John Marshall
George Bumstead

My maternal grandfather, John Marshall, a coach builder by trade, came form the east end of London.  He died before I was born, so all I know about him is what I have read or been told.  He was obviously disenchanted with his life in London or he would not have come to Southwold to take over the Kings Head.  Maybe he wanted to improve the quality of life for his wife, Emma, and his seven daughters and one son.  He must have had a keen community spirit because, in the course of time, he became a town councillor and gained sufficient respect from his fellows to be appointed chairman of the committee dealing with the building of Southwold’s very first council houses.  These houses are situated at the top end of St. Edmund's Road - right hand side looking towards Reydon, 1 – 31 odd numbers only 17 in all.  Their official name was Corporation Cottages, and still is, for there is a plaque attached to the wall stating the fact. In spite of this they were always called “workmens dwellings” by the locals.

John was, I would think, something of a snob because his committee made a condition of tenancy that occupants of the houses would not be allowed to keep pigs, or chickens in their back gardens. This so incensed the tenants that they made an effigy of John and burnt it on Barnaby Green outside his house.

The majority of the population, however, had a very different opinion of him as he was given a most magnificent civic funeral, the monthly review of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, September 9th 1908 bears out.  The family were so upset that a private family service was held at the house, prior to the public one.  This is not unheard of, but to be held in a public house was something quite new.