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MARSAY, Joseph Harrison
 | Rank: Private Year of death: 1917 Date of birth: 1885 Date of death: 26/7/17 Place of death: Killed in action Service number: 33576 Regiment: Yorkshire Regiment Medals: Cemetery location: Section D S 0 12 Where remembered?: Menin Gate Memorial |
Biographical Information
Joseph was born in Scarborough, son of Matthew and Mary Jane. He attended Friarage Board School, leaving at the age of 13 and working as a labourer. He married Frances Ellen Ward. They lived at 8 Providence Place, Scarborough and had four sons. Frances died 31/1/1917 aged 30. Joseph was killed in action at Ypres. The Scarborough Mercury reported “Killed by a sniper. News has been received that Private Joseph Marsay,mYorkshire Regiment, has been killed at the front. Aged 32, he was the son-in-law of Mr John Ward, furniture remover, 22 St Thomas Street, with whom he had worked before the war and prior to joining the army. He lost his wife in January last, and there are four children. Two brothers of Private Marsay are serving, one in the Coldstream Guards and the other in the 4th Yorkshire Regiment. A letter conveying the news, from a comrade, says that Private Marsay was “one of our very best chums. He was killed yesterday (26th July) in action. He was killed when nearly back to our trenches, by a sniper. He did not suffer, for he died immediately”