Introduction
Alfred Jesse Marsh, usually known as Jesse, lived at Hardington Mandeville for almost his entire life. For much of this time, he resided in a cottage in the High Street that his family had occupied since the 1860s, sharing the household with several unmarried or widowed relatives. In his middle years, he farmed a seven-acre smallholding. However, the sale of his home and land to a new owner ultimately led to the end of the family’s long tenancy.
Childhood
Jesse was born on 6 January 1876, at Hardington Mandeville, the youngest of twelve children born to Joseph Marsh and his wife Harriet (née Pike).[1] The family lived in the High Street. Between 1869 and 1875, six of the children died before reaching the age of six. By 1881, two of the daughters were in domestic service (Emma at Corscombe and Mary Jane in Hammersmith), while a third, Sarah Ann, was living in the village with her paternal grandparents. This left only Martha, William and Jesse at home. At that time, Joseph worked as a farm labourer. Ten years later, the 1891 census described him as a farmer, although “smallholder” would probably be more accurate, while Jesse and William were both employed as farm labourers. Jesse remained a farm labourer, while William became a coal merchant on his own account.
The family household
Of the six surviving children, only two married: Sarah Jane in 1890 and Martha in 1892. Emma and Mary Jane both returned home permanently, and Mary Jane returned briefly after separating from her husband. Emma had two illegitimate sons named Ernest Claude and Frank. Ernest Claude died at age two, while Frank lived in the household until he reached adulthood.
Harriet died in 1903, followed by Joseph in 1908. Emma died in January 1913 from heart disease at the age of 47.[2] William died in March 1916 from bronchitis and heart failure, and Jesse registered his death.[3]
Jesse continued living with Mary Jane, and from about 1916 they were joined by their widowed relative Samuel Marsh, their first cousin once removed, who remained with them until his death in 1924.
Eviction
In the Portman estate sale of October 1920, Frederick William Moon purchased several lots, making him a significant landlord in the village. In March 1921, he purchased a cottage and seven acres of land occupied by Jesse and gave him notice to quit. Jesse surrendered the land at Lady Day but refused to leave the cottage.
Moon initiated legal proceedings for possession, and the case first came to court in January 1923, when it was adjourned for a month.[4] In February, the court established that Jesse occupied the cottage as a yearly tenant at a rent of £6 15s per annum. Moon produced the original tenancy agreement dated 8 March 1862, showing that the Marsh family’s connection with the property extended back to that time. He claimed to need possession of the cottage for the working of his holding and stated that alternative accommodation had been offered to Jesse, but that he had rejected it. The judge ordered Jesse to vacate the property within twenty-eight days and awarded mesne profits of £5 17s 6d.[5] The order marked the end of Jesse’s attempt to retain the cottage that had been held by the Marsh family for over sixty years.
Later life
After leaving their long-standing home, Jesse and Mary Jane moved to Hill End. In September 1939, Jesse was recorded as disabled. They subsequently moved to West Coker, where Mary Jane was later recorded at 17 Font Hill. Jesse was later admitted to Yeovil Union Public Assistance Institution, where he died on 19 March 1944 at the age of sixty-eight after falling in the yard and fracturing the base of his skull. An inquest was held two days later, but no newspaper report of it has been found. His death certificate described him as a retired market gardener.[6] Mary Jane remained at 17 Font Hill until shortly before her death, when she, too, entered the Yeovil Union Public Assistance Institution. She died there on 18 January 1948 from myocardial degeneration at the age of eighty-seven.[7]
Conclusion
Jesse spent most of his life within an unusually enduring family household that provided a home for several unmarried, separated or widowed relatives over the years. His domestic circumstances remained remarkably stable until the sale of the cottage and land in 1921. The resulting eviction ended a Marsh family tenancy dating from 1862 and forced Jesse and his sister to find a new home in the village.
References
[1] Civil registration birth index; 1939 Register; family reconstitution.
[2] Death certificate of Emma Marsh.
[3] Death certificate of William Marsh.
[4] Western Chronicle, 19 January 1923, p.6.
[5] Western Chronicle, 16 February 1923, p.11.
[6] Death certificate of Alfred Jesse Marsh.
[7] Death certificate of Mary Jane Marsh.
