1776

Francis Marsh – aged 67/68 if alive – elder brother of Milbourne, Mary and George – unmarried

Milbourne Marsh – aged 66/67 – father of Eliza, Francis and John
Elizabeth Marsh (ne Evans) – wife of Milbourne Marsh

James Crisp Esq – Merchant for East India Company in Dhaka, Bengal (Bangladesh)
Eliza Crisp (ne Marsh) – aged 40/41 – daughter of Milbourne Marsh – Touring Eastern India
Burrish Crisp – aged 13/14- son of James Crisp and Eliza (Marsh) – Dhaka
Elizabeth Maria Crisp (later Shee) – aged 11/12 – daughter of James and Eliza Crisp – Chatham

Major Francis Milbourne Marsh – aged 37/38 – Major in the 90th Regiment of Foot – Leeward Islands
John Marsh – aged 27/28 – British Consul at Malaga, Spain

Mary Duval (ne Marsh) – aged 63/64 – Sister of George and Milbourne
John Duval – husband of Mary Duval
Elizabeth Morrison (ne Duval) – 23/24 – daughter of John Duval and Mary – Married James Morrison – aged 37/38 – Deputy Master of the Mint
James Morrison – aged 2/3 – son of Elizabeth and James Morrison

George Marsh – aged 54/55
Ann Marsh (ne Long) – aged 56/57
George Marsh – aged 27/28 – sibliings of George and Anne (Long)
William Marsh – aged 21/22
Anne Marsh – aged 16/17

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18 February 1776
Mr Suckling [Captain Maurice Suckling, 1726-1778, Controller of the Navy] and myself attended a Council held at the Admiralty in Lord Sandwich’s room from 6 to 11 o’clock this evening respecting the taking up foreign ships for transports, to carry foreign troops to America, as none were to be now got in England there being at this time upwards of one hundred and thirty eight thousand tons of English ships employed as such.
Present:
Lord North [Prime Minister, Frederick North, 2nd Earl of Guilford 1732-1792],
Sir Hugh Paliser [Lord of the Admiralty, Admiral Sir Hugh Palliser, 1st Baronet 1723-1796],
Lord Gore
Mr Robinson, Secretary of the Treasury [John Robinson 1727-1802],
Lord Weymouth [Thomas Thynne, 1st Marquess of Bath, 3rd Viscount Weymouth, 1734-1796],
Mr Suckling [Controller of the Navy, Captain Maurice Suckling, 1726-1778],
Lord Dartmouth [William Legge 2nd Earl of Dartmouth, 1731-1801],
Sir Jn Williams [Surveyor of the Navy, Sir John Williams],
Lord George Germain [George Germain, 1st Viscount Sackville, 1716-1785],
Mr Marsh [George Marsh the writer of the diary],
Lord Sandwich [First Lord of the Admiralty, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, 1718-1792].

And after much consideration and conversation it was agreed at 20 or 30 thousand tons more were wanted to carry about 16,000 German troops to America, that the King had a power to hire Foreign ships for his own service, and that a Commissioner of the Navy should be sent abroad for this purpose and take one of the Principal Officers of Deptford yard with him to be sent to Amsterdam, and proceed himself to Hamburgh

21 February 1776
Commissioner Palmer was therefore sent for by the Navy Board to proceed on this service he being at this time on a visit to his father in the country. Soon after he came to town, Lord Sandwich sent to speak to me this 23rd February 1776, and said he had a favour to beg of me, which was to put an old servant of his into employment which I promised to do, but he said that was not the only favour he wanted of me and added if it was not particularly inconvenient and disagreeable to me, he knowed the King would chuse me to go to Hamburgh on this important service, and I should also very much oblige himself if I would go there thereon, arguing that Mr Brett [Charles Brett 1715-1799] was too fat and heavy to undertake such a journey, and Mr Palmer was too young and not so proper a person for it.

I therefore immediately understood they had been both making there interest with him to get off from such hazardous, disagreeable business. This request struck me with great surprise, not having the least idea from the Branch I held at the Navy Board of being ever sent from it, being by my patent directed to be always present with the body of the Board that is to say with the Comptroller and Surveyor, which I observed to his Lordship, who said that was very true, but I knew as well as he did, that he had a power to alter the patent when he pleased but that he would do nothing contrary to me, upon any account whatever.

I therefore plainly saw I must go, for as to what he said of the King I was sensible that was deceit. I then observed that as I found it was his Lordship’s pleasure that I should go, I would tho’ very disagreeable and very inconvenient to me as married and had a family . . . . . . . . and as he wished me to set out as soon as possible I got ready and set off for Harwich this day (27th February 1776). Note we had such heavy falls of snow between December last and this time attended with very hard frosts, that even the roads in many parts of England were not passable, insomuch that at the latter end of January they were obliged to cut a large hole through the snow at the foot of Shooter’s Hill for the stage coaches, it was so wonderfully risen in that spot by drifting there.

Got to Harwich with my son George who went with me as my secretary, about 8 o’clock after a very disagreeable and dangerous journey from the causes aforementioned. Soon after Mr Jonas Hanway who was a Commissioner of the Victualling joined me to go to Hamburgh to provide provisions for the Foreign Troops going to America together with Mr Tovery a Shipwright Officer ordered to attend me to survey and report the condition of the ships I might hire with Mr Jennings a clerk in the Victualling Office to attend Mr Hanway. Mr Butt, Clerk of the Survey at Deptford was also there to go to Amsterdam and follow my orders.

We found at Harwich that one of the Princes of Hess Castle had hired the Packet for himself and friends but upon my writing to him representing who we were and the business we were going upon, he very politely came to us to the Inn, and desired we would go with him in the packet, my carriage and Mr Hanway’s were immediately sent on board her, and we sailed for and arrived at Helvoetsluys the next morning the 28th of February 1776 after meeting with great kindness and many civilities from the Prince and an invitation to his house at Amsterdam, he being in the Dutch Service. We did not however go there but made the most haste we could to get to Hamburgh. The particulars of this journey etc see in a journal of it, written from my minutes by my very much esteemed friend the Rev Henry Swann which is with my other papers.

10th March 1776
Arrived at Hamburgh after the most disagreeable and dangerous a journey as I could possibly have had, Holland and the whole country from it being so overflowed with the melting of the snow and the river breaking over the banks and afterwards freezing.

After surmounting many difficulties and an infinite deal of trouble I accomplished the business I was sent upon and may be more fully seen in the journal aforementioned. I set off this day (26th May 1776) with my son, and Mr Tovery and Jennings in another carriage for Calais. Note Mr Hanway thought proper to continue longer at Hamburgh and take a tour of pleasure through Germany, so that he did not arrive in London for three months after me, and put the public as I thought to a very improper expense, tho’ in his general conduct, no man thought or acted better.
I crossed the Elbe and laid at Harburgh this night.

27th May 1776
Proceeded through the following places from thence to Calais viz
Zarendorff, Osnaberg, Rosamond, Burcan,
Wickendorf, Langerish, Massick, Halle,
Zell, Munster, Bekham, Enghim,
Enganven, Dulmen, Tonjen, Ash,
Hanover, Burbaum, St.Arnd, Leuze,
Hozenburgh, Wasol, Tralemond, Tournay,
Dupenau, Goldern, Louvain, Pont St.Tressin,
Bohlme, Tolgern, Brussels, Lyle,
Armentia, Baillard, Mount Cassell
St Omers, Ala, Recourse, Andres and Calais.

4 June 1776
Arrived at Calais this day, sold one of my carriages and hired a packet boat for Dover, and gave leave to a great number of persons to have a passage with me in her. Sailed from thence about noon and arrived at Dover between 9 and 10 o’clock this night and went to the sign of the ship, but could not proceed from thence ’till my baggage was examined by the Custom house Officers who were all making merry with the Mayor and Corporation it being the King’s birthday.

I therefore wrote a note to the Mayor saying who I was, and the business I had been upon, and desired he would not suffer me to be detained, but order them to the sign off the ship to examine the same, who happened to be an acquaintance of mine and therefore immediately came himself with all his company two and two with the mace carrying before him, all so drunk with the hind part of their wigs before, that I never saw a more laughable site. At their request I gave them a large bowl of strong arrack punch, drank the King’s and their healths and set off in a post chaises from Dover at 2 o’clock this morning (5 June 1776).

Note I had £70 pounds worth of Dresden china and about £40 worth of linen with me which I bought at Hamburgh not knowing it was seizable which I packed up myself in a very large trunk in the fore part of the carriage, but on finding it was so, I have me servant two guineas to give the Custom house Officers not to be too nice in their examination, so that they only opened the trunks and wished me a good journey to London as well as men quite drunk could speak.

5 June 1776
Got home to the Navy Office by 3 o’clock this day to the great surprise but joy of my dear wife and family after the most perilous fatiguing journey it was possible to have had. Of my preservation I was truly sensible and thankful, as well as for the good health I was blessed with during the same.

6 June 1776
Waited upon the King, Lord Chancellor Bathurst and Lord Sandwich. His Majesty said he was glad to see me safe back to England after so bad a journey as I must have had, at such an uncommon severe season. Lord Chancellor desired me to dine with him which I did do and observed I had executed the business quite to the satisfaction of the Ministry. Lord Sandwich was also pleased to express the utmost satisfaction with all I had done, having hired and caused to be properly fitted and victualled thirty four thousand tons of shipping to carry to America seventeen thousand foreign troops there at the expense of upwards of £200,000, who all arrived there in perfect health.

In this journey I got nothing but repayment of all my expenses. Had my Earl of Egmont been alive or Lord Sandwich had been my particular friends, I should no doubt have had some great distinguished reward. The American War was no doubt a very unhappy business, but I had nothing to do with that but as an individual, I was sorry for it, or that Government judged it necessary.

6 June 1776
Removed my family to my house in Dartmouth Row, Blackheath for the summer.

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Milbourne Marsh
Milbourne’s wife Elizabeth died at Chatham in 1776 and later Milbourne married a younger woman, Katherine Soan in December although he was in a very declining state. He revised his will and left property to the value of £5000. He provided for his new wife by leaving her all the linen, china, plate and household goods and furniture in the naval house in Chatham while buying a house nearby in Rochester for her to live in.

He also left her £700 of consols. He left his eldest son Major Francis Milbourne Marsh the interest in £900 consols of government stock and forgave John Marsh the bulk of the debt owed. Elizabeth was to receive nothing so that it would not end up in the hands of her bankrupted husband, or his creditors, instead leaving £300 to her daughter, Elizabeth Maria. His daughter Elizabeth had come back from India at this time and they do not appear to have been getting on according to the letter he wrote to his brother George. He died soon after on 17 May 1779