Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Obituary: Jack Marsh (1988)

Obituary from the March 1988 issue of the Socialist Standard

After a lifetime in the Socialist movement, Jack Marsh, of Central branch, died suddenly at his home in Manchester on the 18th January.

Jack was influenced at an early age by his father who was the first secretary of Manchester branch when it was formed in 1907. Although Jack did not formally join the Party until the seventies, for many years he regularly disposed of a number of Socialist Standards and disseminated socialist ideas among his acquaintances.

Our sympathy goes to his wife and family.
AGA

1 comment:

Imposs1904 said...

Unfortunate typo in the original issue of the March 1988 issue of the Socialist Standard. In his obituary, he was listed as 'Jack March' but his father, the first secretary of the Manchester Branch of the SPGB, was a 'J. Marsh'. I've corrected it in the circumstances.

Jack Marsh's father - J. Marsh - joined the SPGB via Central Branch in December 1906, and he was listed as a Manchester contact for the SPGB in the pages of the Socialist Standard all through 1907 until Manchester Branch was first listed in the Party Directory in the October 1907 issue of the Socialist Standard. J. Marsh was listed as the branch's first secretary and his address was 97 Blantyre Street, Swinton, Nr Manchester.

There is a report of J. Marsh representing the SPGB in a debate against the ILP in the January 1908 issue of the Socialist Standard:

http://socialiststandardmyspace.blogspot.com/2014/09/the-movement-in-manchester.html

According to the early membership records, Marsh resigned from the SPGB in October 1911 over the WB of Upton Park affair.