Charles Marshall

1741 - 1819


Charles's rather shaky signature on his will, days before his death in 1819 ⁽²⁰⁾.
(A much earlier example from more than 50 years prior to this can be seen at the time of his marriage ⁽⁹⁾)

Charles is believed to have been born around the end of 1741 in Gratton, the son of John and Jane ⁽¹⁾. He had three older brothers, Samuel, Humphrey and Thomas, along with at two sisters Elizabeth and Jane ⁽³⁾. His only younger brother, Job, was born about a year later ⁽⁴⁾, followed by sister Ruth in 1745 ⁽⁵⁾. He also had a youngest sister Jane, born in 1747 ⁽⁶⁾, but she only survived for a few days ⁽⁸⁾, their mother also dying at the same time ⁽⁷⁾, presumably from a complication with the birth.

He married a heavily pregnant Rebecca Knowles at St Helen's, Darley, in February 1767 ⁽⁹⁾, then returned there for the baptism of their son James, just two months later ⁽¹⁰⁾. The family probably lived in Elton itself, although it is possible they lived just outside the village, in his ancestral home of Gratton. His eldest daughter Hannah was born in 1769 ⁽¹¹⁾, then came Mary in 1771 ⁽¹²⁾, and Jonathan in 1774 ⁽¹³⁾. Mary died aged just 4 in 1776 ⁽¹⁴⁾. His son John was born in 1777 ⁽¹⁵⁾, then his daughter Mary in the early summer of 1779 ⁽¹⁶⁾. Later that summer his father John died ⁽¹⁷⁾. His youngest daughter Martha came along in 1782 ⁽¹⁸⁾, and finally his youngest son Charles in 1788 ⁽¹⁹⁾.

Nothing more is known of him, until he wrote his will on 30th July 1819 ^(20)(21), whilst on his deathbed. This the first time that his occupation (miner) is mentioned in the records. He left mainly cash legacies to his children, but also had about twenty acres of land and shares in a couple of lead mines called Blacklow and Fill Barns to bequeath. He died shortly afterwards, and was buried in Elton on 6th August ⁽²²⁾. His wife survived him by five years ⁽²³⁾.

• James was born in 1767, probably in Elton, even though he was baptised in Darley. He married Ann Newton in 1792, and they lived in Elton. They had 10 chilren over the next 14 years, namely Abraham, Ellen, John, Mary, Lydia, Henry, Mary (the first one having died aged 3), Sarah, Ann and James. James was the parish clerk of Elton from at least 1841, but probably much earlier, until he died in 1848.
• Hannah was born in Elton in 1769. She had an illegitimate daughter, Sarah in 1789, then married George Beeby the following year, which suggests he was probably the father. They had another daughter, Elizabeth in 1791. George died in 1831, and Hannah in 1846.
• Mary was born in 1771 in Elton, and died there in 1776.
• Jonathan was born in Elton in 1774. He married Sarah Allen in 1793, and they had four children - John, Rebeckah, Hannah and Charles. His wife Sarah died in 1811, and sometime over the next 3 or 4 years he married a woman called Patience, with whom he had two more daughters, Sarah and Mary. Patience died young too, in 1826. Jonathan died in January 1850.
• John has his own page.
• Mary was born in Elton in 1779. She married William Ashmore, gentleman, in 1805, and they had a daughter Sophia. Mary died in 1818.
• Martha was born in 1782 in Elton. In 1808 she married George Marsden, and they lived in Birchover. They had a son Jonathan in 1809, and a daughter Hannah in 1811, but nothing more is known of them.
• Charles was born in Elton in 1788. He married Esther Salt in 1824 and they had four children - Elizabeth, Charles, William and Ann. Chrles called himself a farmer, labourer and miner at various different times. He died in Elton, aged 83, in 1871.

1. No baptism appears in the parish registers for Charles. However there are clues to his parentage and date of birth:
   • He was a witness at the marriage of Esther Marshall to Henry Watts, in Elton in 1784. This must have been Easter daughter of Humphry and Martha Marshall born 1764. Her father was the son of of John and Jane Marshall, born 1732, who had died seven years beforehand. With her father being dead, it seems likely that Charles, being a witness, was a fairly close relative, who had perhaps "given her away" at the wedding.
   • John Marshall (father of Humphrey above) wrote a letter to an American cousin in 1771 ⁽²⁾, in which he stated that he had five sons living at the time. Reconstructing John's family from the parish records reveals baptisms for only 4 sons - Samuel, Humphrey, Thomas and Job - all of which were alive in 1771, indicating that one of John's sons' baptisms was missing from the registers.
   • There was no other Marshall family in Elton, besides John and Jane, having children at the time so, although there was a Marshall family in nearby Winster, and another in nearby Stanton having children in this period, (for neither of which there is any indication of a missing child from the baptism records), the evidence strongly suggests that Charles was the "unknown fifth son" of John and Jane
   • Going by his reported age at death Charles was born between August 1741 and August 1742. As John and Jane had another son baptised in January 1743, it seems likely that Charles's birth would have been towards the begining of this possible range, and certainly before March 1742.
2. "Memorials of John Bartram and Humphry Marshall" by William Darlington, Philadelphia, 1849, pp524-526 contains a copy of a letter to Humphrey Marshall, the American botanist, dated 14th August 1771, from John Marshall of Gratton. In it he says
   "Cousin Humphry
   I not hearing of your family, of a great number of years, expected I should never have heard of you more; nor had not now, but by Mr Storrs' inquiry after your father's age, and whether any of his family or relations were living. I John Marshall, am all the nephew your father hath living, and live in a hamlet called Gratton, in the parish of Youlgreave, and in the county of Derbyshire: that is, I live in the same hamlet where my uncle Abram was born, and all his brothers. His brother's names were Humphry, Samuel, and John Marshall. My father, Humphry, died when he was about sixty years of age, was a stone cutter, or what we call a mason, and I learned the same trade with my father, and still follow it. I am now in the sixty-eighth year of my age, and have eight children now living, five sons and three daughters.
   Dear Cousin, if these lines come safe to you, which I hope they will, I beg you will be so kind, as soon as you conveniently can, as to send me a few lines of the number and welfare of your family: for you see, by my age, that my glass runs apace, and I must expect soon to be called hence; but should be glad, if God permit, to hear from you before I die. May the blessing of God attend you, and all your family, and all your undertakings.
   This from your loving cousin
   John Marshall"
3. See his parent's pages for details.
4. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [January 1742/43] Gratton: Bap Job son of John and Jane Marshall the 2 day
5. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1745] Gratton: Bap Ruth the Daughter of John & Jane Marshall June y^e 12
6. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [October 1747] Gratton: Bap Jane the Daughter of John and Jane Marshall June y^e 26
7. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [October 1747] Gratton: Buried Jane Marshall   the 28 day
8. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [October 1747] Gratton: Buried Jane Marshall infant the 30 day
9. Parish Register of St Helen's, Darley contains the following marriage entry :
   Charles Marshall of the parish of Elton
   and Rebecca Knowles of this
   Parish of Darley were
   Married in this Church by License
   this twenty second Day of February in the year One Thousand Seven
   Hundred and sixty seven by me William M Wray Rector
   This marriage was solemnized between Us: Charles Marshall; Rebecca Knowles's mark
   In the Presence of James Knowles; Henry Knowles
10. Parish Register of St Helen's, Darley includes the entry:
    [Baptisms April 1767] 21 James Son of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
11. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1769] May 8 Hannah Daug^r of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
12. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1771] Dec^r 25 Mary Daug^r of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
13. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1774] Nov^r 1 Jonatyhan Son of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
14. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Burials 1776] March 4 Mary Daug^r of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
15. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1777] March 2 John Son of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
16. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1779] July 4 Mary Daug^r of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
17. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [Burials, September 1779] Gratton: John Marshall 29^th
18. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1782] Sep^r 1 Martha Daug^r of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
19. Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    [Baptisms 1788] Feb: 3^rd Charles Son of Charles & Rebecca Marshall
20. Will of Charles Marshall (page 1, page 2, page 3) (ref: B/C/11/Charles Marshall, Elton, 1819 @ LRO) reads:
    In the Name of God Amen. I Charles
    Marshall of Elton in the County of Derby
    Miner, do hereby make, publish, & declare
    this to be my last Will and Testament
    in manner & form following. First, it is my
    will & desire that all my just Debts, Funeral
    & testamentary Charges & Expenses be paid
    and discharged as soon as may be after my
    decease. Also I give, devise and bequeath
    all that my Freehold Messuage, or Dwelling
    house wherein I now live situate in Elton
    together with the Garden, Coalhouse, Stable,
    and other appurtenances thereto belonging
    to my dear wife Rebecca Marshall to reside
    therein or otherwise to receive the Rents &
    profits thereof during the term of her natu-
    ral life, and immediately after her decease
    I give & devise the same Dwelling House
    with its appurtenances to my son Charles
    Marshall, his heirs and assigns for ever.
    Also I give and bequeath to my said Wife
    during the term of her natural life, all
    my Household Furniture which shall be
    found in my House at my decease; and after
    her death, I give the said Furniture to my Son
    Charles. Also I give & devise all that piece or
    parcel of land belonging to me, situate upon
    Elton Common, & containing about half an
    acre, to my said Wife during the term of her
    natural life, and after her decease I give &
    devise the same to my son Jonathan his
    heirs and assigns for ever. And as concern-
    ing all my personal Estate and Effects of what
    kind soever I give and bequeath the same, with
    the profits and interest arising therefrom, to my
    said Wife, during the term of her natural life
    and to be disposed of by her at her death, as
    she shall think proper, except as follows, namely
    out of the said personal Estate & Effects, I give &
    bequeath to my eldest son James Marshall the
    sum of ten pounds. I also give to my Daughter
    Hannah Beeby the sum of ten Pounds; to my
    son Jonathan the sum of twenty pounds; to
    my son John twenty pounds; and to mt Daugh-
    ter Martha Marsden the sum of twenty Pounds:
    which said sums of money I direct shall be paid
    to my said five Children their heirs & assigns res-
    pectively within two months after my said Wife's
    decease, or as soon afterwards as my Money at
    Interest can be called in. Also I give to my
    son Jonathan all my shares of the Lead Mine
    called Blacklow; and also to my son John
    my shares of a Mine called Fill Barns - and
    with respect to the lnd which I now hold under
    lease from the Rev^d George Mason, my will
    is that my Son James Marshall shall conti-
    nue to hold after my death that part of the
    said land which he now occupies consisting
    of about seven acres: and that my said Wife
    shall occupy the remainder consisting of about
    eleven acres during her life, & after her death
    that the said eleven acres shall be occupied by
    my son Charles. - and lastly I do hereby
    nominate and appoint Mr Robert Alsop of
    Gratton, & my said Wife Rebecca, to be Executor
    & Executrix of this my last Will & testament.
    In witness whereof I have hereunto set my
    hand and seal this thirtieth day of July in
    the year of our lord 1819.
    Signed, sealed, published               Charles Marshall
    and declared by the said
    Charles Marshall as and for
    his last will & Testament
    in the presence of us, who in
    his presence have hereunto sub
    scribed our Names as witnesses
    William Staley
    Benjamin bridge
    Henry Watts
21. Probate of the estate of Charles Marshall (ref: B/C/11/Charles Marshall, Elton, 1819 @ LRO) reads:
    Will
    In the Bishops Court of Lichfield
    In the Goods of Charles Marshall
    Deceased
    Appeared personally Robert Alsop of Gratton in
    the parish of Elton in the County of Derby
    Farmer and Rebecca Marshall of Elton
    aforesaid widow the Executor and
    Executrix named in the last Will and Testament of the said Charles
    Marshall late of Elton
    in the County of Derby
    aforesaid miner Deceased; and made Oath, that the Estate and
    Effects of the said Deceased, fo, or in respect of which, a Probate of the said Will
    is to be granted, exclusive of what the
    said Deceased may have been possessed of, or entitled to, as a Trustee for any other
    person or persons, and not beneficially, but including the Leasehold Estate or
    Estates for Years of the Deceased, if any, whether absolute or determinable on Lives,
    and without deducting any thing on account of the Debts, due and owing from the
    said Deceased are under the value of One hundred and fifty
    Pounds, to the best of these Deponent's knowledge, information and belief.
    Sworn on the 26^th                 Robert Alsop
    day of Sep^t 1819,                Rebecca ^her X Marshall
    before me
22. Bishop's transcript of the Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    

    Name	Abode	When buried	Age
    Charles Marshall	Elton	Augst 6 [1819]	77

23. Bishop's transcript of the Parish Register of All Saints, Elton includes the entry:
    

    Name	Abode	When buried	Age
    Rebecca Marshall	Elton	Augst 19 [1824]	79

Check to see if his marriage license still survives, as it may confirm name of his father.