Biographical Summary:

John Marsh was one of the original proprietors of Hartford; his home-lot in the distribution of 1639 was on what is now Front St., then the road from the Little River to the North Meadow. Chosen chimney-viewer, 1658; removed the next year to Hadley with the "withdrawers," under the load of his father-in-law, Gov. Webster. He went from there to Northampton, and united with the church there, June 18,1661. He married in Hartford, about 1640, Anne, daughter of Gov. John Webster; she died in Northampton, June 9, 1662; and he married (2) October 7, 1664, Hepzibah, widow of Richard Lyman, and daughter of Thomas Ford, of Windsor; she died April 11, 1683, and he died in 1688, in Hartford. He had a brother Joseph, who was a clothier, in Braintree, Co. Essex, England, where he made his will, May 22, 1676, in which he mentions several of the children of John Marsh. John Marsh's will shows by commencing "I John Marsh of Hadley," that he did not return to Hartford and he " d. at Windsor 1688." His wife Hepzibah died abt. 1684.

He was born in England circa 1609. His parentage is not known. He came to Hartford, CT according to Savage in 1636. He lived in Hartford from 1636 - 1660. He lived in Hadley, from 1660 - 1668. He is probably the John Marsh who left England aged 26 in the Plain John, with Robt. Sayres, Master, May 15, 1635. If so he was born 1609. He left a brother and three sisters in England it appears from a paper now in the Connecticut. State Archives which gives power of attorney from John's children and niece to a friend in London. This paper recalls the terms of the will of John's brother, Joseph Marsh of Braintree, Essex Co., England, and suggests the probable order and approximate times of birth of the brothers and sisters in England. Notice the names of the brothers and sisters repeat in John Marsh's own children:

1. Joseph Marsh, born abt. 1605, Will dated 1676
2. Mary, born abt. 1607, married John Shores, died between 1(576 and 1696
3. John, born abt. 1609, sailed for New England 1635, died 1688
4. Lydia, born abt. 1611, married -- Martin, died between 1676 and 1696
5. Grace, born abt. 1613, married Nathaniel Tyres and died March 15, 1696

Children

1. John. born about 1643; in. in Northampton, November 28, 1666, Sarah, daughter of Richard and Hepzibah Lyman; he returned to Hartford; freeman, 1669; lived upon the old homestead; (1. 1727. His eldest son, John, was much concerned in the settlement of the "western lands," and explored Litchfield, where he was one of the first settlers. Descendants of this family are still living in Hartford,
2. Samuel, born about 1645; Hatfield, where he was made freeman, 1690; married May 6, 1667, Mary Allison; died September 7, 1728, age 83.
3. Joseph, baptized Jan. 24, 1647-8; died young,
4. Joseph, baptized July 15, 1649; died young.
5. Isaac, baptized July 15, 1649, died. [is there confusion between Issac and Joseph?]
6. Jonathan, born about 1650, Hadley; freeman, 1690; married 1676, Dorcas, daughter of Azariah Dickinson; died July 3, 1730, age 80;
7. Daniel, born about 1653; Hadley; freeman, 1690; married November 5, 1676, Hannah, widow of Samuel Crow, of Hadley, and daughter of William Lewis, of Farmington; died February 24, 1725, age 72.
8. Hannah, born about 1655, married Jan. 28, 1675, Joseph Loomis, of Windsor,
9. Grace, born about 1657, married Jan. 26, 1672-3, Timothy Baker, of Northampton; died May 31, 1676.
10. Lydia, born October 9, 1667; married December 8, 1692, David Loomis, of Windsor.

Lydia (#10) was the daughter of John Marsh and his second wife Hepzibah. His will mentions his brother, Joseph Marsh, and the daughter of his sister (Lydia Marsh Martin), who he came to her uncle John Marsh in Hadley, MA. Her name was Grace Martin and she married Nathaniel Phelps of Northampton, MA on Aug. 27, 1676. With John Marsh's children she received her portion of the Joseph Marsh estate. Many sources refer to her as the eleventh child of John Marsh. Some sources do not list Issac. Some sources reverse the birth order of Hannah and Grace.

Sources

1. James Hammond Trumbull, editor, The memorial history of Hartford County, Connecticut, 1633-1884, Volume 1 (Boston, Massachusetts: Edward L. Osgood, 1886), pages 250-251. Retrieved: 3 May 2011 from Google Books
2. Genealogy of the Marsh family: outline for 5 generations of the families of John of Salem, 1633; John of Hartford, 1636; Samuel of New Haven, 1646; Alexander of Braintree, 1654; John of Boston, 1669; Wm. of Plainfield, 1675 ... (Google eBook) Dwight Whitney Marsh. J.E. Williams, 1886.

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from Genealogical and Family History of the State of Maine By George Thomas Little :

John Marsh was born in England, probably in 1618, and resided in Essex county, and is believed to have come to Cambridge, Massachusetts, when seventeen years old. According to Barber he was one of the one hundred men, women and children led by Rev. Mr. Hooker, in 1636, from Massachusetts Bay, through the woods to Hartford, Connecticut. The record states : "Lands were recorded to John Marsh February, 1639-40, part whereof did belong to John Stone, and were by him given to Samuel Stone, and by said Stone to John Marsh of Hartford, and now belongeth to him and his heirs." Other lands were also given him about the same time. He soon had four allotments in all, amounting to one hundred seventy-five acres. He lived at Hartford from 1636 to 1660. In 1660 he was one of the company which left Hartford and moved up the Connecticut river some forty miles and founded Hadley, Massachusetts. There he lived twenty-eight years. He was one of the original members of the church at Northampton, organized June 18, 1661.

The first notice of John Marsh in the Hadley records is at the first town meeting held October 8, 1660, when he had land allotted to him. In 1675 he was one of the selectmen. He married (first) in Hartford, 1640, Anne, daughter of John Webster, a leading citizen of Hartford, who was deputy governor in 1655 and served as governor in 1656.

He led the great removal to Hadley, Massachusetts. Anne (Webster) Marsh died June 9, 1662. He married (second) October 7, 1664, Hepzibah, widow of Richard Lyman, daughter of Thomas Ford, of Hartford. She died April n, 1683, and John Marsh died September 28, 1688. aged seventy, at Windsor, Connecticut, probably while on a visit to his daughter, Hannah Loomis, living there.

Children by first wife : John, Samuel, Joseph, Isaac, Jonathan, Daniel, Hannah and Grace;

By second wife : Lydia. John Marsh also had an adopted daughter. Grace (Martin) Marsh.

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John Marsh, born 1618, Braintree, Essex, died Sept. 22, 1688, Hadley, Mass., married (1) about 1642, Hartford, Conn., Annie, daughter of Gov. John Webster. She died June 9, 1662. He married (2) Hepzibah (Ford) Lyman, widow of Richard, and daughter of Thomas Ford, of Hartford. She died April 11, 1683.

Children (#1 - 8 with Ann Webster; #9 with Hepzibah (Ford) Lyman; #10 was the daughter of his sister, Lydia Marsh Martin):

1. John, born about 1643, married Sarah Lyman
2. Samuel (our line), born about 1645, married Mary Allison
3. Joseph, baptized Jan. 24, 1647.
4. Joseph
5. Isaac, baptized July 15, 1649, died.
6. Jonathan (Lieut.) born Sept. 1649, married Dorcas , married July 12, 1676, Hadley,

Azariah Dickinson 2. Who was this Dorcas? She was born 1654, and died Aug. 15, 1723, Hadley. 

1. Daniel, born about 1653, married Hannah Lewis.
2. Hannah, born' about 1655, married Joseph Loomis.
3. Grace, born about 1657, married Timothy Baker. By second marriage
4. Lydia, born Oct 9, 1667, married David Loomis
5. Grace (adopted), daughter of his sister Lydia Martin, married Nathaniel Phelps.

3. John Marsh, Jr. (2), born about 1643, died 1727, married (1) Nov. 28, 1666, Sarah Lyman of Northampton "daughter of Richard and Hepzibah (Ford) Lyman, who had become his father's second wife" (but it is more probable that her mother was the first wife of Richard Lyman (Sarah Os- bourne). The latter was the mother of Phylis (Lyman) Hilk. (See Hilk genealogy). She died between, 1688-1707. He married (2) Susanna Butler, died Dec. 24, 1714. Children : 1. John, born 1668, married Mabel Pratt, (2) Elizabeth Pitkin. 2. Nathaniel, baptized March 5, 1671, married Elizabeth Spencer. 3. Joseph, baptized March 5, 1671, married Hannah . 4. Sarah, baptized Feb. 17, 1673, married John Merrill. 5. Elizabeth, baptized June 27, 1675. She or Lydia married Joseph Pratt. 6. Hannah, baptized Dec. 3, 1677, died young. 7. Ebenezer, baptized Feb. 23, 1679, died young.

from The Descendants of John Porter of Windsor, Conn. 1635-9 By Henry Porter Andrews :

JOHN MARSH came from England to Hartford, Conn. he married 1646 Anne Webster, born in England daughter of John Webster governor. John Marsh died c. 1688

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John Marsh 1, m. (1) abt. 1642 at Hartford, Ct., Anne, dau. Gov. John Webster. They had eight children all born at Hartford before they rem. to Hadley in 1660.

1. John, b. abt. 1643, m. 1666, d. 1727.
2. Samuel, b. abt. 1645, m. 1667, d. 1728. 1730.
3. Joseph, bap. Jan. 24, 1647, d. y.
4. Joseph, bap. July 15, 1649, d. y.
5. Jonathan, b. abt. 1650, m. 1676, d.
6. Daniel, b. abt. 1653, m. 1676, d. 1725.
7. Grace, b. prob. 1655, m. 1673, d. 1676
8. Hannah, b. prob. 1657, m. 1675, d. 1760.

In 1660 Hartford gave the Jews who lived in John Marsh's house liberty to remain seven months.

Shortly after the family removal to Hadley, Anne Webster Marsh d. June 9, 1662, and John Marsh m. (2) Oct. 7, 1664, Hepzibah Lyman, wid. Richard. They had:

1. Lydia, b. Oct. 9, 1667, m. 1692.

John Marsh's will shows by commencing "I John Marsh of Hadley," that he did not return to Hartford and he " d. at Windsor 1688." His wife Hepzibah d. abt. 1684.

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Sources

1. [http://books.google.com/books?id=kOAUAAAAYAAJ&dq=John%20Marsh%20Hartford&pg=PA5#v=onepage&q&f=false Genealogy of the Marsh family: outline for 5 generations of the families of John of Salem, 1633; John of Hartford, 1636; Samuel of New Haven, 1646; Alexander of Braintree, 1654; John of Boston, 1669; Wm. of Plainfield, 1675 ... (Google eBook) Dwight Whitney Marsh. J.E. Williams, 1886.

Came to the United States from England on March 24, 1633 on the ship "Mary & John". He settled in Salem & Lynn, Mass. In 1635 he married Susanna Skelton in Lynn, Mass. --------------------