Born: 12 February 1755, christened 6 March 1755 at St Olave, Hart St, London and died 1 January 1846, aged 90, buried 9 January 1846 at St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham. 
Son of: George Marsh, commissioner of the Navy, and Ann Marsh (nee Long, 1720-1784).
Brother of:
1. George Marsh, Proctor in Doctor's Commons (1750?-1790).
2. Anne Marsh (18 February 1760 - 11 August 1777).
3. Samuel Mead Marsh (16 June 1751 - 10 July 1751).
William married firstly: Amelia Marsh (nee Cuthbert) (1765?- 5 July 1793), 27 October 1785 in St Mary's, St Marlebone, London,  daughter of Arthur Cuthbert (1734?-1788) and Sarah Cuthbert (1744?-1777) of Woodcote Hall, Surrey. 
William married secondly: 15th November 1794, Francis Graham (15 June 1770- 5 April 1805), second daughter of John Graham Esq of the Supreme Council at Calcutta. Sister in law of Sir Henry Dashwood.
William married thirdly: Elizabeth Tresilian (1769?-1838), daughter of Leonard Tresilian Esq.  She died 28th February 1838.
William had issue by Amelia Cuthbert:
1. Arthur Cuthbert Marsh  (1786-1849) who married Anne Caldwell (Marsh-Caldwell) (1791-1874) daughter of James Caldwell (1759-1838) and Elizabeth Caldwell (nee Stamford) (1754-1831).  
2. Amelia Marsh (21 December 1788 - 26 August 1861).
3. George Marsh (1790 - 30 July 1868).
4. Ann Marsh (21 January 1792-?).
5. Sarah Marsh (17 March 1793 and died 14 August 1793).
William had issue by Francis Graham:
6. Francis Mary Marsh (14 August 1797 - 2 May 1818).
7. William Marsh (18 October 1795 - 10 September 1824) who died on the day the bank crashed.  Surprisingly he died of natural causes and it would appear completely unconnected with the fall of the bank.
8. Mary Marsh (1798-1839).  Born 9 December 1798 and died 6 March 1839.  Buried 14 March at St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent.
9. Georgiana Nelson Marsh (1801-1861).  Born 7 January 1801 and died 24th March 1861.

William Marsh: An Overview

We know of William from the following sources:
1. A note on the Caldwell family in Burke's Landed Gentry.
2. A collection of letters relating to Ann Marsh-Caldwell (William's daughter in Law).
3. The book "A Handbook of London Bankers", by F G Hilton Price, 1876.
4. The Complete Newgate Calendar, Vol. V.
5. Books about Nelson sometimes make reference to George Marsh (the Commissioner) and his son William Marsh (the Banker).
6. A record in the National Portrait Gallery, London, of a portrait sold at Sotheby's in April 1975.
7.  A collection of legal documents held in the Staffordshire Record Office (4229/1/1/1 onwards).
8. Memorial inside St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent.
9. "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.
10. Report on Marsh & Co by Robert Wilkinson, 1825.

William Marsh was a partner in a London banking firm which handled the accounts of many of the rich and famous of the day, including Horatio Nelson.  The firm operated for quite a few years until a major fraud was carried out in 1824 by one of William's partners, Henry Fauntleroy.  The bank was recorded in the London Directory of 1797 as "De Vismes, Cuthbert, Marsh, Creed and Co." so presumably it was founded some time before this.  Nelson refer's to the bank as Marsh & Creed but his may have been a seperate company.  By 1824 the bank was based at 6 Berners Street, Oxford Street and was called "Marsh, Sibbald and Co." and it would appear that William Marsh was the senior partner.  Presumably the earlier partner, by the name Cuthbert, was related to William's wife and may have been her father, Arthur Cuthbert.

I understand that the Marsh family were friends of Horatio Nelson who was a god father to Georgiana Nelson Marsh.

William seems to have owned a number of properties in London and in 1829 still owned the following:
No 38 Sloane Street, No 23 Norfolk Street, No 25 Norfolk Street, No 13 Sloane Square.  In 1840 he bought (with his daughter, Georgiana Nelson Marsh) a property known as No 11 York Gate.  A collection of documents including a number of letters relating to this are held at the Staffordshire Record Office 4229/1/3/1.  No 11 York Gate seems to have been used as a town house for all the family up until 1861 when Georgiana died and the property was sold.

In the National Portrait Gallery archive there is a record of a portrait of William Marsh by Francis Lemuel Abbott (c1760-1802) in a similar style to that of his father's (George Marsh).  William's dates are recorded on his portrait as being 1756-1846.

It would appear that William's personal fortune was lost with the bank in 1824.  It is possible that his portrait together with those of his father were all sold around this period as no record exists of them being in the family afterwards.

A note in the Staffordshire Record Office (4229/1/3/5/5) records him dying at Cheltenham.

Tablet in St Mary Magdalene, Gillingham, Kent.  The inscription reads: In Memory of William Marsh Esq.  formerly of Knightsbridge in the County of Middlesex, late of York Gate, Regents Park, who died 1st January 1846 aged 90 years.  Also of Elizabeth, his third wife, daughter of Leonard Tresilian Esq. who died 28th February 1838, aged 69 years.

If you have any information to add to what is listed please contact me on jj@jjhc.info
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