Photo: Clare Taylor
Frederick Marshman, one of 9 known children, was the 4th born of 7 brothers and had 2 elder sisters. His father George Marshman was born in 1854 at the village of Croscombie, Somerset where he was baptised April 23rd 1854. With little possibility of work as a young man, he alone moved to Risca, Monmouthshire, Wales where he met local girl Sarah Ann born 1854. In the surrounding area there were collieries, tinplate and steel works, an iron and steel foundry, a brewery, fire-brick works and limekilns. George easily found employment as a coal miner and by 1881 he and Sarah Jane had 2 children, William born at Risca, May 19th 1876 and Mary born December 14th 1879 in the civil parish of Panteg, where they were living at Sebastopol. A year later they had moved to Scotland where George Marshman Jnr was born, July 22nd 1882 and finally settled in England at Castleside, near Consett, where son Thomas was born in 1885 and Elizabeth, January 7th 1888. George Snr had found employment as a pitman at the steel works and William (14) as a labourer at the iron works, whilst they were living at Stanefordham, Mary and George, 12 and 8, were scholars, Thomas and Elizabeth 5 and 3, remained at home with their mother. Over the next 10 years they remained at Stanefordham and Sarah Ann gave birth to a further 4 children, Frederick 1891, Bertie 1894, Arthur 1897 and Percy, February 7th 1900. George and son William had by 1901 been joined at the steel works by George Jnr (18) and Thomas (15) working as fitters.
Sarah Ann died in 1908 aged 52 years, George Marshman Snr aged 55 years in 1909, registered in the district of Lanchester. This led to the break-up of their family. Arthur (14) was taken in by his eldest brother William and his wife Mary Jane, living at 14, Blumont Terrace, Consett, where William was employed as an engine-man hammer driver at the steel mill, who had a 5-year-old boy George William Edwards. Percy Marshman (11), in the 1911 census is listed as the adopted son of John Joseph Cuthbertson and his wife Mary Jane, who was in fact his sister. George Marshman (27) employed by the Railway Company as a porter was one of 2 boarders in the Donaldson household at 9, Loud Cottages, Annfield Plain, the head of the household Thomas Henry Donaldson was also a porter. Bertie (16) was taken in by his sister Elizabeth Ann and her husband Isaac Thompson at 7, Park Terrace, Castleside, who had 2 children, Stanley and Florence, 4 and 1-years old. He and his brother-in-law were both employed by the Consett Iron Company in 1911. Thomas Marshman who had married at the Wesleyan Chapel, Shotley Bridge, February 3rd 1906 to Elizabeth Bell (Isabella) Leath is listed in 1911 as a visitor in the home of widow Elizabeth Hurley at 7, Thorpes Lane, Grantham, West Riding, Yorkshire, occupation unknown, whilst his wife and 1-year old son, Kenneth, born May 5th 1909 at Gateshead, County Durham, were living in 2 rooms at 12, Stanefordham, Consett. Frederick Marshman (19), married November 21st 1910 at Lanchester Registry Office to Elizabeth Wood Hardy, born 1892 at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Northumberland. Employed by a steel manufacturer as a stationary engine-man he was living with his new wife, listed as one of 5 boarders, in the home of his in-laws and family at 10, Palmerston Street, Consett.
Frederick had already joined the Army at Consett, aged 17 years, April 5th 1909, prior to his marriage, for a period of 4 years' service in the United Kingdom and was part of the 6th Battalion Durham Light Infantry, Private 1021. The 6th Battalion D.L.I. had been formed from the old 2nd Volunteer Battalions, a Territorial Force. He underwent initial training between July 31st-August 14th 1909 and thereafter attended the regiments annual camp in 1910 at Rothbury, Strensall in 1911, Scarborough 1912 and 1913 and re-engaged for a further 2 years in 1913.
His home life and occupation as a labourer at the Consett Iron and Steel Works was unaffected by his Territorial training and he and his wife by 1913 had 2 children, Doris Edna born April 24th 1911 and Raymond June 21st 1913.
When war was declared with Germany in August 1914 the 6th Battalion was at its annual camp in Wales. Private Marshman was mobilised August 5th 1914 and over the next 8 months trained with his battalion, which had been divided into four companies, “A”, “B”, “C” and “D”, at Bolden, Ravensworth and Bensham for active service overseas.
He departed with his regiment leaving his wife heavily pregnant with their third child, born August 17th 1915, whom she named Frederick Albert.
Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Harry Watson, a solicitor from Barnard Castle, the regiment had left Newcastle-upon-Tyne railway station, April 19th 1915, bound for France before moving to Belgium where within days, without any nursery training, they were fighting during the 2nd Battle of Ypres. Having suffered heavy casualties due to shelling and gas attacks at Frezenberg they remained on the Ypres salient as part of the 151st Brigade, 50th Northumbrian Division until August 1916.
Private Frederick Marshman had been recalled to England April 1st 1916 and 5 days later was discharged under King’s regulations 392(xxi), “Termination of his period of engagement.” He was deemed by the Army to have enlisted for a second time June 24th 1916 but was not called up for service until May 2nd 1918. He left his home at 4, Murray Road, Chester-le-Street and his occupation as a motor driver and made his way to Newcastle-upon-Tyne for medical examination. Passed as fit and due to his skill in driving he was posted to the Royal Army Service Corps, Motor Transport Division as Private 401674, May 3rd, arriving the following day at the Northumberland Fusiliers Reception Depot, Grove Park, London. May 8th his capability as a lorry driver was tested which he passed with flying colours. After a period of leave, June 13th-18th 1918, to his home, he left his pregnant wife who was carrying their fourth child and returned to his unit, embarked via Southampton, June 29th 1918 arriving at Le Havre June 30th. Upon his arrival he was posted to the troops of the Medium Machine Gun section, Motor Transport, attached to the 3rd Battalion Royal Horse Guards Machine Gun Regiment. Private Marshman remained overseas in France even after the signing of the Armistice, it was not until May 21st 1919 that he transferred to the United Kingdom for discharge, June 19th 1919, just prior to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, June 28th 1919 which officially brought WW1 to an end. Awards 1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.
During his absence his wife had given birth to a son Alan Hardy Marshman, January 18th 1919.
Frederick and his wife remained in the north east and in 1939 were living alone at 5, Victoria Terrace, Pelton, Chester-le-Street, where he was employed as a heavy goods vehicle motor driver. Their now adult children had all left County Durham and gone their separate ways.
Doris Edna Marshman had married at Northallerton, Yorkshire North Riding in 1936 to Thomas Harold Garbutt born April 25th 1905, Thirsk, Yorkshire, a dairy farmer from Staindale. Thomas died in 1975 aged 70 years, Doris Edna Garbutt nee Marshman aged 87 years in 1999, both registered in North Yorkshire.
Raymond Marshman was married in Hendon, Middlesex in 1937 to Louisa M Gibbons born May 31st 1916, Wilesden, Middlesex. In 1939 they were living in Wembley, Raymond was employed by an aircraft production company in the machine shop as a floor inspector, Louisa was a lid worker. They both died in the district of Bournemouth, Dorset, Raymond Marshman in 1997 aged 84 years, Louisa Marshman nee Gibbons aged 81 years in 1998.
Frederick Albert Marshman had moved to Bedfordshire and was employed in 1939 as a bumping machine worker for a wool and fur felt manufacturing firm, living in the household of the McMordie family at 35, Stanford Road, Luton. He was married in 1945 to Hilda M. Dogcart born June 8th 1919, a shorthand typist, who had moved to Luton from Fulham, London. Frederick Albert Marshman died in 1990, aged 75 years, Glyndwr, Clwyd, Wales, Hilda M. Marshman nee Dogcart aged 80 years, Flintshire West, Clwyd, Wales.
Alan Hardy Marshman by 1946 had moved to Barnsley where he was married to local girl Mary E Burkinshaw born 1918. Alan Hardy Marshman died aged 69 years in 1989, Mary E Marshman nee Burkinshaw in 2015 aged 97 years, Barnsley, South Yorkshire.
Their parents Frederick and Elizabeth Wood Marshman nee Hardy died Durham Northern, May 16th 1967 and 1976 respectively aged 66 and 84 years.
It should be noted BMD and census entries for Frederick’s wife list her as Elizabeth Wood Hardy, whereas, his military records states Elizabeth Winifred Hardy.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.