John Mash was born in Newington, (Southwark),Surrey to George Mash and his wife Sarah Ann (nee Miller). In 1871, his family was living in Camberwell. Father George, at 39, was a Clerk, and there were 7 children, Eliza, George, Elizabeth, James, John, William and Phillipa, ages ranging from 16 to 2.
In 1881, at 17, John was described as a Light Porter to Tailor and Draper, living in Southwark, in the house of Frederick Lowther, a Tailor and Draper. His family were in Bermondsey. Father George, and brothers James and William, were Railway Clerks.
On 20th December 1885, John married Mary Ann Browning at St. Jude's Church, Bethnal Green. John was then a Tailor, living in Pollard Row. His father, George, was a Foreman. Mary Ann, living in Charles Square, also had father George, but George Browning was a Warehouseman. (Pollard Row and Charles Square are about a mile apart.)
John and Mary Ann went on to have six children: Florence Mary, William, George James, Phillipa Diamond, Drummond and Sidney Goldring.
By 1891 the family were living at 3 Heene Cottages, John now a Groom (Domestic) and Coachman. They had daughter Florence, 2, and son, William, 1, with them. Florence was their first child, born in London. All her siblings were born in Worthing, which suggests their move to Heene was between 1888 and 1889.They also had a 17-year-old Lodger, also a Groom Mason Birdwright, from Kensington, - plus husband and wife Ralph and Maud Teesdale, Sussex folk.
In 1901, at 3 Heene Cottages, John, Fly Curricle on his own account, and Mary, had Florence, William, George, Diamond and Sidney with them. They also had Susan Solomon, a widow, living on her own means, plus Mary Ostler, a widowed Charwoman and her 11-year-old son, Arthur, all three from London.
(A W.J. Solomon was a witness at John and Mary Ann's wedding.)
3 Heene Cottages in 1911, had John and Mary Ann, plus daughter Florence Mary, a Florist at 23, George, a Groom's Assistant at 19, Diamond, 17 and Sidney, 15. John had risen to be a Cab Proprietor, living on his own means.
In 1912, Mary died at 3 Heene Cottages.
In January 1919, son Sidney Goldring married Florence Ada Pescott, at Heene. Sidney, baptised at Heene in February 1897 by Rev Fallowes, was then a Corporal in the East Lancs Regiment, having joined the 12th Royal Sussex Regiment in 1915. Father John was described as a Fly Proprietor.
When John died, in 1936, in Midhurst, he was from Budgenor Lodge, Easbourne. This was Midhurst Union Workhouse until the 1930s when it was renamed Budgenor Public Assistance Institution, under the control of WSCC, so it would appear that John had fallen on hard times, or was in poor health.
John and Mary Ann were not buried in the same grave, nor is there any inscription for them.