Capt. Francis Milbourne Marsh – aged 47/48 – elder brother of Milbourne, Mary and George
Milbourne Marsh – aged 46/47 – Gibraltar
Elizabeth Marsh (ne Evans)
Eliza Marsh (later Crisp) – aged 20/21 – Gibraltar, Morocco
James Crisp – married Eliza(beth) Marsh this year in Gibraltar
Francis Milbourne Marsh – aged 17/18 – son of Milbourne Marsh and Elizabeth
John Marsh – aged 8/9 – second son of Milbourne and Elizabeth.
Mary Duval (ne Marsh) – aged 43/44 – Sister of George and Milbourne
John Duval – husband of Mary Duval
Elizabeth Duval – aged unknown
George Marsh – aged 33/34
Ann Marsh (ne Long) – aged 35/36
George Marsh – aged 6/7
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Diary of George Marsh
March 1756
My sons were inoculated by Mr Lindsay of Portsmouth the soldiers there having the smallpox broke out amongst them to a violent degree. Upon this operation my dear William was very much alarmed, being not above 14 months old, and to amuse him during it (the operation) I gave him a new guinea which in his fright at the Doctor, he put into his mouth and swallowed to the great surprise of the several Doctors our friends who were with us at the time, and particularly to Mr Lindsay, and to the great uneasiness of my wife and self, however after it had been out of the childs mouth about 5 minutes, Mr Savage the Surgeon gave me the hint, and I took him into another room from my wife who was in great agony about it, and run his finger as far into his throat as he could which occasioned his bringing it up again to the very great pleasure of us all present, but it had so hurt his throat he was some few days before he got well.
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Milbourne Marsh
By 1756 Menorca was considered dispensable. Milbourne was busy as Naval Officer in locating and purchasing old ships from around the Mediterranean to be converted in fireships to be sailed against an invading French fleet.
He supervised the splicing together of surplus masts and cables to make a 250 yard barrier that could be used to block the entrance of Mahon harbour. In April Milbourne Marsh was summoned by the island’s naval commander “Upon the French being landed on the island of Menorca Commodore Edgcumbe gave him an order to proceed from thence in His Majesty’s ship the Princess Louisa to Gibraltar, and there to take upon him the duty of Master Shipwright.” 120 French ships had landed on one side of the island, the British had five ships on the other. They left the following day, 22nd April 1756.
They arrived in Gibraltar on 30 April 1756. Three days later Milbourne compiled a report on naval facilities and defences. His report read, “The capstans, partners and frames entirely decayed, the mast house, boat house, pitch house, smiths shop and cable shed all decayed, and tumbling down; the yard launch wants a thorough repair, and in case there may be a necessity to careen or caulk any of His Majesty’s ships, there is neither floating stages for that service, or boat for the officers to attend their respective duties; the shed within the new mole gates that was used for repairing sails in, likewise the shed for the use of the artificers are both decayed and tumbling down.”
Admiral John Byng informs London, “I have taken upon me to give Mr Milbourne Marsh … and order to act as Master Shipwright &ldots; and have given him orders to use his best endeavours to put the wharf etc in the best condition he can, for very soon they will be wanted. Milbourne’s added responsibilities means his salary goes up from £150 to £200 as well as accommodation and food included. By July 1756 Milbourne’s son John Marsh is also working for him, working as a clerk to write Milbourne’s letters.
On the afternoon of 27th July 1756 sees daughter, Elizabeth off on the Ann back to London via Lisbon, but this ship looses its convoy of fourteen other ships and gets hijacked by Moroccan corsairs. The first Milbourne hears of it they see a newspaper report that the Ann has been seized or sunk by the French. He appealed to Lord Anson, First Lord of the Admiralty for help on the matter.
Another one of the people on the Ann, Joseph Popham, manages to smuggle out a letter to Milbourne suggesting Milbourne sends over some practical comforts for his daughter while they are stuck at Salay (Azilah). The occupants of the Ann were unaware that Sidi Muhammad, Sultan of Morocco had ordered his ships to detain all British occupants as slaves.
However Side Muhammad wanted to make a point of not having European intervention in Moroccan politics and he later agreed to free the crew and passengers of the ship Ann as a show of moderation and justice, as long as Britain sent a ship to pick them all up. They were all eventually conveyed to Gibraltar on the Portland arriving 27th November 1756.
Elizabeth Marsh later wrote a book on her experiences during her time in Morocco. “The Female Captive – A Narrative of Fact which happened in Barbary in the Year 1756, Written by Herself”