60 - John Marsh (1790 - 1864)
Born in Southwark, Surrey in 1790. John married Mary Ann (maiden name unknown, born 1791, Suffolk and died 1865 St George, London), and they had four children (that I'm aware of) Walter (1818), James (1821), Thomas (1828) and Henry (1831). In 1841 the family lived in West Side Red Lion, Tower Hamlets, and in 1851 in Frederick Place, Mile End, London. In 1861 John and Mary lived at 11 Fishmongers & Poulterers Alms Houses, Wood Green, Tottenham, Middlesex.

John's occupation was a cheesemonger and poultry salesman. John and his son Walter were listed in the 1841 Trade's Directory under the poultry salesmen working at Leadenhall Market. John is also listed in the 1852 London Commercial Directory working at Frederick Place, Mile End Road, London. I believe John's father was also John Marsh a cheesemonger and poultry salesman, he was listed in the 1791 London Profession Directory, and as John Marsh Snr in the 1852 London Commercial Directory.

John's son Thomas also became a poultry salesman and is listed in various London Trade directories working at Ship Tavern Pass, Leadenhall Market and 220 Popular High Street, London, from 1882 up until 1915. In the listing from the 1915 London Post Office Directory they state the family business had been established over 100 years.

John died on the 18th May 1864 at 11 Fishmongers & Poulterers Alms House, Wood Green, aged 74, of anasarca (dropsy). Present at the death was Ann Hubbard of Finsbury Road, Wood Green. Mary Ann died on the 23rd March 1879 also at 11 Fishmongers & Poulterers Alms House, Wood Green, aged 88, of senectus (old age), present at the death was S C Mills of the same address.


30 - Walter John Marsh (1818 - 1885)
Born in Christchurch, Surrey on the 7th April 1818, and christened on the 11th April 1819 at Saint John Horsleydowns, Bermondsey, London. Walter married Mary Ann BAYS on the 4th July 1840 at the Parish Church in St George in the East, Middlesex, their witnesses were Robert Bays and Matilda Bays. On the marriage certificate Walter gave his address as 10 Cannon Street Road, Christchurch and Mary Ann gave her address as 10 Bedford Street, London. Walter and Mary Ann had eight children Mary (1842), Matilda (1843), Susanna (1850), Frederick (1852), Henry (1854), Alfred (1856), Walter (1858-1866), and Clara (1860).

Walter's occupation was a poultry salesman, and was listed in the 1841 Trade's Directory under the poultry salesmen working at Leadenhall Market, London, but went on to become a clerk to a butcher in his later years. On the 1841 census Walter, Mary Ann and her mother Margaret Bays lived at 30 Holmes Street, Tower Hamlets. On the 1861 census the family lived at 5 Gloucester Terrace, Bermondsey, Southwark, Surrey and on the 1881 census at 9 Boundary Row, Christchurch, Southwark.

In 1843 Walter was made bankrupt, and in 1866 the family hit upon more hard times. They were living at 99 Nichol Square, Shoreditch, and on the night of the 18th April Walter junior was taken ill and the police were called to the home. The younger children were found in a poor state of affairs and Walter junior was very weak, a doctor was called for, and the children were then removed to be taken to St Leonards Workhouse in Shoreditch. Sadly, Walter junior died just thirty hours after his admittance to the workhouse, early on the morning of the 20th April. Walter Marsh senior was tried and convicted of his manslaughter at the Old Bailey on the 11th June 1866, and was recommended to mercy by the jury and confined to nine months.

Shoreditch workhouse stands at the northern end of Hoxton Street and was built in 1863.

On the 1871 census Frederick was listed as head of the family, his occupation was porter and bookseller, he was living with Alfred and Clara, at 25 Duke Street, St Saviour, Southwark, London.

Mary Ann Marsh married Charles Ball on the 20th August 1865, and on the 1871 census lived at 135 Usher Road, St Mary (Stratford) Bow, London. Matilda Marsh married George Butler, a brokers clerk, and in 1871 lived 14 Middleton Street, Bethnal Green, London. Susanna Marsh on the 1871 census was working as a servant living at 125/123 Newington Causeway, St Mary Newington, London. Henry Marsh on the 1871 census was a servant at 30 Barnet Street, Bethnal Green, London.

Walter died at 10 Boundary Row, Christchurch on the 11th March 1885, aged 66, of chronic bronchitis and asthma. The informant was his daughter Clara Ricketts who resided at 27 Stanton Street, Peckham, London.


15 - Clara Margaret Marsh (1860 - 1900)
Born at 5 Gloucester Terrace, Bermondsey, Surrey on the 22nd March 1860. Clara married her first husband George William SKELTON in the December quarter of 1879, in Lambeth, London. Clara was sadly made a widow early in her marriage when her husband George died in 1880. They had one son George William (1881) who sadly died at the age of three in Lambeth, London.

Clara married her second husband Charles RICKETTS a bricklayer on the 15th Janaury 1883 at St John's church in St Saviour, Surrey, their witnesses were Charles Delverlogan and Mary Ann Bull. On the marriage certificate Clara gave her address as 9 Boundary Row, London and Charles gave his address as 37 Temple Street, Southwark. Clara was a widow previously married to George Skelton in December 1879, Lambeth. They had six children Charles (1883), William (1886?), Clara (1886), Florence (1889), Walter (1891) and Daisy May (1894).

On the 1891 census the family lived at 9 Boundary Row, Southwark, London and on the 1901 census at 9 Earls Cottages, Bermondsey, London. Clara died at the St Olaves Union Infirmary, Southwark on the 9th June 1900, aged 39, of phthisis (tuberculosis), the informant was her husband Charles.