Thanks Jon again for your insightful breakthrough, I do believe it be the case. Such a sad revelation, but not unsurprising.
Switching my attention now to Alice. I wonder if she married, went on to have children, etc.
I found a Baptism record for an Alice Mary Ann Marshall, parents James and Mary Ann, born 18th Dec 1883, baptised 6th Jan 1884 at St Pauls Hammersmith. There is also an address of 9 Elsic Street (reading 19th century handwriting not my strong point). This is presumably a Hammersmith/Fulham address.
Separately, I found a Poor Law Removal/Settlement medical record, dated 13/5/85 referencing the same 9 Eldwick Street (handwriting!!) It says:
Mary Marshall aged 22, wife of James Marshall, married at St Lukes(?) church 3 years.
2 children, James John 2+half born Stratford, and Alice Mary Ann 1yr4months.
Husband was living at the time of marriage at 10 Chance Street Stratford, 1year.
...some handwriting I cannot read but seems to say husband left Beaumont near Colchester in 1878, parents born in Beaumont.
So, I noticed James was said here to have been born in Stratford here not Camberwell, but would explain the lack of Camberwell birth records and I now hope to either link everything up, or find it's another family thus ruling them out... and not sure the link between Hammersmith and Camberwell. James may or may not have been born in Camberwell but presumably there's a link to that area somehow.
But I am tired now and must sleep!!
