Herbert Martin was born in Birmingham, England on 17 April 1862. He was the son of the architect William Hippisley Martin (1828-1900) with whom he may have trained in the profession. He appears not to have registered as an architect and in the 1911 England and Wales Census gave as his occupation Quantity Surveyor, although in the 1939 England and Wales Register it was given a Architect Surveyor (Retired).
Between 1864 and 1883 his father was in partnership with John Henry Chamberlain (1831-1883) in the architectural firm Martin & Chamberlain. Following the death of Chamberlain in 1883 his brother Frederick William Martin (1859-1917) became a partner in the practice. Herbert Martin joined them as a partner soon after. The practice retained the title Martin & Chamberlain until the death of their father in 1900. It was renamed Martin & Martin. After Frederick William Martin's death in 1917 his son, Cyril Frederick Martin (1887-1981) joined Herbert Martin as a partner together with together with William Henry Ward (1878-?).
Herbert Martin's address was given as 39 Wellington Road, Edgbaston in 1911; and Dragon House, Warwick, Warwickshire in 1939. He died in 1946.
See: Martin & Chamberlain and Martin & Martin