Photo: 1895 - Charles Henry Marsh

The picture below is that of Charles Henry Marsh, or possibly his brother Joseph, taken sometime around 1895. 

This picture was posted to a Facebook group called Lost Ipswich by Charle's great grand-daughter Yolande Marsh, who wanted to know which Ipswich soccer team he played for.

Neville Cruickshanks, who has been researching the history of Dinmore Bush Rats, replied by saying the Marsh brothers played for Blackstone Rovers in 1898. However, Cruikshanks did not believe this to be a Blackstone Rovers shirt.

Yolande had unconvered one game in which Charles Marsh played in 1895, for mine owner Lewis Thomas' team versus a Combined Juniors. This was a game Dave Waugh remembered in 1949, having scored 4 goals.

I've done a little digging and found out a little more about Charles Marsh soccer days.

There were three Marsh brothers: George, Charles and Joe.

Charles first enters the picture in 1892 when his Silkstone Stars team took on New Chum Bush Rats.

Silkstone Stars were short-lived, and by 1894 Marsh was playing for Blackstone Rovers.

The same year, Charlie was selected for the Ipswich and West Moreton team to play against a Brisbane representative side.

We also know he was definitely not the Charles Marsh who went in front of the judge on Monday the 7th of May 1894, because our C. H. Marsh put a very forthright ad in the newspaper stating this fact.

The year 1895 had scant mentions of Charles Marsh. Besides the Lindsay match he was linesman when Bush Rats faced Fernvale.

Blackstone Rovers "went bung" in 1896, so a new club was formed called Ipswich Rovers, based at North Ipswich reserve. Ipswich Rovers was set up by the remaining members of their Blackstone namesakes, and seemingly a number of players who were part of the second club known as Ipswich FC, which had competed in 1894.

Charles, George and Joe played for Ipswich Rovers. Indeed, both Charles and George were mentioned at the meeting which formed the club, with Charles joining the committee. He was also a delegate to at least one meeting of the Brisbane British Football Association.

Charlie even captained Ipswich Rovers in 1896, in a game against Bundanba Rangers.

Ipswich Rovers won the 1896 Brisbane Charity Cup, becoming the first team from Ipswich to win the competition. Charlies, George and Joe Marsh all played in the final.

Rovers went on to do the 1896 double, winning the Challenge Cup. This was despite Rovers forfeiting to the Bush Rats in the week Rovers were formed, but just before T'Rats themselves went 'bung'. Rovers also lost their second match, having been undermanned Rosebells. After securing playing numbers, Rovers won all their remaining games that season.

In 1897, Charles's Rovers teammates gave him surprise party to celebrate his earlier wedding.

As per Neville Cruickshanks comments above Charles, Joe and George Marsh played for Blackstone Rovers in 1898 - was this a reformed club, or simply the Ipswich Rovers moving east to Blackstone?

One C. Marsh would referee in the early 1900s, and play for Silkstone Montes in 1905. He would also become club president the same year.

While there is no conclusive proof this was Charles, there is the fact he had been a Silkstone resident, and and both George and Joe appear to have played for Silkstone Montes in 1894, showing a family link to the club.

For his part, George would play for West Moreton against NSW in 1898, a game in which Charles as linesman, and was promptly selected to play for Queensland against NSW.

By 1901, George was playing for Bundanba Rangers.

A year later, Joe would referee a game between Booval Stars and Montes, with not much in the way of playing career details post Rovers in the late 1890s.

A Joseph Marsh died in a mine explosion in 1909, at Bundanba's Fernie Creek Mine. Given he had lived in Silkstone, this is presumable the same man. UPDATE: It is now confirmed this Joseph was a footballer. His brother Charles was also part of the inquiry as a witness to the aftereffects of the explosion. 

George would die in 1952 - Charles (C.H) is mentioned in the death notice.

Unlike other soccer players of the era, neither appear to have been given an obituary stating their soccer feats, unless such articles have not been digitised.

Charles seems to have passed away after the 1954 upper limit of most newspapers on Trove.

Which leaves the question - which team wore the shirt in which Charles is pictured.

Could it be Ipswich Rovers? Or it could be a team unreported in 1895? No team picture of the 1890s Ipswich shows anyone wearing such a shirt, but there are scant pictures available.

If anyone has any more such pictures from this era of Ipswich soccer, I'd love to see them. (@garrymck on Twitter)