Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

Detail :

An extensive account of his importance to Dorset lift was published in the Western Gazette 20th October, 1916, and is published in full so as not to leave out important detail.

"DEATH OF MR. D.H. MARRABLE.- With feelings of deep regret the death is recorded of Mr. Douglas Heron Marrable, registrar of the Dorchester County Court, which sad event occured at his residence, The Corner House, Dorchester, at 2.30 on Friday afternoon. Of the deceased, who was but 58 years of age, it may be truly said that he practically sacrificed his life in the exercise of an exuberant zeal to serve his country in the hour of need. Immediately on the outbreak of the war Mr. Marrable evinced a strong desire to enter the lists in some shape or another. In former years, before his arrival in Dorchester, he had been a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, in which he held the rank of first-class P.O., was an expert rifle shot, a shooting enthusiast, and was the principal founder of the Dorchester and District Rifle Club, of which he was hon. secretary, and also hon. secretary of the Dorset League of Rifle Clubs; so it will be readily understood that when he offered his services to the War Office as an instructor in musketry they were very readily accepted.

He passed a necessary examination at Bisley, and received the appointment of seargeant-instructor of musketry. In this capacity he rendered excellent service in instructing recruits for the new Army at Bovington Camp, but there is not much doubt, however, that this was carried on at the expense of his health. In order that he might be near the camp Mr. Marrable lived for some considerable time in a van near by. Life in the exposed camp at Bovington during the winter of 1914-15 so affected his health that it was found advisable that he should take a sea voyage. Shortly after his return to military duty his good work was recognised by the granting of a commission as first-lieutenant, and eventually promoted to a captaincy, when as brigade musketry officer he had stations in various parts of the country, including Winchester, North Yorkshire, and the bleak Salisbury Plain. But so far had his constitution been undermined that at last he was obliged, much to his regret, to ask to be relieved of duty and to be placed on the reserve list.

The work at the County Court office had in the meantime been efficiently conducted by a trusted clerk in the person of Mr. J.C. Jackson, and occasionally Mr. Marrable, when not represented by his deputy, Mr. H.J. Till, would find it convenient to sit at bankruptcy proceedings himself. Then, after his retirement from the military service, Mr Marrable, out of a pure spirit of patriotism-for the fee was fugitive- accepted the post of secretary to the Dorset Country Military Service Tribunal, but in consequence of catching a chill while motoring in a blizzard from Bridport after a sitting of that body, he became more seriously ill and resigned the office. The deceased had assiduous attention from Dr. Gowring. Recently he had received treatment at the Casterbridge Nursing Home, and subsequently went for complete rest to a retreat near the Thames. At London he saw a specialist, who at once advised the patient's immediate return to his home at Dorchester, but this step was only too soon followed by his unfortunate demise.

Mr Marrable was formerly a member of the firm of Hancock, Marrable & Terrell, solicitors of London, and subsequently was with Mr. J. Trevor Davies, of Yeovil, where he remained until he was appointed registrar of the Dorchester County Court in 1899, in succession to the late Mr. Henry Symonds, who retired from the post on the occasion of his removal to Bournemouth. For one period Mr. Marrable was a member of the Dorchester Town Council, but at the expiration of his three years of office he did not seek re-election. He was a Conservative and a churchman, and a regular attendant at St. Mary's Church. Mr. Marrable was a zealous Freemason. He joined the Lodge "Faith and Unanimity," and passed through several offices. At the time of his death he was Worshipful Master for the year, and he was also a member of the Royal Arch Chapter. The deceased leaves a widow, one son, who is in the R.F.A. service, and has just returned from India, and three daughters, the eldest of whom is married. The internment took place on Monday afternoon at Dorchester Cemetery. The preliminary service was conducted at St. Mary's Church at 2.30 by the Rev. R. Phillmore. The funeral car, bearing the coffin piled with lovely floral tributes, was followed by two mourning carraiges in which were the principal mourners:- Lieut. Marrable, R.F.A., and Mr. and Mrs. Bensley Browne (the deceased's son-in-law and daughter), Mr. Herbert J. Till (acting deputy registrar for Mr. Marrable), Mr. J Charles Jackson (the deceased's chief clerk), Mr. J.E. Tunnicliffe (of the firm of Messrs. Maud & Tunnicliffe, solicitors, Mr. Marrable's London agents), and Mr. J.E. de Visian, engineer, of London, a personal friend of the deceased's. There was a large attendance of Masonic brethren, brother solicitors of the deceased, representatives of the Dorchester Rifle Club, the Dorchester Corporation, the County Military Service Tribunal, and private friends of the deceased. The two hymns sung in the church were "Now the Labourer's task is o'er" and "God of the Living and the Dead." A the Cemetery the cortege was received by buglers and guard of honour of the Boy Scouts, an organisation in which the deceased took a kindly interest.

After the committal sentences and the Benediction, "The Last Post" was sounded effectively by Buglers W. Heath, C. Tucker, and A. Biddle of the Royal Defence Corps, and the Masonic brethren filed past the grave to pay a last farewell to their deceased Worshipful Master. The coffin was of polished oak with brass furniture, and the inscription on the plate was as follows:- "Douglas Heron Marrable; died October 12th, 1916, aged 58 years." The brass Masonic emblem, the square and compasses, and two intersecting triangles were also affixed to the coffin lid."

He was survived by his widow Laura Maria Marrable who received his estate to the sum of £1012 3s. 1d.

He is commemorated on the Sherborne Abbey Masonic Memorial Screen.

Masonic :

Douglas was Worshipful Master of Faith and Unanimity Lodge No. 417 at the time of his death, but that was not his mother Lodge. He was initiated into Lodge Shadwell Clerke Lodge No. 1910 when aged 26 and living at 8 New Inn W.London. He resigned from the former Lodge in 1895 and may of had 8 years out before he joined L417, in 1903. Just prior to his death he had also just become a member of the Dorset Masters' Lodge No. 3366. In all three lodges he is recorded as a Solicitor.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley