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Marston Family - Redemption 2 - Picture

A picture of the three Marston family members in Red Dead Redemption 2 (c. 1899): John, Abigail, and their son Jack.

The Marston family is the family of John Marston, and plays a major role in Red Dead Redemption and Red Dead Redemption 2.

History[]

Background[]

The known family history only traces back up to John's father, who was born on a boat from Scotland to New York. John says that, "If you ever spoke to him, you'd think he only ate haggis and wore a kilt,” implying that he either had a heavy accent or knew his culture very well. John's father also hated the English for what they did to his great-grandparents, although he never met them.

Not much is known about John's mother, except that she was a prostitute and died while giving birth to him in 1873. John was therefore left in the care of his father, who was "blinded in a bar fight, south of Chicago" and later died. The exact circumstances around the death of John's father are unknown, although John was told by others that he died in a bar fight, possibly the same one where he was blinded. This left eight-year-old John orphaned, so he was sent to an orphanage.

However, Marston eventually ran away and, in 1885, met Dutch van der Linde, who took him in and saved him from a hanging in Chicago when he was 12 and served as a father figure to him alongside Hosea Matthews. It was Dutch and Hosea who taught John how to read and shoot, ultimately resulting in Marston becoming a member of the Van der Linde gang. Circa 1894, a prostitute named Abigail Roberts became was introduced to the gang; despite sleeping with most of the gang's members, she eventually fell in love with John.

Abigail gave birth to a son, Jack Marston, in 1895. John expressed difficulties connecting with his child, often carrying the doubt of whether Jack was his biological son or not, along with fears about his ability to raise him. The following year after Jack’s birth, John left the gang in what some members, including Arthur Morgan, called “betrayal.” With John’s absence and Jack’s youth, he was collectively raised by the gang, often calling gang members his aunts and uncles. John would return a year later around 1897 with open arms from most of the gang, whilst Arthur felt betrayed by his actions. His actions also led to a bitter relationship with Abigail.

Events of Red Dead Redemption 2[]

Throughout the story of Redemption 2, the relationships between the Marston family is particularly unstable. After John, who was on the verge of death, was rescued by Javier Escuella and Arthur in the Grizzlies West, he was wounded and bed-ridden. However, this did not stop him from having several arguments with Abigail. As he healed up, he still expressed doubt in raising Jack and his unstable relationship with Abigail.

VanDerLindeGang - PartyAfterRescuingJack - RDR2

The gang celebrating Jack’s safe rescue

The family’s relationship started to improve after a tumultuous series of weeks following the sudden kidnapping of Jack. After learning he was kidnapped by the Braithwaites, he and the rest of the gang took part in an assault against Braithwaite Manor in hopes of finding Jack. After his son is not found at the manor, the gang grows furious and proceeds to set the mansion on fire. The chaotic shootout brought the knowledge that Jack was being held hostage by Angelo Bronte in Saint Denis. After finding Jack and bringing him back, the gang hosted a party at their camp. Most notably, the relationship between the Marstons significantly improved, with the three finally sleeping together in their own room rather than at separate tents.

The bond between the family would continue to grow as the gang’s condition worsened following a disastrous bank heist, the death of several members, and the ever-present sense of fear and unease. During the robbery, John was arrested and sent to Sisika Penitentiary. He would later be saved by Arthur and Sadie Adler, much to Dutch’s dismay, who did not think it was the right time, even despite talks of John being hung. This interaction would cause a rift of doubt to grow between John and Dutch. The state of the gang would only continue to deteriorate, making the family, particularly Abigail and Jack, fearful for their lives. Amidst the hostility, Arthur would push John to “run and never look back” when the time would come.

Red Dead-Arthur and John goodbye

Arthur and John bidding farewell in the final mission of the main story, “Red Dead Redemption.”

The time would, in fact, come, when John was shot and almost killed during the gang’s “final heist,” and was left to die by Dutch. He was presumed dead by the gang, and as they returned back to camp, Tilly Jackson would inform the gang that Abigail was kidnapped by Pinkertons. Most of the gang would ignore Tilly, with the exception of Arthur and Sadie. Arthur told Tilly, who was with Jack, to ride to Copperhead Landing, where she’d find Abigail once she was rescued. After saving Abigail at Van Horn Trading Post, she was taken by Sadie to reunite with Jack and Tilly, while Arthur rode back to camp to inform the gang of the revelation that Micah Bell was a traitor. A standoff would occur at camp, with a wounded and furious John arriving back at camp, much to the gang’s surprise. Arthur and John stood alone against the rest of the gang, who sided with Micah, but the standoff was cut short when Pinkertons ambushed the camp. Giving John his hat and satchel, Arthur helped John escape from the life of crime, starting a new life.

Soon afterwards, the Marston family temporarily moved to the Yukon Territory to participate in the ongoing gold rush, but they didn’t make much from it. For the next eight years, the family wandered the country, searching for work, opportunities, and land. Oftentimes, John’s outlaw past would be a catalyst for moving. After killing a man in Roanoke Ridge, the family moved to Big Valley, where they found work and lodging at Pronghorn Ranch. After a series of events in which John led an assault against the Laramie Gang, along with killing several men who recognized him from Roanoke Ridge, Abigail and Jack abandoned John, unhappy with his apparent inability to settle into family life.

John and Abigail’s Wedding

John and Abigail’s official wedding

Wishing to convince her that he’d changed, John bought a ranch in the Great Plains region called Beecher's Hope. As he finalized a loan at the bank in Blackwater, he ran into Uncle, an old acquaintance from the gang, and reluctantly accepted his help in improving the ranch, which was a “dump.” John also found Charles Smith in Saint Denis, and brought him back to the ranch, where they’d completely revamp the ranch, building a new house, barn, and silo. Soon afterwards, Abigail and Jack reunite with John, bringing a new dog, Rufus, along with them. After tying all loose ends and killing Micah, John and Abigail got formally married soon afterwards. After their wedding, Charles and Sadie left the ranch, leaving the rest of the Marston family to continue a live of ranching.

Events of Red Dead Redemption[]

In 1911, John is forced to take up the role of gunslinger once again when Edgar Ross and Archer Fordham find him at his ranch and force him to hunt down and capture or kill his former gang members by capturing his son and wife.

Grave

Jack and Abigail at John’s grave, mourning his death

John eventually succeeds in this task and reunites with his family at the ranch. However, the Bureau secretly betray John and a large group of US Army soldiers attack the ranch at some point afterwards. Uncle is shot dead during the assault, and after continuing to fight off the soldiers, Marston sends Jack and Abigail away while allowing himself to be gunned down by the firing squad outside, sacrificing himself so that they can be free. Abigail and Jack return to the ranch soon after, only to find that John had been killed. They bury John and Uncle on the hill overlooking the ranch.

Three years later, in 1914, a 19 year old Jack is seen standing near the graves of John, Uncle, and Abigail, with the latter having died of an unknown cause. He turns around and walks away, before deciding to track down Ross, in vengeance for his family. He eventually succeeds in killing Ross in a duel, and walks away, with the realization that he now is an outlaw, the very path his parents tried to prevent him from following. Being the only surviving member of the Marston family, the rest of Jack's life is unknown.

List of Family Members[]

  • John Marston - Father of Jack Marston and an unnamed daughter. Son of an unnamed Scottish man, and an unnamed prostitute. Husband of Abigail Marston. Died in 1911.
  • Abigail Marston - Mother of Jack Marston and an unnamed daughter. Wife of John Marston. Died in 1914.
  • Jack Marston - Son of John and Abigail Marston. Older brother of unnamed Marston daughter and sole survivor of the Marston family by 1914.
  • Unnamed Marston daughter - Daughter of John and Abigail. Younger sister of Jack Marston. Died prior to 1911.
  • Uncle - Though Uncle is not related to the Marston family, he is treated as a family relative and friend. Died in 1911.
  • Mr. Marston - Father of John, of Scottish descent. Died in 1881.
  • Unnamed female prostitute - Mother of John. Died in 1873.
  • Unnamed Scottish great-great grandparents of John - Possibly murdered by the English government.
  • Rufus - Family dog.
  • Although the Van der Linde gang was not actually John's family, they served as surrogate figures as he grew up, as they did with Abigail and Jack before they left the gang. John especially had a close bond with members like Arthur Morgan, who he called his “brother.”

Family Tree[]

John's Father
(?-1881)
   
   
   
   
   
   
John's Mother
(?-1873)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Rdr john marston
John Marston
(1873-1911)
   
   
   
   
   
   
Rdr abigail marston
Abigail Roberts
(1877-1914)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
JackMarston-Redemption-Epilogue
Jack Marston
(1895- )
   
   
   
   
   
   
Unnamed Daughter


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