Donald Marshall 1848-1919

Born in Liverpool in 1848, how or why Donald Marshall had arrived on the Isle of Wight is unknown, but in 1888 he married a local girl named Mary Jane Pilcher. He was 40 years of age and she was 25. Donald was a Street Musician and Mary's family must have had some anxieties regarding her wisdom in marrying a wandering minstrel. If children are an indicator of a happy marriage then, Donald and Mary must have been, for they had 10.

However, Donald was no ordinary street musician. He will best be remembered for his long leadership of the Royal Osborne Minstrels, who were established in 1879 and for a very long period, enjoyed an enviable reputation. Since the 1840s there had been a growing popularity for ‘minstrel groups'. Men and sometimes women, blackened their faces and hands and performed music associated with the slave population in the southern states of America. Of these clever performers there was no one more popular and accomplished than Donald, for as a whistle player he had few equals, whilst he was also no mean performer on the banjo and bagpipes, in fact he had taught himself to play almost any instrument. He could also sing and was an exceptional dancer.

The members of the Royal Osborne Minstrels were Donald (whistle) Joe Morley (banjo), Alf Wentworth (concertina), a Mr Twinn (harp), Dave Pegg (tambourine) and Ted Scott (bones)

Donald and his merry minstrels had the honour of appearing before Queen Victoria, the Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII) the Queen of Denmark, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and many other members of the Royal Family at Osborne and on the Royal Yacht, as well as many other leading Society people both ashore and afloat, that were visiting Cowes for the yachting festival.

The Minstrels also visited Ryde for their yachting week, attended regatta shows and many other important events on the Island. During the summer months, they often played at race meetings on the mainland, including Ascot and Goodwood, their success and popularity being attributed to Donald, their leader.

Come 1893, the minstrels were unfortunately losing their popularity locally, due to performances by a Mr Clifford Essex and his Pierrots, so the Minstrels decided to disband. A year later however, they reformed and went on to have a successful summer season at Colwyn Bay. In spite of advancing years and ill health, Donald continued to busk almost every day in Cowes. It is difficult to imagine what sort of living he made, although it is known that he was very popular with the locals. During the evening of Saturday December 27 th 1919 he was playing in Birmingham Road, Cowes where he suddenly collapsed. He was taken home to 7 Mary Street (St Andrews Street) by Police Sergeant Snow and Police Constable Gould, where he died the following morning. The old minstrel was laid to rest in Northwood Cemetery on Wednesday 31 st December (Plot 30/Grave 7756) By special request, the Reverend D S W Nicholl officiated and the chief mourners were his sons and Mr Dave Pegg; the sole survivor of the original Royal Osborne Minstrels.

Barry Sowerby

With grateful thanks to Julia Furby (Gt Grand-Daughter) and Jan Toms (Island Life) for help with research

and Beken of Cowes for the use of their photograph