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Mary Ellen and Alice Jane Marsden were the daughters of Ossett born Rag Merchant Benjamin Marsden (1850-1929) and Hannah White (1853-1935) who were married in Ossett in 1882. Sadly on 8th January 1943, Mary Ellen and Alice Jane, their niece, Jean aged 13, and a friend and neighbour, Josephine MacDonald, were killed in their Torquay home in an enemy air raid which demolished the house they called Clarendon. This is the story of their lives and the circumstances of their death.
Life in Ossett until 1916
Benjamin and Hannah had five children, three daughters and two sons, who were all born in Ossett between 1885 and 1895. Mary Ellen (Nellie) was the eldest daughter born on 30th August 1885 and Alice Jane (Jenny) became the second born daughter on 23rd May 1895. The other children were Joseph (1883- 1941), John William (1889-1952) and Hannah May (born 1894). John William was the father of young Jean Marsden who was killed in the enemy attack.
Benjamin Marsden was in the rag and mungo business with his brother, John Thomas Marsden J.P., who became the Mayor of Ossett in 1907-1908. He and his wife, Hannah Nettleton, also had five children, including the eldest, Kate, who in the late 1930’s travelled to New Zealand and Canada only to have to rush home from her voyages just days after Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on 3rd September 1939. Kate left Montreal in a haste and her ship docked at Liverpool on 14th September 1939. How ironic then that Kate should lose her cousins and her niece in tragic circumstances in January 1943.
In 1891 Benjamin and his family were living in the vicinity of Manor Road and Vicar Lane where he and John Thomas had their warehouse and where their mother, Ellen, owned property. In 1901 Benjamin’s family are recorded living adjacent to The (South Ossett) Vicarage and two doors away from his brother, John Thomas. On that particular day in 1901, Benjamin, a 50 year old retired Mungo Merchant, was taking the air at the Southport Hydro. Back in 1911 Ossett all but the eldest child, Joseph, were living at the much sought after Clarendon Villas off Horbury Road, Ossett
In 1916 the 66 year old Benjamin, his wife Hannah and four of their five children moved, lock stock and barrel, to the south west coast of England. It was to be a fateful decision. The family settled in Torquay where they named their new home “Clarendon”, to remind them of their Ossett home, “Clarendon Villas”. Meanwhile, back in Ossett, Clarendon Villas continued to be occupied by their son Joseph and his wife, Anna Louisa Fearnside who married in 1911 and had a daughter Gladys Louisa a year later. In 1922 Joseph bought Clarendon Villas from his father, Benjamin, and continued to live there until his death at Leeds Infirmary on 10th August 1941.
Clarendon Villas Ossett built 1866-1871
Photograph by courtesy of Joan P. Smith.
Life in Torquay 1916-1943
What though of the Torquay branch of this Marsden family who were direct descendants of Francisci Marsden who bought Sowood Farm in 1676 and re-built the farmhouse in 1689. Benjamin, his wife Hannah and their children Mary Ellen, Alice Jane and Hannah May made their new home, Clarendon, on Barton Hill Road, Barton, St. Marychurch, Torquay having moved there in 1916.
Benjamin died at Clarendon Torquay on 27th February 1929 and his wife, Hannah followed him six years later on 14th February 1935 leaving the spinster sisters Mary Ellen and Alice Jane Marsden as the only residents of Clarendon, Torquay. In late September 1939 their brother, market gardener John William Marsden, was living just a mile away with his wife, Nora and three children at 13, Isaacs Road, Braddons Hill, Torquay.
Torquay under attack
Great Britain declared war on Nazi Germany on 3rd September 1939, and like all cities, towns and villages Torquay established measures to minimise the damage which might be caused by enemy air and gas attacks. In October, the Palace Hotel was requisitioned by the government and opened as a convalescent hospital and training facility for RAF officers.
On 22 April 1941 Torquay had its first serious air raid when the house of the chief warden was destroyed and two of his children killed. On 4 May there was another attack, with 31 high explosive bombs dropped. Most of these early attacks were from Luftwaffe pilots jettisoning bombs left over from the raids on Plymouth, while returning to their bases in France.
Another major raid on Torquay took place on 25 October 1942, during which RAF Hospital, Torquay based at the Palace Hotel was severely damaged, causing 43 casualties including 19 deaths. The east wing of the hotel was severely damaged and the building was put out of action for the rest of the war.
One of the worst tragedies to hit the local population during 1943 was the attack which destroyed the Parish Church at St. Marychurch and resulted in the deaths of 21 children. One of the German aircraft involved in the bombing raid accidentally touched the spire of the nearby Catholic Church and crashed into houses causing the large death toll.
Between August 1940 and May 1944 Torquay was hit by 161 bombs of various calibre, causing 165 deaths and more than 150 civilian casualties and several military. There were 643 Air Raid Alerts sounded. The largest attack involved 23 enemy aircraft of which 11 were destroyed. 125 buildings were destroyed and 11,615 damaged.
Mary Ellen and Alice Jane Marsden will have known that their home, “Clarendon”, Barton Road, Barton, Torquay was fewer than two miles away, in flying times a blink of an eye, from St. Marychurch and the RAF Hospital at the former Palace Hotel which was attacked, for the second time on 30th December 1942 just ten days before the enemy attacked and razed their home.
Tragedy at 13.15 on 8th January 1943.
8th January 1943 was to be a fateful day. Mary Ellen Marsden, aged 56, was unwell and her friend and closest neighbour, widow Josephine McDonald, an ambulance driver and ARP, called to assist Alice Jane Marsden knowing that the spinster sisters also had their 13 year old niece Jane Marsden in their care.
At 13.15 the enemy dropped seven HE (high explosive) bombs in and around the Palace Hotel, Barton Hill Road and the St. Marychurch area generally. These bombs are explosive materials that detonate, meaning that the explosive shock wave passes through the material at a supersonic speed of about 3–9 kilometres per second . At least one of those bombs hit and demolished the Marsden’s home killing the four women who had the misfortune to be there.
A local press report had this to say later in January 1943;-
OSSETT VICTIMS OF AIR RAID – Tragic Occurrence
Three members of a well-known Ossett family, and a friend of theirs, were killed in an air raid on a South-west coast town on Friday last, Several enemy machines took part in the attack, and a direct hit demolished the house (Clarendon), some considerable time elapsing before the bodies were recovered.
The victims are Miss Mary Ellen (Nellie) Marsden, aged 56; her sister , Miss Alice Jane (Jennie) Marsden aged 52; their niece , Jean, aged 13, who was staying with them; and Mrs. MacDonald, a friend, who was helping to nurse the elder sister. The two daughters were the daughters of the late Mr. Benjamin Marsden of Ossett, who, with his brother, the late Mr. J.T. Marsden, founded the mungo and shoddy business of Marsden Brothers. The niece was the daughter of Mr. J.W. (Jack) Marsden, a son of the late Mr. Benjamin Marsden, and a brother of the late Mr. Joseph Marsden, Clarendon Villas , South Ossett.
The Misses Marsden, with their brother and another sister, who is married, left Ossett about 27 years ago for the south coast town in question, and have lived there ever since, but have paid many visits to Ossett in the meantime. In their earlier days the Misses Marsden were closely identified with the First Baptist Church, South Ossett, and with various worthy movements in the town. The deepest sympathy is extended to the surviving members of the family in their tragic loss.
The funeral of Miss Jean Marsden (niece) took place on Tuesday, and that of Miss Nellie and Miss Jennie Marsden and Mrs. MacDonald on Wednesday. In view of Mrs. MacDonald’s local A.R.P. activities there was a large attendance of members of the service, and the coffin was covered with the Union Jack.
In WWII the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) commemorate the lives of civilians who lost their lives as a consequence of enemy action or munitions. Of the 69,169 civilian men and women currently commemorated by the CWGC in WWII only three are remembered at The Ossett War Memorial. With the addition of Mary Ellen Marsden and Alice May Marsden by Armistice Day 2022 there will be five WWII civilian deaths remembered at the Ossett War Memorial.
Sources
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
13 year old Jean Marsden, daughter of John William Marsden and niece of the sisters Mary Ellen & Alice Jane Marsden, who was killed in the attack was born and lived in Torquay for the whole of her tragically short life. Jean was also commemorated by the Commission.
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Clarendon Villas information courtesy of Joan Smith
Alan Howe December 2021.
