Hector Marchbanks was the eldest of 7 known children, 4 brothers and 3 sisters. His parents Joseph Marchbanks Snr and Margaret Mitchell, born 1857 and 1866 respectively, were natives of Sunderland, County Durham, where they were married during the 4th quarter (Oct/Nov/Dec) 1880, setting up home at 8, Lombard Street. Joseph Snr was employed 2 doors away at the Bamburgh Castle public house as a servant/barman. Ten years later he was working as a dock labourer to support his wife and 3 children, Hector born January 8th 1883, Mary 1886 and Thomas Henry, November 15th 1890. They lived in a tenement building at 19, Sans Street which they shared with 2 other families, in all 7 adults and 13 children. Their son John Edward was born April 2nd 1892, Joseph Jnr 1897 and Henrietta 1898. They had remained at number 19, Sans Street, where in 1901 their youngest child Margaret Ann was born and while Joseph Snr continued to work at the docks, Hector now 18 was employed as a heater at the shipyards and Mary (15) worked at a tobacco shop. Margaret Marchbanks nee Mitchell died aged 37 years during the 2nd quarter 1904, Margaret Ann in 1906, only 5 years old. The loss of his wife brought great changes for Joseph Snr, Mary Ann married in 1906, Thomas Henry found employment as a brickyard labourer living as a boarder at 5, Morton Crescent, Fence Houses in the family home of coal miner Richard Armstrong, Joseph Jnr (16) was a boarder in the home of widow Elizabeth Ann Wright and her 5 children at 21, Morton Crescent, Fence Houses, employed below ground at the colliery as a pony driver, the whereabouts of John Edward, Henrietta and Joseph Snr is unknown, Hector enlisted in the Army.

In 1911 Hector was with the 1st Battalion Alexandra Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment serving in Egypt, Sierra Leone, South Africa and Sudan. When the call went out in 1914 he re-joined his old regiment as Private 9259 and assigned as Section B Reserve, for men who had completed their service in the regular army and were serving their normal period (usually 5 years) on reserve. These men could only be called upon in the event of a general mobilisation, to this effect Private Hector Marchbanks was mobilised but did not serve overseas in any battle zone. Recipient of the British War Medal.

Hector’s brothers also served during WW1, all 3 with the Durham Light Infantry. Thomas Henry and John Edward survived the conflict, his youngest brother Private 12393 Joseph Marchbanks was killed in action in Belgium, September 25th 1915.

Joseph Marchbanks Snr died during the 1st quarter (Jan/Feb/Mar) 1919, aged 62 years, registered in the district of Sunderland, County Durham. Hector was married during the 2nd quarter (Apr/May/June) to Mary A. Squire born at Sunderland, April 24th 1898, with whom he had at least 4 children, Margaret born 1920 died 1921, Mary known as Polly 1924, William April 25th 1929 and Hector Jnr in 1931 all registered at Sunderland. In 1939 Polly (14) who was employed as an examiner at a shirt factory and William (8) a scholar, were living with their parents at 27, Farne Square, Sunderland, Hector worked as a plater’s helper at the shipyard.

Hector Marchbanks died in 1965 aged 82 years, Mary A. Marchbanks nee Squire in 1989 aged 89 years, both registered at Sunderland.

In God’s safe keeping. Rest In Peace.