Alexander Marsh (abt. 1628 - 1698)

Born about 1628 in England

Husband of Mary (Belcher) Marsh — married 19 Dec 1655 (to 1678) in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts

Husband of Bathsheba (Lothrop) Marsh — married 18 Sep 1683 in Braintree, MA

Descendants

Died 7 Mar 1698 at about age 70 in Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts

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Biography

Alexander Marsh bio

"Marsh, Lieut. Alexander, yeoman, Braintree, from May 3, 1654. Owned a house and land at Boston.

He d. Mar 7 1698 at about 70 years. (Gr. st.) Will dated 19 March 1699.

Married 10 Jun 1695 William Briggs. B96-7, prob. 31 Mar 1698, beq. to wife Bathsheba; daus. Rachel and Phebe; dau. Anna and her husband Samuel French; sons-in-law Dependance French, and Samuel Bass; son John Marsh under age; dau Mary French; gr. dau. Mary French."

Alexander Marsh is that he was born in 1628 and arrived in Massachusetts at a young age. Worked in the Iron Works (probably made cast iron kettles). He was a Puritan. Meet Mary Belcher and married her. She was the daughter of Gregory Belcher. The Belchers are of the most prominent Mass. Puritan families. Gregory helps Alexander buy the Iron works and Alexander becomes a wealthy man in his own right. He is recognized by his peers and given the rank of Lieutenant in the Colonial Militia. He is active in the affairs of the day. He had 10 Children, 8 girls and 2 boys.

Nathaniel dies at an early age so John is the only one left to carry the name on. Mary died in ???? (do not have the book here that tells me). He marries a widow, Bathshua Lathrop Beal but Mary. It is interesting that the second wife if not mention in Alexander's will but Mary is (even though she has passed away). Many have interpreted many thing from that. Of course, I descend from John. Alexander died in 1698 in Braintree which is now Quincy.

Tradition says he came to the Colonies with his "Uncle" George we believe of Hingham. There was a diary of a Marsh in the Quincy Historical Society that suggest several Marsh's were beheaded by Cromwell in England.

Maybe a Richard Marsh and others (Maybe Alexander's parents). It states George brought the children and came to the Colonies.

We do not know who Alexander's parent were or where is came from. There is traditions he came from England, Scotland and Wales. I think it must have been England but open to for now. (Added by Merilyn Pedrick) Marsh Family History The Marsh family that we are related to can be traced to Alexander Marsh, who was born in England around 1628. He came to America in 1654, settling in Braintree, Massachusetts (near Quincy). Alexander married Mary Belcher on December 19, 1655. They had nine children, six of whom are listed in "The History of Braintree, Mass." The nine included Mary (b. 1658), Elizabeth (1660-1662), Hannah (b. 1662) Katherine (b. 1664), Mercy (b. 1669), Nathaniel (b. 1672), Rachel (b. 1673), and John (b. 1678), with one unnamed child. Alexander held the title of Lieutenant in some military organization, but which one is unknown. In 1674-5 Alexander and his wife's father, Gregory Belcher, purchased a defunct iron works in Braintree. This iron works, or one close nearby was the first to operate in America. No records indicate that they ever made the iron works into a successful business. The property is listed in Alexander's estate, worth 430 pounds. Alexander served as a town "selectman" during the 1690's, helping to govern the affairs of the town. He also assisted in affairs of the church. Alexander died on March 7, 1698, and his wife Mary died June 7, 1706. Some articles of interest in Alexander's estate include a musket and 3 swords, 4 oxen, 3 steers, 8 cows, 50 sheep, 13 swine, a house and land in Boston, and various household items. The total worth was listed as 1290 pounds (Old Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts by Pattee, 1878, p. 567.)(Added by Merilyn Pedrick)

Alexander Marsh was born in 1628. He first resided in New England at Braintree, now Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA. He passed away on March 7, 1698 at Quincy, now Norfolk County, Massachusetts, USA

His first married Mary Belcher on December 19, 1655. After Mary died in 1678, He married again on September 18, 1683. His second wife was Bathsheba Lothrop, who was born in 1640.

Alexander is credited with being the father of several children: Rachel (Marsh) Glover, Anna (or Hannah) Hannah (Marsh) French and Phoebe Marsh. It is most likely that Mary was the mother of the children.

Alexander Marsh died Mar.7,1698.

This biographical information is said by an anonymous FamilySearch user to come from Spague's Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, 1640-1850:

Alexander Marsh, said to be a Scotchman, born about 1628, was made a freeman May 3,1654. In early records the name is often given as Mash.

In 1670 he bought with his father in law Gregory Belcher 200 acres of the Iron Works land in West Quincy where the furnace stood (S.D. 9-141) and in 1671 they bought about 40 acres adjoining to the north on "Cranes Plain" from Henry Crane, formerly part of the Wm. Hutchinson grant (S.D. 7-172). He was elected selectman 1683,1690,1693-6.

Roger Billings in his will 1683 makes his "cousen" Alexander Marsh an overseer of the will.

A valuable account of the Marsh and several other early Quincy families, now in the N.E. Historic Genealogical Society, Boston was compiled in 1847 by a descendant, Jonathan Marsh of Quincy.

Lieut. Alexander Marsh died Mar.7,1698 "aged about 70 years", gravestone, Hancock Cem.

Alexander Marsh married 1st Dec.19,1655, Mary Belcher, born Jul.8,1639, died -, dau. of Gregory & Catherine (-) Belcher.

He married 2nd - Bathsheba (Lothrop) Beale, widow of Benjamin Beale of Dorchester, baptized Feb.27,1641/2 at Barnstable, died Jan.8,1722/3 aged about 82yrs., gs., Dorchester, dau. of Rev. John Lothrop of Scituate & Barnstable (see Register Vols. 86 & 91).

Sources for this biographical imformation are unclear:

Alexander1 Marsh will dated Mar.19,1696/7, of Braintree, yeoman. Proved Mar.31,1698.

To wife Bathsheba £100 with all her own movables, nothing thereof to be withholden from her, she there upon quitting my estate from any further claim for dower. She to have liberty to abide with my children as a mother upon the farm now occupy, and if she sees not cause to abide there then to have liberty of one chamber & garret at my house in Boston for the space of two years, and if upon the farm to have liberty for her things that are in my house at Boston to abide there two years. To daus. Rachel & Phoebe Marsh equally my house & land in Boston reserving the liberty to my wife. To son in law Samuel French & Anna his wife my dau. what given already & all my upland in Salter's Farm & my Pine Swamp which I bought of Capt. White of Weymouth reserving 10 a. for my son John. To son in law Dependence French what given already , viz; £36, and now 5 shillings more as a token of love. To son in law Samuel Bass 40 shillings as a token of love. To the poor of Braintree 40 shillings at the discretion of my executors. To Mary French mu grand dau. now with me, 15 a. adjoining the Furnace land so called which was Barnabas Derrifield's lot & 15 a. of the Furnace land next to Moses Belcher deceased, his lot, reserving liberty to my son John to buy it if it shall be set to sale, and liberty of a cartway through it if occasion be to use it, from the Furnace land on either side, and if she die before marriage to return to my son John. (continued)

To daus. Rachel Marsh, Phoebe Marsh & Anna French & to son John all household stuffe. While wife and daus. continue together & till John is of age.

My stock to be maintained & then divided to last three mentioned children. To son John all remaining lands in Braintree with all husbandry utensils & if he die to go equally to the rest of my children Anna French, Phebe & Rachel Marsh & Mary French. My friends Mr. John Wilson, Mr. Roger Billings executors until John is of age, then to be executor.

Witness: Daniel Preston Jr., William Rawson, John Wilson, Nathaniel Glover Sr., Thomas Ferman.

8-129, Inventory of Lt. Alexander Marsh who deceased 7th March 1697/8 taken Mar.22,1697/8 by Joseph Penniman, Nathaniel Wales, Benjamin Savell includes 1 "musquet" & 3 swords £1/10/.

Several small parcels in Salter's Farm £54

6 a. salt marsh at Rock Island £50

4 a. salt marsh in Salter's Farm £40

3/4 a. fresh meadow at ye 80 a. lot in Salter's Farm

Land in ye Stony Field & that piece where his house stands now £45

To Derrifield's lot £24

To the furnace land & at Crane's Plain containing 215 acres £430

To a house & land at Boston £200

To 50 a. swamp near Moore's Farm £40

To an Indian Man's time, 2 years £3

To an Indian boy £5

Total £1290/18/4

His last name in early records was Mash. His 2nd wife was Bathsheba (Lothrop) Beale, Benjamin Beale's widow.

"He came to America in 1654, settling in Braintree, Massachusetts (near Quincy). Alexander married Mary Belcher on December 19, 1655. They had nine children, six of whom are listed in "The History of Braintree, Mass." The nine included Mary (b. 1658), Elizabeth (1660-1662), Hannah (b. 1662) Katherine (b. 1664), Mercy (b. 1669), Nathaniel (b. 1672), Rachel (b. 1673), and John (b. 1678), with one unnamed child. Alexander held the title of Lieutenant in some military organization, but which one is unknown.

In 1674-5 Alexander and his wife's father, Gregory Belcher, purchased a defunct iron works in Braintree. This iron works, or one close nearby was the first to operate in America. No records indicate that they ever made the iron works into a successful business. The property is listed in Alexander's estate, worth 430 pounds. Alexander served as a town "selectman" during the 1690's, helping to govern the affairs of the town. He also assisted in affairs of the church.

Alexander died on March 7, 1698, and his wife Mary died June 7, 1706. Some articles of interest in Alexander's estate include a musket and 3 swords, 4 oxen, 3 steers, 8 cows, 50 sheep, 13 swine, a house and land in Boston, and various household items. The total worth was listed as 1290 pounds (Old Braintree and Quincy, Massachusetts by Pattee, 1878, p. 567.)"

Note

Note: Lt Alexander MARSH b 1628 came to MA with his uncle George in 1635 (ship possibly called Plain Joan) and settled in Braintree, Massachusetts.

Sources

• Source: Cutter, William Richard. Genealogical and Personal Memoirs Relating to the Families of the State of Massachusetts, Volumes 1-4, published online by Google Books, 2006 [Cutter Massachusetts Families]; original publisher: Lewis Historical Publishing Company, New York, 1910. Volume 1, Page 90

• Source: Title: U.S. and International Marriage Records, 1560-1900 Author: Yates Publishing Publication: Online publication - Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.Original data - This unique collection of records was extracted from a variety of sources including family group sheets and electronic databases. Originally, the information was derived.

• Source: Title: Genealogies of the Families Of Braintree, Norfolk, Mass., 1640-1850 Author: Waldo Chamberlain Sprague, AB Publication: Including the modern town of Randolph & Holbrook and the city of Quincy, after the separation from Braintree in 1792-3. P. 3246.

• WikiTree profile Marsh-632 created through the import of BDM7-7-11.ged on Jul 8, 2011 by Brian McCullough. See the Changes page for the details of edits by Brian and others.

• http://www.bobnisbet.com/family/biomar1.htm

• History of Norfolk County, Massachusetts with biographica l sketchs of many of its pioneers and prominent men

• http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=120708&id=I62736

• Genealogies of the Families of Braintree, Norfolk, Massachusetts, 1640-1850; New England Historic Genealogical Society. https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/27811360