52 Ancestors 2019 – 5 – At the Library – William Marsh

When I was beginning my genealogy research over 30 years ago I learned that almost one-fourth of my ancestry came from Quakers as my paternal grandfather was born into a Quaker family. My second cousin shared with me his findings about our Quaker ancestors. The local genealogical society library (Cottage Grove, Oregon) had books with Quaker information, so I used them to compare to my cousin's research. The local genealogical library had the 6 volume set of books: Encyclopedia of American Quaker Genealogy by William Wade Hinshaw. Later I learned that Mr. Hinshaw was a distant cousin of mine.

On the aunts and uncles birthday calendar for this week, I found my 2^nd gt-grandmother, Sabina (Marsh) Albertson's brother. William Marsh was born either on 25 January 1816 from Ohio records or 1 February 1817 from Indiana records. His parents were Elias and Edith (Townsend) Marsh. This was in Columbiana County, Ohio, apparently in the part of Columbiana County which later became Carrol County, since records in Indiana show the latter as his birthplace.

I was able to find the Marsh family in Volume IV, Ohio, of the Hinshaw books. The books are arranged by the local meetings and Elias and Edith were reported married at the New Garden Monthly Meeting located in Columbiana County on the 17^th day of the 7^th month in 1810. Then in 1822 they and their children, including Willliam, were granted a certificate to transfer to the Sandy Spring Meeting, which was also in Columbiana County. The Sandy Spring records show the birthdates of Elias and Edith and their 8 children, including William. This record shows the January 1816 date.

It was a dozen years later, 1834, when Elias's family moved to Indiana. My local library at that time did not have the Indiana records, as Hinshaw's books do not include Indiana. However, there was a set of 7 books of Indiana Quaker records edited by Willard Heiss. The genealogy society in Eugene (about 20 miles from me) did have these books in their library, so I took a trip there.

The Elias Marsh family were granted a certificate to Duck Creek Monthly Meeting in Henry County. Indiana. They were probably among the members who were included at Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting of Rush County, when it was set off from Duck Creek in 1836. Elias' family is named with birthdates in the Walnut Ridge minutes. It is there that the February 1817 date is used.

I found it interesting that the only birthdates which differed between the two listings are my 2^nd gt-grandmother Sabina and this uncle William. But it also made me remember that published information can be incorrect and you need to find as many pieces of evidence as you can. Still sometimes you will not know which one is correct.

It was at the Walnut Ridge meeting that William married Martha Ann Chappell on 21 December 1836. William and Martha had six children: Thomas, Edith, William, Elias, Margaret and Benjamin, who are all named in the Indiana book. Note that I did a post about one of these children in 2017: https://joannesgenealogyresearch.blogspot.com/2017/06/quaker-cousins-elias-t-marsh-1848-1926.html.  The Walnut Ridge record also lists the death of William on 12 October 1861, stating he was buried at Westland Meeting. This meeting house was in Blue River Township in Hancock County, Indiana.

So, even if I cannot be positive about William's birthdate, I do appreciate all the information that I was able to find about him “at the library.”

Ancestor Birthday – December 10 – Benjamin Townsend 1742

Today's ancestor, Benjamin Townsend, was the father of my 3^rd gt-grandmother, Edith Townsend, who I wrote about day before yesterday, December 8^th. So that means that Benjamin was my 4^th gt-grandfather.

He was born 10 Dec 1742, the son of Joseph and Lydia (Reynolds) Townsend in Chester County Pennsylvania. They were members of the Quaker Concord Monthly Meeting. While he was still quite young, in 1749, his father died and Benjamin was named in his father's will.

It was about 1767 when Benjamin married Edith Evans. They had 6 children before Edith died 8 May 1783. Benjamin married his second wife, Jemima Booth, 6 May 1784. About 2 years later, in 1786, the family moved to Washington County Pennsylvania. Benjamin and Jemima had at least 5 children before they moved farther west into Columbiana County Ohio in 1803. It appears that Jemima died before 1807 because Benjamin married his 3^rd wife, Elizabeth Naylor, then.

From a probate record in Columbiana County, May term 1822, Benjamin was then deceased and apparently did not have a will. It does name 11 children who were his heirs at law, including the daughters' married names and locations for most of them.

Ancestor Birthday – December 7 – Edith Townsend 1791-1837

Three of my ancestors, all female, were born on December 7, so the later 2 are being posted a day or two late.

Today is Edith Townsend who was one of my 3^rd gt-grandmothers. Edith was the daughter of Benjamin and Jemima (Booth) Townsend. Jemima was Benjamin's second wife, so Edith had 6 older half-siblings. But Edith also had at least 4 full siblings. Her parents were married in Chester County (now Delaware County) Pennsylvania at the Quaker Concord Monthly Meeting in 1784. It was 1786 when the family transferred their membership to the Westland Monthly Meeting in Washington County, Pennsylvania. It was there that Edith was born on the 7^th day of the 12^th month (December) 1791. In 1803 the family moved again, or at least transferred their membership to Concord Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County Ohio. They seem to have been members of the Short Creek Monthly Meeting which was set off from the Concord meeting in 1804. In 1806 Edith, as a minor (age 14) transferred to Salem Monthly Meeting which was also in Columbiana County. In 1808 the New Garden Meeting was set off from Salem and Edith was probably one of the charter members there.

It was in 1810 that Edith married Elias Marsh, who had come from New Jersey to Ohio. Edith and Elias had 8 known children: Robert b.1811, Martha b.1812, William b.1817, Lydia b.1818, Jesse b.1820, Sabina b. 1823 (my 2^nd gt-grandmother), Fanny b. 1827 and Joseph b. 1830.

In 1834 the family moved to Indiana, apparently to Hancock County. They were members of Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting which was in neighboring Rush County.

It was there in Hancock County that Edith died 5 Aug 1837, as recorded in the minutes of the Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting. Her youngest son Joseph died just 2 months later at age 10. So that must have been a sad year for their family.

Ancestor Unbirthday - Abt 1751 - Elias Marsh

Yesterday, October 7th, I wrote about Joseph Marsh, who was the father of Elias Marsh, my 4th gt-grandfather. On September 7th, I wrote about Elias Marsh the son of today's Elias and on June 20th I wrote about Martha FitzRandolph, his wife, and on June 21st I wrote about their children. So I have gone most of the way all around this Elias so today he gets his own post.

In his father's will it named Elias as the oldest son. Since Joseph's first marriage to Martha Webster was 22 Aug 1750, it is probable that Elias was born sometime in 1751. As I wrote in his wife's post Elias and Martha FitzRandolph were married around 1777 in New Jersey. There was an Elias Marsh on the tax list for Woodbridge in Middlesex County New Jersey in 1779 and in 1787.

According to a FitzRandolph family history their family moved to Columbiana County, Ohio around 1804. They are shown in the Quaker records of the Salem Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County being received on certificate from the Rahway and Plainfield Meeting in New Jersey in 1806.

There was an Elias Marsh on the tax list in Columbiana County in 1809 and 1810. The FitzRandolph family history stated that Elias died in 1820. From some estate records in Columbiana County it showed that administrators were appointed in December of 1820 for Elias Marsh: Martha Marsh [probably his wife] and Elias Marsh [probably his son].

Ancestor Birthday - September 7 - Elias Marsh 1788 - 1871

My 3rd gt-grandfather, Elias Marsh, was born 7 Sep 1788 in Woodbridge, Middlesex County, New Jersey, the son of Elias and Martha (FitzRandolph) Marsh. From the post I made on 21 Jun 2017 about the children of his parents, I concluded that Elias was the 2nd child of 7.

Their family moved to Ohio in 1806 as indicated in the Quaker records of Salem Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County. It was in 1810 that Elias married his 1st wife, Edith Townsend, who was the mother of all his known children. Since there are not census records for 1790 or 1800 for most of New Jersey nor for 1810 for most of Ohio, the first census record for Elias is in 1820. I believe he is listed in Columbiana County in Hanover Township as Elias Marsh, age 26-45, with 1 female age 26-45, 2 females under 10 and 3 males under 10. These children correspond well with his known children: Robert b.1811, Martha b.1812, William b.1817, Lydia b.1818 and Jesse b.1820.

Apparently Elias was considered a member of the New Garden Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County, when it was formed in 1808. Then in 1822 Elias, Edith and their 5 children transferred to Sandy Spring Monthly Meeting, still in Columbiana County. While there 3 more children were born: Sabina b.1823 (my 2nd gt-grandmother), Fanny b.1827, and Joseph b.1830.

In 1834 the family moved to Indiana. Elias received 80 acres from cash entry in Brandywine Township in Hancock County Indiana in 1835. Apparently he moved to Blue River Township in the same county in 1837 as the U.S. records show he purchased 280 acres there. A local history for that township stated that Elias erected a tile factory on his land.

Elias became a widower when his wife Edith died 5 Aug 1837, as recorded in the minutes of the Walnut Ridge Monthly Meeting. It also recorded Elias' 2nd marriage 24 Apr 1839 to widow Elizabeth (Hawkins) Boyd. She died about 1844 or 45 and Elias married for a 3rd time to another widow, Margaret (Reynard) Osborn. His son, Jesse, married Margaret's daughter Catherine, and the 1850 census shows Elias, now age 63, and Margaret living in the household of Jesse and Catherine and their children. Elias again became a widower in 1866 when Margaret died. He and Margaret were living alone on the 1860 census and he was by himself on the 1870 census.

Elias died 9 Feb 1871 and was buried at Westland Friends Church Cemetery, in Hancock County, Indiana.

The Children of Elias and Martha (FitzRandolph) Marsh

Yesterday, 20 Jun 2017, I wrote about Martha FitzRandolph who was married to Elias Marsh. Then I stated that I concluded they had 7 children. This is a time period where there are few birth records. I have used online trees and other records found through Ancestry.com. I based their order on the listing of the younger 5 in the Quaker records at Salem Monthly Meeting in Columbiana County Ohio. Here are some of my conclusions.

1. Mary Marsh, born in New Jersey 5 Feb 1779, married in 1795 to William Webster. On 1820 census they were in Liberty Township, Butler County Ohio. I believe she was the female age 26-44.
2. Elias Marsh, born in New Jersey 7 Sep 1788, married in 1810 to Edith Townsend. On 1820 census they were in Hanover Township, Columbiana County Ohio. I believe he was the male age 26-44.
3. Lydia Marsh, born in New Jersey 27 Aug 1790, married in 1808 to John Walton. On 1820 census they were in Butler Township, Columbiana County Ohio. I believe she was the female age 26-44.
4. Fanny Marsh, born probably in Pennsylvania about 1795, married in 1814 to Joseph Underwood. On 1820 census they were in Fairfield Township, Columbiana County Ohio. I believe she was the female age 14-25.
5. Joseph Marsh, born probably in Pennsylvania about 1796, married in 1816 to Hannah Rigby. On 1820 census they were in Hanover Township, Columbiana County Ohio. I believe he was the male age 14-25.
6. Samuel Marsh, born in Pennsylvania 4 Dec 1799, married in 1823 to Rebecca Gilbert. On 1820 census I believe he was in the household of his mother Martha Marsh in Hanover Township, Columbiana County Ohio I believe he was the male age 14-25.
7. Jane Marsh, born in Pennsylvania about 1800, married in 1817 to Joseph Scott. On 1820 census they were in Middleton Township, Columbiana County Ohio. I believe she was the female age 14-25.

I would be glad to receive any source information from other Marsh researchers than can correct or expand on what I have found.