Marsh Archives

THE MARSH FAMILY

The Marsh family is English in origin. Several different Marsh families came to America very early in the 1600s.

The first Marsh to come to America seems to be one John Marsh, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1633. There were many others who arrived from various parts of England during the next few years.

Two separate Marsh families came from Braintree, Essex County, England to Boston in the 1640s. How the two families were related is not certain; they may have been cousins. One was that of John Marsh, who came to Boston in 1635 and then went to Hartford, Connecticut. The second was that of Samuel Marsh and his brother Jonathan, who were in Boston by 1641. The brothers were in New Haven, Connecticut by 1643. Jonathan later went to Rhode Island, and Samuel to New Jersey.

Our line is descended from this Samuel Marsh.

The Marsh family were pioneers in the early New Haven Puritan Colony. This colony covered most of the southern Connecticut shoreline, and our Marshes were in the general area of Milford, Connecticut. They went from there to the New Jersey coastal areas around Newark and Elizabeth.

From there, they spread westward, like so many of my ancestors, seeking new lands and homes for their families.

SAMUEL MARSH

Samuel Marsh was born in Essex County, England about the year 1620. There are references that his father may have been John Marsh, born in 1589, and his mother may have been Grace Baldwin, but I have no proof.

Some sources state he was in Boston by 1641, others state he came directly to the colony in New Haven in the summer of 1645. Although he was not listed as an original planter, he was carried on the records as a resident of New Haven in 1646. He was in the Militia records on April 7, 1647. It seems he was fined two shillings six pence for missing training three times to “seek cowes”.

He took the oath of Fidelity in New Haven on May 2, 1647 and was then made a Freeman. Samuel married about 1647. His wife was named Comfort. Most sources feel her maiden name was Mann, but no one seems very positive about it.

They appear as members of the First Church of Christ in New Haven on List Number 2 dated February 11, 1655/56. It would seem that possibly there was a whole family that came from England. Samuel’s brother Jonathan was there until about 1650 when he moved to nearby Milford, Connecticut and then to Norwalk, Connecticut by 1657. There was also a sister, Hannah, who married Lancelot Fuller in New Haven.

Samuel and Comfort Marsh raised seven children while living in New Haven. In 1665, the family moved to Elizabethtown, New Jersey. In that year, England took possession of New Jersey from the Dutch. Samuel Marsh was one of the original Eighty Associates who bought the Elizabeth-town Grant, East Jersey, of some five hundred thousand acres, which covered all of the present-day Union County, New Jersey. Their son, Samuel Marsh junior, was also one of the original eighty associates.

Samuel took the oath of allegiance to King Charles II on February 16, 1665. In 1671, Samuel was in a major conflict with New Jersey Governor Carteret over land rights, but seems to have survived without any penalties. Samuel wrote his will on June 10, 1683 and mentioned his wife and children John, Joseph, Elizabeth, and Samuel. He stated he was living at Wawanday. He died in September of 1683. The Will was probated on February 24, 1685. His widow, Comfort, was the executrix.

They had seven children:

• MARY MARSH, born in 1648 and unmarried.
• SAMUEL MARSH, born February 12, 1649. He married Mary Trimmins in 1675 and later moved to Philadelphia, where he died in about 1684.
• COMFORT MARSH, born August 22, 1652. She married Joseph Meeker on May 5, 1678, and died in December 1690.
• HANNAH MARSH, born July 22, 1655.
• ELIZABETH MARSH, born December 27, 1657.
• JOHN MARSH, born May 2, 1661. John is our line and his life is covered next.
• JOSEPH MARSH, born April 1, 1663. He married Sarah Hinds in 1697 and remained in New Jersey. Joseph died at Trembly Point, New Jersey, in December 1723.

Their children were: Sarah, who married Benjamin Watkins; Samuel, who married Mary Shotwell; Joseph, who married Susanna; James; Charles, who married Hester Culler; Paluna; Susannah; and Ellis, who married Mary Davenport.

JOHN MARSH

John Marsh was born in New Haven, Connecticut on May 2, 1661. When he was four years old, he traveled with his family to Elizabeth town, New Jersey. He grew up in New Jersey and in 1683 married Elizabeth Clark.

Elizabeth Clark was born in 1665 and was the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Clark. Richard Clark was born in England in 1632 and came to New England about 1655 and quickly moved to eastern Long Island. Here he married and became a ship builder. In 1678, he and Elizabeth and their five children moved to Rahway, New Jersey. He continued to be a ship builder there until his death in 1697. Young John Marsh was living in Rahway at the time and it was here he married the daughter, Elizabeth Clark. Richard Clark was the great grandfather of Abraham Clark who signed the Declaration of Independence. For more information on Richard Clark, see the THE CLARK FAMILY HISTORY.

By 1683 when he was married, John Marsh was considered a founder of the village of Rahway. He was granted 800 acres of land on the Rahway River in March of 1685. He was operating a small saw mill in Elizabeth as early as 1681, and after moving to Rahway, he built a dam on the Rahway and erected one of the first permanent saw mills in New Jersey. In 1684 he built a grist mill alongside his saw mill. The mills were located just west of the present Pennsylvania Railroad bridge over the river.

John Marsh seems to have moved to New York City around 1692. He sold out his mills to Stephen Van Cortlandt in March of 1695. He later returned to his old homestead at Trembly Point on the Rahway River and remained there the rest of his life. He died there in November of 1744. His will was proven in court on December 3, 1744. The house of his father, Samuel Marsh, was located nearby also on the Rahway River. This house remained until about 1949 when it was torn down.

John and Elizabeth Marsh had twelve children. This is what I know about them:

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JOHN MARSH: Born November 7, 1686, and died in 1735. He married Mary Morse, who was born about 1684. They had three children: John, Mary, and William.

JOSEPH MARSH: Born November 21, 1688, and died in 1745. He was a carpenter. His wife was Elizabeth, born 1723 and died June 10, 1799. They had ten children: Samuel, Joseph, Elizabeth, John, Phoebe, Henry, Joanna, David, Hannah, and Mary. After Joseph died, Elizabeth remarried on January 10, 1750, to the Reverend Nathaniel Hubbell. He died in 1761, and Elizabeth remained a widow.

JOSHUA MARSH: Born August 8, 1690. He wrote his will on September 20, 1744, and died the following day, September 21, 1744. He resided in Westfield, New Jersey, and is buried in Elizabeth. He married Susanna Bunn and had five children: Susannah (married a Davis), Sarah (married John Tucker), Elizabeth (married a Meeker), Joshua, and Abraham Marsh.

ELIZABETH MARSH: Born in 1694 and died on April 13, 1750. She married Job Pack, son of George and Anna Pack. Elizabeth, Job, and a child, John Pack, were killed by Indians on April 13, 1750, and they are buried in Rahway. They had at least three children: John, Hannah, and Jobe. There is more on the family in the PACK FAMILY HISTORY, which is forthcoming.

JONATHAN MARSH: Born on September 14, 1696, and married to Mary T. Scudder. This is our lineage and his life is covered in the next section. The SCUDDER FAMILY HISTORY in this addendum details Mary’s family history.

HANNAH MARSH: Born in 1698 and died October 16, 1753. She married William Miller and had twelve children: Ephraim, John, Noah, Ezra, Nancy, Samuel, William, Clark, Mary, Marsh, Sabra, and Hannah Miller.

EPHRAIM MARSH: Born on July 9, 1700, and died on April 23, 1750, and is buried in Westfield. He married Anna Scudder and they had five children: Ephraim, Jean, Anna, Keziah, and Sarah Marsh. Ephraim died at age 49, and Anna remarried to Thomas Woodruff, also from Westfield, on December 6, 1753. Anna died on April 16, 1762.

BENJAMIN MARSH: Born in Rahway on August 12, 1702, and died on March 20, 1734. He lived in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and there married Margaret Ewen (born in 1700 and died February 14, 1748). They had six children: Benjamin (born 1721), Enoch (1723), David (1725), Margaret (1727), Sarah (born 1729 and married Benjamin Williams), and Mary Marsh (1730 – 1795 and married to Reuben Clark).

DANIEL MARSH: Born February 25, 1705, and died November 1, 1756. He married Mary Rolph, daughter of Henry and Mary Connelly Rolph. They lived in Elizabeth and had eleven children: Hannah, John, Mary, Esther, Phebe, Daniel, Ephraim, Henry, Christopher, Rolph, and Rhoda Marsh.

MEPHIBOSHETH MARSH: Born February 28, 1707, and died August 11, 1764. He lived at Rahway and is buried there. In 1730 he married Elizabeth Coddington and they had eleven children: John, Elizabeth, Mephibosheth, Comfort, Stephen, Benjamin, Asher, Jane, Jacob, Cornelius, and Zeruiah.

DAVID MARSH: Born on December 22, 1708, and died in November 1769. He married Mary Lee and they had five children: Abraham, Elizabeth, Sarah, Moses, and John.

SARAH MARSH: Born on April 6, 1712, and died on October 1, 1777. She lived and is buried in Rahway, New Jersey. She married Isaac Noe of Rahway. I have no information on children, if any.

JONATHAN MARSH

Jonathan Marsh was born in Elizabethtown, Union County, New Jersey, on September 14, 1696.
He and his brother Ephraim moved further west from Elizabethtown and were among the founders of the village of Westfield in the early 1720s. Both brothers married Scudder girls in Westfield.

Sometime around 1730, Jonathan married Mary Scudder, the daughter of John Scudder. Mary was born in 1706 and died on December 9, 1805, at the age of ninety-nine years. The SCUDDER FAMILY HISTORY follows in this Addendum.

Jonathan and Mary lived in Westfield for the remainder of their lives. They were active in the Presbyterian Church and are both buried there in Westfield. Jonathan died there on July 27, 1779, and Mary died on December 9, 1805. They had at least four children:

• JONATHAN MARSH married Mary Crane and had seven children.

• MOSES MARSH was married three times before his death in 1785. He first married Jennet Woodruff, his second wife is unknown, and his third wife was Phoebe Ludlum. He had a total of about 15 children by the three wives.

• THOMAS MARSH was born about 1735 and died on December 16, 1801. He married Deborah Squire in Westfield on September 6, 1761. Deborah was born on September 14, 1741, and died on July 11, 1814. They had seven children.

• JOHN MARSH. John is our line, and his life is covered in the next section.

JOHN MARSH

John Marsh was born in Westfield in 1738. On November 21, 1762, he married Nancy Searing.
Nancy was a daughter of Simeon and Affia Searing. Her history is contained in the section, THE SEARING FAMILY HISTORY, coming next in this Addendum.

They had six of their ten children by the time the Revolution broke out. John enlisted with the New Jersey Continental Line even before the formal outbreak. From the Muster Rolls, we find:

MARSH, John – Second Sergeant, Captain Andrew McMeyer’s 6th Company, Colonel William Alexander (Lord Sterling) 1st Reg., 1st Establishment New Jersey Continental Line.
He enlisted on November 13, 1775, and was on the rolls to January 11, 1776, with a remark Mustered at Elizabethtown Barracks.

After the Revolution, the family remained in Westfield where the rest of the children were born. In about 1794 or 1795, the entire family traveled across Pennsylvania and then sailed down the Ohio River to the mouth of the Little Miami River and settled north of Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio. He was in what is now Warren County by 1797.
It was here that their children married, and several continued westward. John Marsh died near Carlisle in Hamilton County in about 1799; his estate papers were filed in 1800. Carlisle is now in Warren County, Ohio. I do not know when or where Nancy died.

There were ten children, all born in Westfield, Union County, New Jersey. The following is what I know of these children:

• MARY MARSH was baptized in Westfield on February 5, 1764. She married Andrew Cornelison and lived in Jacksonburg, Butler County, Ohio.

• CHILD WITHOUT NAME baptized on April 4, 1765. Probably died at birth, but I do not know.

• JONATHAN MARSH was baptized at the Presbyterian Church on August 27, 1767. He married Mary Day, born in 1773, and had at least two sons: John, who lived in Germantown, Montgomery County, Ohio, and Jacob, who moved to Indiana County, Ohio. Jonathan Marsh died in Warren County in 1799. Mary then married his brother Simeon Marsh.

• SIMEON SEARING MARSH was born in 1769 and baptized on August 27, 1770. He married Mary Day Marsh, his brother’s widow, in 1806, and they lived in Butler County, Ohio. They had nine children, including Mary’s from her first marriage. Simeon died in 1857, Mary had died in 1828.

• SARAH MARSH was baptized on June 4, 1774. She married a cousin, Israel Marsh, and lived on Mad River, Champaign County, Ohio.

• DAVID MARSH was baptized on June 9, 1776. He married and had at least two sons: John, who lived on Fall Creek near Indianapolis, Indiana, and David, who lived near Colerain in Hamilton County, Ohio.

• TIMOTHY MARSH was born on April 3, 1778, and baptized on August 1, 1779. He married Mary Clawson on January 24, 1808, and died on November 7, 1844, in Preble County, Ohio. His will was proved on March 25, 1845. They lived on a farm near Camden in Preble County. They had the following children: Phoebe, John, Lois, David, Timothy, William, Wilson, James, and Searing. The will mentions sons-in-law Alfred McDonald and Berryman McCarthy. I do not know which married Lois and Phoebe, but these were the husbands.

• APPHIA or EFFIE MARSH was born in 1764. She married Andrew Noe. Their children were:

  • Nancy Noe, born in 1778, and she married Thomas Florah.
  • Marsh Noe, born in 1782.
  • Abraham Noe, born in 1784.
  • Jonathan Noe, born in 1785, she married Catherine Parker.
  • Phoebe Jane Noe, born in 1788, she married John Henley.
  • Searing Noe, born in 1792. He married Margaret McFall.
  • Elias Noe, born in 1794. He married Susan Cowan.
  • David Noe, born in 1800. He married Mary Allison.
  • Andrew Noe Jr., born in 1808. He married Margaret Beak.

• NANCY MARSH never married. She lived near her sister Phoebe in Rush County, Indiana. She traveled with Phoebe to Illinois and then to Washington County, Arkansas, where she died.

• PHOEBE MARSH was born in Westfield on May 14, 1787. She married Alexander Stelle in Butler County, Ohio, on March 27, 1814. They moved to Indiana and then to Illinois, where Alexander died in 1827. They had the following children: John, Nancy, Isaac, Searing, Timothy, and Hannah Stelle. On February 21, 1829, she married a widow, Reding Putman, in Fulton County, Illinois. They had one child together, Reding II, born on September 12, 1830. This is my line, and their lives are contained in the main body of this work. Phoebe died in Washington County, Arkansas, on May 11, 1884, at the age of 97 years, a true pioneer.

The following members of the Marsh Family are carried on the muster rolls as having served in the American Revolution from the Colony of New Jersey:
Privates in the New Jersey Militia: Ephraim Marsh, Jabish Marsh, Jehiel Marsh, John Marsh, Stephan Marsh, and William Marsh.
Daniel Marsh and Christopher Marsh were Captains in the Essex County Militia.
Abraham Marsh and Noah Marsh were lieutenants in The Essex Militia.
George Marsh was a private in the Continental Army.
My John Marsh was a sergeant in the Continental Army.

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