Grandparents and parents

We found little information about the maternal side of Frank’s family. His paternal grandparents were James and Mary Marsland. James was born about 1819 in Sale. Mary was born about 1830 in Longsight. James was an agricultural labourer and Mary a laundress. In 1861 they lived on Chorlton Green but had moved to Didsbury by 1871. They had 6 children. Amy, born about 1857 in Chorlton, became a laundress. Leonard (Frank’s father) was born in Chorlton and was baptised on 25 July 1858 at St Clement’s church. Ada was born in Chorlton about 1862. The other 3 children were all born in Didsbury, Edith about 1867, Arthur about 1869 and William about 1870. By 1881 Mary was a widow and lived with 5 of the children at Little Heath, Didsbury. Also there was Mary Cookson, aged 75, presumably Mary’s mother.

Frank’s parents were Leonard and Emma Marsland. Emma was born on 23 July 1864 in Withington. In 1891 they were living at 51 Pownall St, Altrincham, and Leonard was a gardener. By 1901 they lived at 7 Albert St, Withington, and Leonard was described as a shopkeeper, off licence, and gardener (not domestic). At that time they had a servant. Leonard died on 27 August 1907 and was buried at St Paul’s church, Withington, on 3 September 1907, apparently on the orders of the coroner. In 1911, Emma, now 46 and a widow, was living at 12 Beaufort Avenue, West Didsbury. Leonard and Emma had 6 children. The first three were born in Altrincham, Ethel about 1887, Arthur Chorlton on 12 January 1889, and William about 1891. The younger three were all born in Withington, Frank in 1895, Alice on 22 November 1896, and Harold about 1902. Alice was baptised at St Paul’s church on 20 December 1896. Ethel became an elementary school teacher and Arthur a yarn tester, shipping.

Emma appears in the 1939 Register, living at 33 Melbury Avenue, Didsbury. She is described as incapacitated. Also resident were Arthur and his wife, Beatrice Maude Seymour (nee Armstrong), and their 2 children, Alice and Frank. Emma died on 29 October 1954 and was buried at St Paul’s church on 2 November. Her address then was 85 Heaton Moor Rd, Stockport.

Frank

Frank was born on 4 March 1895 and was baptised at St Paul’s church on 14 April 1895. At that time the family lived at 6 Oxford Terrace, Cotton Lane. In 1911, aged 16, he was an insurance clerk. He served as a private in the 21st Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, service number 19198. He later served as a pioneer with the 2nd Special Company of the Royal Engineers, service number 156565. Pioneers mainly performed construction or engineering tasks. Frank died in action on the Messines Ridge on 29 May 1917 and was buried at the Strand Military Cemetery, Hainaut, Belgium, grave reference II. C. 3. The family grave can be seen in St Paul’s churchyard and records the names of Leonard, Emma, Frank and Harold who died in 1938, aged 37.

It is interesting to note that Frank’s brothers Arthur and William appear on the Roll of Honour in Christ Church.