William Marshall Correspondence - Letter 4
William Marshall was the second son of John Marshall and
Sarah Lawrence, born at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, in October 1830. The
following letters were kept by his niece, my Great Grandmother Helen Urquhart
(ms Marshall). According to Jessie Urquhart, her daughter, William was a whaler
who returned to the Arctic and married an Eskimo. Auntie Sissie (Sarah
Urquhart) met him on a visit to Peterhead and said that in his hand knitted
vest and long pants, he looked to her like a polar bear. – Ruairidh Greig
There is a transcription of this letter following the images.
Letter 4
Dear Sister
I received your letter yesterday and was sorry to hear of
the death of my brother poor fellow
[1]
I hope he is better of I am glad to think that you at home are all well as
this leaves me enjoying good health at present thank god for it hopeing this
will find you the same you haye been a long time of writing it is three months
since I got your last letter and the mail leaves England twice a month for
molte
[2]
we have been cruising the black sea for this last three months in search of the
Russian fleet but they will not come out of their harbours we were at the mouth
of the Danube blockading the Russian ships and troops that is their our troops
is marching to attack them to morrow and the Russian is dying by hundered of
the fever and hunger the war wont last long for he must give in we have takeing
a few prizes but they are not worth much we have got the news that all the
small steamers is comeing home this winter to man the big scew line of battle
ships that is at home and if we come home we shall get leave and I will come
and see you if I can you said the whale had not had much luck at the sealing
but I hope they will do better at the whaleing if William Neddilton is at home
I give him my best respects and I should like to be at home with him give my
kind love to your mother and sister you neve mentioned how your brothers is or
his wife if McKenzie is come home tell him that his brother Foster is on board
the Britannia[3]
flag ship I have not had a chance to see him give my respects to all inquiring
friends
No More at present
But Reamains
Your loving Brother
William Marshall
Write me when you get
this and send
me an envelope and a
few stamp
for I have none and I
cannot buy them here
June 15
Dear Sister
When I wrote you this letter I thotre we was going to sea
that night but the engines wanted some repairs and we had to wait for it but
the letter bag closes to night and we are going to sail for the Danube to night
and I hope we will take a few prises and I hear that our ship will be condemned
when when we come down from the Danube which will be in two months and I think
she will be sent home for she is in a bad state this leave me well and happy at
present write when you get this letter and give me the new about the whalers I
read in the papers the Pomona[4]
coming hom and the wmen[5]
being lost excuse my writing for I am always in a hurry when I write
William Marshall
Seaman
On board HMSS
Inflexible
[6]
Black Sea
Or elsewhere
[1]
The only Marshall brother whose death is not documented on the site so far is
Alexander, Sandy who was bound for Calcutta. This may refer to his death.
[2]Malta
[3]
HMS Britannia, a three-decker battleship (c.2,616 tons), one of the largest
ships of her time was launched in 1820 and after the Crimean War became the
first naval training ship, broken up in 1869.
[4]
The whaler Pomona arrived in Peterhead on 25th April,
reporting the loss of a number of ships due to adverse weather conditions, including
the Violet of Hull and the Agostina of Peterhead, with all hands.
(Liverpool Mercury, Tuesday 2nd May 1854, issue 2582)
[5]
Whalemen or whalermen
[6]
HMS Inflexible was a six-gun steam sloop. She took part in the assault
on Sebastopol in the Summer of 1855. This is where William may have received
the wounds that left him in Plymouth Hospital. The medal distribution record
lists him as “leading seaman 144” but does not record whether his award was
delivered successfully. For details of the assault on Sebastopol see: http://www.historyhome.co.uk/forpol/crimea/gowing/final.htm
