Margaret Marshal (born 1701) and Arthur Knott (died 1750/1)

Margaret Marshall was born in 1701 in Beaford, Devon, England.  Her parents were John and Hester who baptised six children at the Beaford Parish Church between 1694 and 1710.

The surname Marshall comes from the Old High German words ‘marah’ meaning horse plus ‘scalc’ meaning servant: the person who looked after the horses, a farrier, groom or horse doctor. Marshall is a fairly common surname in the United Kingdom, particularly in north England and Scotland.  

Nothing more is known about Margaret’s childhood. Two of her brothers married and lived in Beaford. The fate of her parents and most of her siblings is not known.

On 22 Dec 1723 Margaret married Arthur Knott in Beaford, Devon, England. Arthur does not appear to have been born in Beaford.  The couple baptised seven daughters in the Parish Church:

• Hester, on 4 November 1724;
• Judith, on 20 April 1729. It is not known if the couple just had a large ‘gap’ between children or if they moved to another village for a period;
• Margaret, on 17 July 1732. This Margaret died soon after her younger sister’s birth and was buried on 6 March 1734(35);
• Rebecca, on 30 January 1734(35);
• Margaret, on 9 October 1736;
• Mary, on 26 December 1738;
• Margaret, on 18 August 1741 (the third child to be named Margaret). This must have been an odd sort of baptism service, as on the same day, Margaret and Arthur also buried their five year old daughter Margaret.

Their first grandchild, a son named Arthur, was born in February 1749 when Margaret was 48.

Arthur Knott died in February 1750/51 and he was buried in Beaford.  It is not known when Margaret died.