Daniel Marrs was born in Cumnock on the 3rd June 1889. In the 1891 his mother Esther is living with George Phillips in Riccarton along with Mary Marrs and William Marrs.
In 1895 Daniel age 6 and William age 8 are shipped to Canada on the Sarmatia along with many other children. They are Quarriers children. But their mother is still alive as she is his next of his on his army papers. Whatever happened?
It seems Esther was left with 5 young children when husband Thomas died. I can't find John in 1891 but in 1901 he is is New Cumnock the adopted son of David and Lizzie Brown.
Thomas was also shipped to Canada age 9 with Quarriers in 1895 but on a different ship. 7,000 Quarriers children were shipped to Canada. Many were treated badly as free labour. Thomas also served in the Canadian Forces.
Esther married George Phillips in 1892 in Cumnock. She is running a lodging house in Elbow Lane so hardly sounds destitute. Maybe the 3 boys were already with Quarriers. She is named as next of kin on Thomas and Daniel's army records so they clearly kept in touch. With so little information we should not judge. I wonder if she ever saw the 3 boys again? (see update below)
in 1901 Canadian census Daniel is the adopted son of farmer John Crozier. Was he treated as a farm hand or a son?
I can't see him again until he enlists in 1915
He is awarded the DCM on 2 Feb 1917. This is reported in the Cumnock Chronicle.
Here is the citation.
He is buried in the Canadian Cemetery at Neuville St Vaast
Here's the family on the Cumnock Connections tree
Update16 Oct 2014
I found this article in the Cumnock Chronicle which answers some questions. Daniel was born after his father's death in a coal mine in Fife. And Esther did see at least one of her sons, Tom, again.
Such a sad story. All Esther's children by Thomas Marrs died in Canada except Mary who died in Old Cumnock.
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