Alexander Marshall

Alex Marshall was born in Stranraer, Wigtownshire, Scotland in 1847 to John Marshall and his wife Margaret. His father was a clothier, and was nicknamed "Holy Marshall", and served as an elder in the Evangelical Union Church. His mother was a devoted and godly woman.

Alex left home at the age of eighteen to work in a warehouse at Arthur & Company, in Glasgow. The next two years were filled with constant "endeavor to stifle the strivings of the Spirit", and in 1867, he entered a circus on Ingram Street, where Gordon Forlong (1819-1908) was preaching "the blood secures" and "the Word assures" and that was Alex's introduction to the Christian faith. Gordon was also credited with the salvation of Alex's later fellow evangelist friend Charles Hillam Hinman, and John Robert Caldwell.

Early in his Christian life he was introduced to the Brethren, and he developed a burden for winning souls that engaged him every year in the open air, as well as in churches and halls. During the first memorable Moody and Sankey campaign, it is recorded, in "Chief Men Among the Brethren" by Henry Pickering, that "he did valuable work in the inquiry room and at after meetings".

In 1876, at a meeting at Union Hall, Glasgow, he was commended to the Lord for evangelistic work, which was followed by many campaigns throughout Scotland and England with "great numbers led to the Savior". In 1879, he moved to Canada and led many later soulwinners to Christ.

In 1882, he married Amy Florence Tate, in Simcoe, Ontario, on Valentine's Day, February 14th, 1882. Amy was born about 1862 in Bombay, India, to James Samuel Tate (b. 1831) and his wife Julia Matilda Millar (1834-1874) and by 1871, they were living in Battersea, Surrey, England, Amy's mother died three years later in 1874 in Wandsworth, London, England. Amy had three older brothers all named William (two died as children).

They settled initially in Toronto, starting a bookstore. Then they settled in Orillia, and planted many assemblies. They were in Ontario for seven years before making visits to the Pacific Coast, the United States, then back to Scotland. It is uncertain when or where Amy died, or if they had children.

In 1896, Alex's health broke down with maladies including insomnia, which limited his activities, and he visited New Zealand and California in search of remedies, returning to Scotland in 1904 and settled in Glasgow, and then in Prestwick, Ayrshire.

For the remainder of his life he continued evangelistically with visits to the Faroe Isles, Barbados, Norway, Switzerland, Russia, continued returns to Canada and the United States, in the midst of active campaigns in England and Scotland.

In 1918 he was, at the age of 71, in France leading soldiers to Christ, and subsequently in Russia and Esthonia in light of the Bolshevist crisis.

Alex wrote many tracts, including "God's Way of Salvation", which has been translated into many languages and circulated by the millions. Henry Pickering said that Alex was "the greatest tract distributor I ever knew".

During the last few years of his life, he lived at Redcroft, but continued to send out news of salvation. Henry Pickering described him as "a man of great transparency of character, of simple and uaffected faith" and noted his generosity of funds to various in need.

His last day on earth, at the age of 81, was spent "dispensing the Lord's bounty, and in sending messages of cheer and encouragement to fellow-laborers in the Gospel". He died on August 9, 1928.

Sources

• "Chief Men of the Brethren" by Henry Pickering; Loizeaux Publishers, 1986, pp. 204-206.
• Ancestry.com