Norval Sinclair Marley was born in the UK in 1885. He was rarely talked about, even by those close to his famous son. Actress Esther Anderson, who dated Bob Marley in the 1970s, said in an interview that it was simply like the guy did not exist. She said all there was was a photograph of him on a horse.
In her words, it was a “white man on a horse.” Bob also kept the same energy regarding his father — he rarely talked about him. When he did, it was often in scathing terms of the man who left his mother not long after his birth and died when Bob was just 10.
Most of what is now known about Norval Sinclair Marley comes from his war record.
Who Is Norval Sinclair Marley?
Norval Sinclair Marley was born in Crowborough, East Sussex. After arriving from Cuba via the USA, he joined the army by enlisting in Liverpool on August 12, 1916. He stood at 5ft 5inc (1.65m) tall and weighed 124 lbs (56kg), according to details he provided. Norval also listed his occupation as a construction engineer.
He was quickly vetted and declared fit, sending him to one of the war’s biggest training camps at Park Hall, near Oswestry, in Shropshire. It was home to more than 20,000 men, trained in trench warfare at the site, ready for the frontline.
Norval Sinclair Marley, however, was not to be a part of them. At the start of September 1916, he reported sick at Park Hall due to a strain during training with the 10th Liverpool Scottish. According to the medical report, Norval was described as a “neurotic type of man” who claimed “incontinence of urine” and told doctors he wet the bed at night.
One month later, he was transferred to the military hospital in Oswestry, where he received an operation even though no problem was found. Not long after, he was transferred to a support battalion, which eventually became the Labour Corps, and never saw frontline action. The implication was that Norval spent the war in the UK.
The Romanticized Rumors of Norval Sinclair Marley
The battalion Norval joined was known as a salvage company, but they were more like laundry or sanitation. It was known to harbor those the army considered less than heroic in the war efforts.
Records show that Norval later received a pension. It was on grounds of “ill health caused by army service” for “incontinence of urine and non-attributed rheumatism.”
Later, rumors that he had been a captain in the Royal Marines spread, but these were “romanticized.” It remains unclear whether Norval himself had been the one to start the rumors.
His nephew said that after the war, he earned his keep in Lagos, Nigeria, either in the Military Police or the local army. At the time, the country was under British management. It is believed that he was given the title of captain while stationed there.
Norval Sinclair Marley and Bob Marley’s Mother
Some claim that many of the stories about Norval came from Bob’s mother, Cedella. However, they seem to have little or no truth about them. Norval was about 60 when he met and later married Cedella Malcolm. She was an 18-year-old then, and he had been working as a supervisor on a plantation in Jamaica.
He had a reputation for sleeping with young local women, and Cedella was one of his conquests. Sadly, he separated from Cedella shortly after Bob was born in February 1945. Norval mainly remained absent from his son’s life until he died suddenly from a heart attack when Bob was ten.
However, it is believed that he provided financial support. Cedella changed Bob’s name to Robert Nesta Marley after a Jamaican immigration officer told her that “Nesta” was too girlish. While Norval’s name faded into obscurity, his son, Bob Marley, rose in fame and popularity, becoming one of the best-selling reggae artists ever.
His fame ultimately put his father’s name back on the map, making him more talked about than he was while he lived. Stars like Bob, who come from military families, include Amy Adams, Lionel Richie, Heather Locklear, and Shaquille O’Neal.