John Marshall was born in Blackpool on 17 September 1896 and baptised on 25 October 1896. His father was Jacob Marshall who was born in Workington, Cumberland in 1864. As a young man Jacob worked on the family farm in Winscales until the age of 21 when he joined the Lancashire Constabulary. He was stationed in Fleetwood in 1886.
William Craven was the first to be born on 19 November 1888 followed by George (1890), Joseph Harold (1893), Wallace (1894), John (1896), Dorothy (1898), Margaret Mary (1900) and Jacob (1909). All the children were baptised at St. John's Church. With the exception of Dorothy who died aged 2, they all attended St. John's Church of England School.
At first the family lived at 2 Bellevue Terrace, Whitegate Drive and they were still there when the Census was taken on 31 March 1901. Jacob had already received two promotions: to 2nd Class on 15 August 1889 and to 1st Class on 27 December 1889. He was further promoted to Sergeant on 30 July 1894 and to Inspector on 20 October 1899.
When the Census was taken on 31 March 1901, the Marshall family were recorded at the Police Station, New Road (now Talbot Road), Blackpool. On 21 August 1908, when a vacancy was created by the promotion of Chief Inspector Herbert Edward Derham to Superintendent, Jacob was fully deserving of his elevation to fill it.
Jacob and Elizabeth and their seven children were still living at the New Road Police Station in the next Census on 2 April 1911. John, aged 14, had left school to become an apprenticed joiner to Councillor Robert Fenton.
Unfortunately in February 1913 Jacob became very seriously ill and he was forced to retire on ill-health grounds on 17 November 1913. Aged 50, he had served for 25 years with the Blackpool Police Force. He moved to Thornton to farm at Brook Farm, Hillylaid Road, helped by his family, in particular his son Joseph.
John Marshall enlisted in the Royal Engineers in March 1915. He was killed in action on 10 April 1918. Contemporary newspaper reports state that John had been in France and Flanders for about two years and that whilst on active service the previous year he had been offered a commission but declined. He was aged 21 and unmarried. Sapper John Marshall, 83033, 105th Field Company, Royal Engineers is commemorated on Panel 1, Ploegsteert Memorial, Hainaut, Belgium.
Three of John's brothers saw active service and survived the war: George with Motor Transport, Joseph with the Royal Garrison Artillery and Wallace with the Royal Scots. By coincidence, Wallace was wounded in both arms at Arras on the same day, 10 April, the previous year.
During the war years, Jacob Marshall was a district representative under the Agricultural War Committee. He became a councillor for the East Ward of Thornton Urban District Council in April 1921 and, four years later, its Chairman. As Chairman of the Electricity Committee, he pulled the switch on the first spotlight to shine on the Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial.
© www.riverwyre.com 2024