Born: 28 April, 1722, St Giles, Cripplegate, London, and died 27 October 1800 (possibly christened 30 January 1722 or 1733 in St Mary's Church, Portsea, Hampshire).
Son of: George Marsh (1683-17??) and Elizabeth Marsh (nee Milbourne, 1687-17??).
Brother of:
1. Francis Marsh (1708-17??), Army Officer, died unmarried.
2. Milbourne Marsh (1709-1779), who married ?
3. Mary Duval (nee Marsh, 1712-1800) who married Mr Duval.
4. George Marsh (1714-171?) who died an infant.
5. Daniel Marsh (1716-17??) Naval Officer or a Shipwright who possibly died in 1740 in an accident at work.
6. John Marsh (1718-17??).
7. Isaac Marsh (1720-17??), Naval Officer.
8. Eliza Marsh (1724-17??) who died unmarried.
George married:  Ann Long (1720-1784), 22 August, 1750, St Stephen & St Benet, Sherhog, London (or 19 March 1749 at St Stephens, Walbrook, near the Mansion House).  Ann was the daughter of William Long (16??-1723) and Mary Long (nee Mead).
George had issue:
1. George Marsh, Proctor in Doctor's Commons (1749-1790).
2. William Marsh (1755?-1846) the banker, who married first Amelia Marsh (nee Cuthbert, 1765?-1793), second  Francis Graham (1770-1805), third Elizabeth Tresilian (1769?-1838).
3. Anne Marsh (18 February 1760 - 11 August 1777).
4. Samuel Mead Marsh (16 June 1751 - 10 July 1751).

George Marsh: An Overview

We know of George from the following sources:
1. Diary of George Marsh.  A very extensive account of his family life, his business dealings and his work in the Navy.
2. George Marsh's journal of a visit to Hamburg in 1776 to procure extra ships for the Navy in preparation for the war with America.
3. A record in the National Portrait Gallery, London, recording two portraits of him. Also a portrait by Johann Gerhard Huck.
4. A note in the book "Navy Board Officials, 1660-1832" compiled by JM Collinge, 1978.  See below.
5. Books about Adm Horatio Nelson sometimes make reference to George Marsh (the Commissioner) and his son William Marsh (the Banker).
6. A note in the book "Augustus Hervey's Journal" by David Erskine, 1953, page 298.  Augustus Hervey appointed George Marsh as his prize agent on 10 March 1759.
7. "History of the Ancient Family of Marsh" by Joseph J. Green, Archivist and Genealogist, 1903, revised to date by Wm. Ernest Marsh, of Marston, Bromley, Kent, 1912.
8. Memorials inside the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent.  See below.
9. Various notes in the Greenwich Museum library (I have not seen these yet).
10. Various notes in the British Library, Shee Papers (I have not seen these yet).
11. Various notes in the Public Record Office at Kew.
12. His Scrapbook in the Wellcome Library of Medicine in London (I have not seen this yet).
13. A record of discharges given by the will of John Baynard who died around 1792  George Marsh executor.
14. Various other letters in the Heath-Caldwell Family Archive.
15. Family letters from the Betty Harrison archive.

The book "Navy Board Officials, 1660-1832" compiled by JM Collinge in 1978 records the following:
Marsh, George  
Clerk (Bills and Accounts) pd. from 10 Oct 1745 (Adm. 7/812 f. 10).  
Left office 25 June 1746 on app. as Clerk to Commissioner for Deptford and Woolwich Yards (ibid. ff. 10, 29).
Reapp. 12 Dec 1750 (ibid. f. 10).  
Clerk (Seaman's Wages) 1 May 1751 - 31 Oct. 1763 (ibid. f. 11).  
Left office 31 Oct. 1763 on app. as Commissioner of Victualling (Adm. 7/814 f. 13; C66/3693). 
Controller of Victualling Accounts 28 Oct 1772 - 16 July 1773 (C 66/3738). 
Clerk of Acts 16 July 1773 - 3 Aug. 1796 (C 66/3742).  
Commissioner 3 Aug. 1796 - 27 Oct. 1800 (C 6/3930).  
D. 27 October 1800 (Gent. Mag. (1800), lxx (2), 1110).

Stained glass window located on the north side of St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent.   The inscription reads: To the Glory of God and the memory of George Marsh  Commissioner HMS Navy born 1722 and of his descendants

In addition to the stained glass window, inside St Mary Magdalene, there is also a memorial which reads as follows:
To the memory of George Marsh Esqr.  One of the Principle Officers and Commissioners of His Majesty's Navy, who died the 27th day of October 1800, Aged 78 Years.  He served in various Naval Departments upwards of 64 Years with indefatigable Attention and Fidelity.  Was appointed in 1763, one of the Commissioners for Victualling His Majesty's Navy, and by the King's Command, "In Consequence of the Recommendation to his Majesty by the Earl of Egmont upon his Lordship's retiring the office, and signified to him by the Earl of Sandwich, when First Lord of the Admiralty, in October 1772, a Commissioner of the Navy.

In the archive of the National Portrait Gallery there is a record of two large portraits of George Marsh, which came up for auction in the 1980s.  One portrait is by Lemuel Francis Abbott (c1760-1802) and the record states that it was sold in 1986 together with Marsh's official seal of the Navy office.  The other portrait is by Benjamin Wilson (1721-1788) and was sold in 1984.  Both record his dates as 1722-1800.  Where are these portraits now?

Book plate of George Marsh

I have a letter from a Capt Gilchrist to George, 10 Oct 1774.  Why this letter was kept and what the significance of it was, is not known.  More letters from George also exist in the Greenwich Museum Library (I have not seen these yet) and the British Library.

For a more comprehensive overview of George Marsh's life you may wish to read his Diary which is pretty much a complete autobiography and has a lot of information about his business associates and political dealings.

If you have any information to add to what is listed please contact me on jj@jjhc.info
(Home)  (Gilchrist Letter)  (Marsh Window)  (Diary of George Marsh) (Portrait by Huck)  (Portrait by Wilson)  (Portrait by Abbott)  (Gillingham Church)

This website is sponsored by Local Surveyors Direct.  House buyers requiring a Building Survey can visit the website, enter their property details and instantly obtain a list of estimates from Chartered Building Surveyors.  Home sellers can obtain quotes for Home Information Packs and Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) from HIP Pack providers.  Also listed are Structural Engineers, Architects, Electricans etc.

www.localsurveyorsdirect.co.uk