OLD PLYMOUTH . UK
www.oldplymouth.uk
 

WHO WAS WHO IN OLD PLYMOUTH

EDRED MARSHALL (1826-1907)

Edred Marshall was the eldest son of Mr James Marshall, a builder of Jubilee Street, Plymouth, and his wife Elizabeth.  He was baptised at Charles Church on August 4th 1826.

He did his apprenticeship with Mr Kerswill, the ship builder, but commenced his business life not in building ships but in buying up old wooden walls from the Admiralty and breaking them up.  He sold the metal and cut up the timbers into scantlings for the building trade.  Eventually he opened a sawmill in Sutton Road and developed an extensive timber trade.  When the use of wooden ships came to an end, Mr Marshall opened a packing-case manufactory in Sutton Road which grew into one of the largest in the provinces.

Mr Edred Marshall married Miss Helena Oldrey Symons at Charles Church on June 7th 1849.

In 1883 he moved from Plymouth to Parkwood House at Tavistock, where, in 1895, he founded the Tavistock Constitutional Club.  He was president of the Club until his death.  He would allow no intoxicating liquors to be sold on the premises and no games were allowed to be played for money.  He presented many valuable prizes for billiard tournaments.

During his lifetime he was a justice of the peace and chairman of the Tavistock Conservative Party.  On August 19th 1896 was elected as a director of the Sutton Harbour Improvement Company in succession to Mr William Foster Moore (1815-1886).  He was a generous contributor to the Tavistock Cottage Hospital and to the renovation of the Parish Church, which he attended each Sunday.

He was described as a man of the most retiring disposition, who never sought public honours.

Mr Edred Marshall suffered badly from gout, which became very serious early in 1907.  He died at his home on the morning of Monday March 11th 1907, at the age of 80.  He was survived by his widow and five daughters, four of whom lived at the family residence.  He was buried in the new cemetery at Tavistock.