George Marsh (abt. 1592 - 1647)

Born about 1592 in Hingham, Norfolk, England [uncertain]

Husband of Elizabeth (UNKNOWN) Bowen — married about 1617 in England

Descendants

Died 2 Jul 1647 at about age 55 in Hingham, Plymouth, Massachusetts

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George Marsh migrated to New England during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640). (See The Great Migration (Series 2), by R. C. Anderson, vol. 5, p. 23) Join: Puritan Great Migration Project Discuss: pgm

Biography

George was first Marsh to go to America.

George married Elizabeth ______ (sometimes called Key) about 1617 in England.^[1]

George Marsh and Elizabeth immigrated 1635. Their children Onisiphorus, Mary, Thomas and Elizabeth traveled with them. George Marsh lived in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, now Plymouth County, before 18 September 1635. He was among the group who drew their house lots from the Cove on the north side of the road to Fort Hill on this date. He became a freeman on 3 March 1635/36 in Hingham, Massachusetts Bay Colony, now Plymouth County. ^[2]

George Marsh died 2 July 1647 in Hingham, Massachusetts.^[3][4]

He left a will on 2 July 1647. "Unto wife Elizabeth, fower pound tenn shillings a yeare; on fether bed, on payer of sheets &c. after hir desese to returne to my sonne Thomas Marsh. To sonne Onesfered, one yerling stere, and one to yerling hefer, one hefer calfe, one Ewe &c. Dau. Elizabeth Turner, one yerling hefer. Dau. Mary padte, to Ewe gotes, &c. Sonne Thomas Marsh my house and all my land in Hingham." Witnes Ralfe Woodard, William Hersee.^[5]

His widow married (in Weymouth) Richard Bowen.^[6]

Children^[1]

1. Mary b. say 1621 m. by 1641 John Page
2. Thomas b. say 1623; m. Hingham 20 March 1648/9 Sarah Beal
3. Elizabeth Marsh b. say 1627; m. by 1647 John Turner
4. Onesiphorus Marsh. b. about 1630 (d. Haverhill 15 May 1713 "age 83 years" m. Hingham 6 Feb 1654/5 Hannah Cutler

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Great Migration 1634-1635, M-P. "George Marsh" (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2010.) Originally published as: The Great Migration, Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, by Robert Charles Anderson. Boston: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2007. https://www.americanancestors.org/DB401/i/12155/24/23908556
2. ↑ History of the Town of Hingham, Massachusetts (The Town of Hingham, Massachusetts, 1893): Vol III, p.56-57
3. ↑ "The Hobart Journal" in NEHGR, 121(January 1967):20: "[1647] July: 2 Gorge Marsh dyed"
4. ↑ Hubbard's Journal, Vital records by Hosea Sprague, 1635-1825 Births, marriages and deaths by Dr. Gay, 1718-1787, FamilySearch.org (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSLR-D5P9)
5. ↑ "Abstracts of Early Wills," in NEHGR, 7(1853):36
6. ↑ Hobart Journal, op cit., p 21

See also:

• Eliezer Jewett Marsh,Genealogy of the family of George Marsh : who came from England in 1635 and settled in Hingham, Mass., Leominster, Mass.: Press of F.N. Boutwell, 1887. He incorrectly records that George's widow married Richard BROWN.

• Robert Charles Anderson, Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634-1635, Volume V, M-P, Boston, MA: NEHGS 1995, p 23. AmericanAncestors.org LINK

Note

It has not been confirmed that George was from Hingham, Norfolk, England although he did arrive at Hingham, MA with Rev. Peter Hobart and his congregation who did, in fact, emigrate from Hingham, Norfolk, England. Several families supposedly traveled from other areas to join the Hobart group in sailing to Massachusetts Bay. Also, the Hobart group was at Charlestown briefly before moving on to "Bear Cove" (Hingham) and George may have come over earlier, joining them there. In addition, a pamphlet titled "The Heyday of Their Strength" by M.E. Lonsdale is said to list the members of the Hobart Congregation at Norfolk without a George Marsh among them. Many questions remain, then. The one thing we CAN be sure of is that George Marsh/Marshe arrived at Hingham, MA in 1635 with his family.

Allegations that George's wife's name was Key and that his father may have been William, but have never been substantiated with acceptable documentation. Boyd's Marriage Index indicates that a George Marsh was married to Elizabeth Key in Suffolk (Ipswich?) in 1623.

Hingham was born of religious dissent. Many of the original founders were forced to flee their native village in Norfolk with both their vicars, Rev. Peter Hobart and Rev. Robert Peck, when they fell foul of the strict doctrines of Anglican England. Peck was known for what the eminent Norfolk historian Rev. Francis Blomefield called his "violent schismatical spirit." Peck lowered the chancel railing of the church, in accord with Puritan sentiment that the Anglican church of the day was too removed from its parishioners. He also antagonized ecclesiastical authorities with other forbidden practices..

The cost to those who emigrated was steep. They "sold their possessions for half their value", noted a contemporary account, "and named the place of their settlement after their natal town." (The cost to the place they left behind was also high: Hingham was forced to petition Parliament for aid, claiming that the departure of its most well-to-do citizens had left it hamstrung.).