John Marshall

1703 - 1779

John was born in Gratton in 1703, and baptised at All Saints, Youlgreave on 2nd November ⁽¹⁾. He appears to have been the eldest child of Humphrey and Isabella, even though they had been married for almost six years by the time of his birth ⁽²⁾. A younger sister named Elizabeth was born in 1706 ⁽³⁾, but only survived for a few days ⁽⁴⁾, so when his parents had another daughter in 1808, they called her Elizabeth too ⁽⁵⁾. Finally, his youngest sister, Mary, was born in 1710 ⁽⁶⁾. His sister Elizabeth died in 1719 ⁽⁷⁾. John's father taught him his trade as a stone mason, the trade he would follow all his life ⁽²²⁾.

He married a woman called Jane, and they lived in Gratton ^{(8)(10)(11)(12)(13)(16)(18)(19)}. Their first child, Samuel, was born in 1727 ⁽⁸⁾, the year before the death of his father ⁽⁹⁾. His eldest daughter Jane was born in 1730 ⁽¹⁰⁾, followed by son Humphrey in 1732 ⁽¹¹⁾, and Thomas in 1734 ⁽¹²⁾. Daughter Elizabeth was born in 1740, and was apparently baptised twice, in both Youlgreave and Winster ^(13)(14)! Son Charles was born around late 1741 or early 1742 ⁽¹⁵⁾, and youngest son Job in late 1742 or early 1743 ⁽¹⁶⁾. His mother died the following year ⁽¹⁷⁾. He had a daughter Ruth in 1745 ⁽¹⁸⁾, and finally a daughter Jane in 1747 ⁽¹⁹⁾, but she only lived for a few days ⁽²¹⁾. His wife died at the same time ⁽²⁰⁾, presumably due to complications with the pregnancy and/or birth. He never remarried.

In 1771, news reached John of his cousin Humphry from America, who he had never met. Humphrey was trying to establish the date of his father, John's uncle Abraham's, birth, following his death at a reputedly very old age. John wrote, or perhaps more likely dictated, a letter to him, in which he gave brief details of his family, and asked Humphrey for similiar in return ⁽²²⁾. Its unknown whether he ever got the reply he wanted prior to his death eight years later. He was buried in Youlgreave on 29th September 1779 ⁽²³⁾.

• Samuel was born in Gratton in 1727, and died there in 1795. There is no indication that he ever married or had children.
• Jane was born in Gratton in 1730. Nothing more is known of her.
• Humphrey was born in Gratton in 1732. He married Martha Robinson from Bakewell in 1756, and they initially settled in Gratton, where they had two children, Noah and Mary. Sometime in the early 1760s they moved to Alport, where they had a daughter Easter. They moved on to Rowtor over the next few years and their youngest child Elizabeth was born there in 1772. They moved back to Gratton again soon afterwards, where Humphrey died in 1777.
• Thomas was born in Gratton in 1734. He married a woman called Hannah, but they appear not to have had any children. They lived in Gratton, where they had a farm. Thomas died in 1814.
• Elizabeth was born in Gratton in 1740. In 1759 she married William Derbyshire from Biggin Moor. They set up home there and had eight children over the next 26 years - Cassandra, Susannah, Martha, John, Hannah, Elizabeth, William and James. Elizabeth died in 1820.
• Charles has his own page.
• Job was born around the turn of 1742/43. He married Elizabeth Swindel from Parwich in 1779, and they lived in Gratton. They had three children - John, Hannah and Job, before he died relatively young in 1784
• Ruth was born in Gratton in 1745. Nothing more is known of her.
• Jane was born in Gratton in 1747, but she only lived a few days.

1. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1703, November] Gratton: Bap^d John the son of Humphry & Issabellah Marshall the 2^d day
2. See his parent's pages for details.
3. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [October 1706] Gratton: Bap^d Elizabeth Daughter of Humphrey & Issabell Marshall y^e 21^st
4. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1706] Gratton: Buried Elizabeth Daughter of Humphrey & Issabel Marshall October y^e 27^th
5. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [February 1708] Gratton: Bap^d Elizabeth daughter of Humphrey & Issabell Marshall y^e 23^d
6. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1710] Gratton: Bap^d Mary daughter of Humphrey & Isabel Marshall y^e 23: No:
7. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1719] Gratton: Buried Elix: D of Humphery Marshall Feb y^e 13^th
8. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [1727] Gratton: Bap Samuel the son of John & Jane Marshall 13 August
9. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
   [Burials, 1728] Gratton: Humphry Marshall Feb 1
10. The Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave (Transcription by Val Neal) lists the baptism of Jane, daughter of John Marshall and Jane his wife, on 10th June 1730.
11. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [Baptisms, June 1732] Gratton: Humphrey the son of John & Jane Marshall the 4^th day
12. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [1734] Gratton: Bap: Thomas y^e son of John and Jane Marshall Nov^br y^e 13
13. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [January 1739/40] Gratton: Bap^d         of John and Jane Marshall the 28 day
14. Parish Register of St John the Baptist's, Winster includes the entry:
    [1739/40] Elizabeth Daughter of John Marshall of Gratton baptized January y^e 28
15. No baptism appears in the parish registers for Charles. However there are clues to his parentage and date of birth:
    • Charles 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 baptised in 1764. Humphrey was the son of of John and Jane, 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 wrote a letter to an American cousin in 1771 ⁽²²⁾, in which he stated that he had five sons living at the time. The parish records only contain baptisms for only 4 sons of John - Samuel ⁽⁸⁾, Humphrey ⁽¹¹⁾, Thomas ⁽¹²⁾ and Job ⁽¹⁶⁾, indicating that one of his 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 is there any indication of a missing child from the baptism records), the evidence strongly suggests that Charles was the "unknown fifth son" of John.
    • Going by his reported age at death Charles was born between August 1741 and August 1742. As John had another son Job baptised in January 1743 ⁽¹⁶⁾, it seems likely that Charles's birth would have been towards the begining of this possible range, and certainly before March 1742.
16. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [January 1742/43] Gratton: Bap Job son of John and Jane Marshall the 2 day
17. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [August 1744] Gratton: Buried Isabel Marshall Widow       The 15
18. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [1745] Gratton: Bap Ruth the Daughter of John & Jane Marshall June y^e 12
19. 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
20. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [October 1747] Gratton: Buried Jane Marshall   the 28 day
21. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [October 1747] Gratton: Buried Jane Marshall infant the 30 day
22. "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 parsish 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-eigth 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 sonn 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"
    This letter was accompanied by one from the above mentioned Joseph Storrs of Chesterfield, dated 28th August 1771, which says
    "Friend Marshall
    Thy letter to my father came duly to hand; agreeably whereto, I have made some enquiry about they father's age, and thy relations, as follows:- Humphry Marshall, the eldest brother of Abram, was born and registered at Youlgreave, in the year 1667. Abram was the next son, and two years younger, according to thy cousin John's account, but is not to be found in the register. As they were often without a parson, the register was neglected. His sister Sarah married one Wilson, and hath one daughter living, called Sarah. I don't hear of any more of the relations, except John, the writer of the annexed letter, who lives very reputably, and I believe is a sober, religious man (of the Church of England). His children have all done well.
    One of Humphry's brothers died a friend, at Aldwark, and was buried at Monyash, in this county. Others were most convinced, but not so as to be joined to Friends. This is what intelligence I have procured, and hope will be satisfactory.
    Gratton and Youlgreave are about thirteen miles from this place.
    I remain thy friend
    Joseph Storrs"
23. Parish Register of All Saints, Youlgreave includes the entry:
    [Burials, September 1779] Gratton: John Marshall 29^th

Confirm the baptism of Jane Marshall on 10/6/1730 in PR (note that PR from this era is difficult to read on film, so will have to confirm in original).