𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗

Jack Marston was born in 1895, the first child of outlaw John Marston and Abigail Roberts, who had once worked as a prostitute. Both were members of the Van der Linde gang at the time of his birth.

Being raised within the gang meant that Jack grew up surrounded by an extended family. He regarded most of the members as surrogate aunts and uncles, who looked after him and tried to shield his innocence from the darker realities of their criminal lives. In his early years, John struggled to form a bond with his son, plagued by doubts over whether Jack was truly his child and by his own fear of being incapable of raising him. Around 1896, John left the gang for about a year before eventually returning. This absence caused a rift between him and Arthur Morgan, and it further fueled questions about John’s ability to be a proper father.

As Jack grew, the gang members became his primary social circle outside of his mother. He often stayed awake at night listening intently as Dutch van der Linde and Bill Williamson shared stories about their adventures, giving him a sense of connection and wonder in an otherwise unconventional upbringing.