Reg Marshall (1884-1917)
Reginald George Marshall was born on 7 April 1884 in Beaminster, Dorset, to Francis Marshall (a farmer) and Sarah Ann Keats.
|
|
1891 census |
1901 census |
1911 census |
|
|
Beaminster |
Beaminster |
New Westminster |
|
Francis |
43, Farm steward |
53, Farmer |
60, [?] |
|
Sarah |
33 |
43 |
54 |
|
Ethel |
7, Scholar |
17 |
- |
|
Reginald |
6 |
16, Farmer |
27, Farmer |
|
William |
5 |
15, Farmer |
- |
|
Elsie |
3 |
14 |
- |
|
Henry |
- |
9 |
- |
|
Annie |
- |
1 |
11 |
Around 1910, Reg emigrated to Canada with his parents and sister. Francis became a highly-respected farmer – managing Colony Farm and the McLean Ranch for the government, then renting the McLean Ranch by himself.
On 9 October 1911, Reg married Matilda Hopkins and they had two sons. He was employed as a janitor of the “local agriculture hall” – presumably Aggie Hall. By 1914, he was a police constable in Port Coquitlam. He “took a prominent part in the athletic life of the community”, being coach of the Coquitlam football team and umpire for the cricket teams.
He enlisted on 11 March 1915 and served as a Sergeant with the 47th Battalion. When Ben Seaborne wrote home in 1916, he mentioned meeting Reg and other PoCo men overseas. Matilda and the boys moved to England once Reg departed and he was able to visit them for a brief period of leave in 1917.
Reg died of wounds on 22 August 1917 in Lillers, France, aged 33.
