Hi Julia

Sorry about the delayed response but we have just had my mum in hospital for a short spell.

We are absolutely confident we are talking about the right Thomas WB Probert as you have his accurate date of birth and death, as well as matching a family history.

Dad has written a synopsis as far as he can remember and with all the details he can find at home.

The Marshall's of Scotland were members of the Clan Keith.

Thomas Marshall was an Englishman sent to Scotland by the Post Office as a Linesman for the new telegrpah system and lived in Stirling. Dad has no information on his wife but they had two daughters Mary & Grace.

He believes Mary met Martin Probert at a Christmas Ball in Stirling Castle, he was a Lance Corporal Saddler in the Army Ordance Corp. They married in Holy Trinity Church Stirling 19th January 1899. Dad has a copy of the Scottish Marriage Certificate along with the photo of Thomas with Mary & Grace. There is no date but Mary is wearing a wedding ring and Mary and Martin (always nicknamed "Bob" after Bob Martin's dog powders a popular dog medicine of the day) moved to Dover and my grandad Thomas WB was born 17.10 1899. The Boer War had been declared a week.

Strangely Dad also has a copy of another Marriage Certificate for Mary & Martin dated 11 September 1900 at Farnham Registery Office giving their address as Aldershot Army Lines,a possible reason is that only Engilsh Marriage Certificates were acceptable for Army Married Quarters - but Dad is not really certain why.

Dad then has a South African photo of Martin as a Sergeant Saddler with Kitchener's Flying Columns in the Boer War dated Dec 1900. At the end of the Boer War Martin was seconded to to the new South African Police Force as a Saddler. Mary & Thomas joined him there. Whilst in S.A Mary had a second son Sidney. Dad has another photo showing the 4 of them.

Dad then believes the four of them returned to the UK to Dover in 1905.Dad has a school photo of Thomas WB aged 7/8 and a later school photo sent to Mary care of Thomas Marshall, Craigmill Stirling and he believes they were in the process of being posted to Burslough A.O.C Dept Nr Ormskirk. Mary has a third son Harold, Dad believes whilst still in Dover. Stanley the fourth son was born in either Dover or Burscough. Whilst at Burscough Mary has her fifth and last child , her only daughter Winnie in Ormskirk 1911.

Up till now Dad believes Mary and Grace had lost touch after the Boer War in the move to South Africa but Dad has found a a photo of an elegant & handsome ( absolutely beautiful) Edwardian lady holding a small child enscribed Grace & May Dec 1911. There is a letter on the back addressed to "Bob". No mention of Mary, referring to May as his neice and signed Grace.

All that remains is a family photo of Mary & Martin in his then Staff Sergeant Master Saddler's uniform and their 5 children. Winnie looks about 4 so it would seem to be taken in WW1.

Martin completed 27 years in the Army and was pensioned when he joined the Corp of Commisionaires in Langley, Oldbury Nr Birmingham. He died 20 Dec 1945 just after his 74th birthday and Mary lived on in the same house and died in 1959 aged 89. Winnie the only child to live near her widowed mother was devoted to her.

I really hope this is of interest to you, Dad is absolutely fascinated and would love to know more.

Kind regards

Gill