish of La Prairie, deprived of its pastor, Michael Power, by his promotion to the newly erected episcopal see of Toronto, 26 June 1842.
It was not till the month of May, 1850, that work was resumed on the college building, but so quickly was it prosecuted that Bourget was invited to bless it, in its advanced stage of completion, on 31 July 1851, feast of St. Ignatius.
On 4 August the novitiate was transferred from its temporary quarters in Charles-Séraphin Rodier's house, and installed in the new edifice, and in the beginning of September everything was in perfect working order in the young institution of learning, from under whose roof, in later years, many men were to go forth as statesmen, judges, physicians and members of the clergy and of the bar.
Martin was not only the founder of Collège Sainte-Marie de Montréal (St. Mary's College), the financier, the architect, and the overseer of the material construction, he was also the systematizer of its curriculum during his rectorship which lasted until 1857.
With such men as Jacques Viger, George-Barthélemy Faribault, Edmund Bailey O'Callaghan, etc., he quickened, if not set on foot, the campaign of research which ended in the placing within reach of all the original historical sources of the colonial and missionary days of New France.
He was commissioned by Government to explore the regions where of old the Jesuits had toiled amongst the Hurons, giving at last to the dusky tribes the priceless gifts of faith.
Perhaps his most eminent service to historical literature was his great share in bringing out the 'Relations des Jésuites' [1611-1672], a very mine of information for the scholar.… He discovered and put into print, with preface and most valuable annotations by himself, the 'Relations' extending from 1672 to 1679.
"Letters preserved in the College archives attest that his relations with E. B. O'Callaghan, compiler of the "Documentary History of New York", were of a kindred nature.