Benjamin Marsh I (1687 – c. 1775) was one of the founders of
Sutton, Massachusetts. He was the founder of the first
Baptist Church
Baptists form a major branch of Protestantism distinguished by baptizing professing Christian believers only (believer's baptism), and doing so by complete immersion. Baptist churches also generally subscribe to the doctrines of soul compete ...
in Sutton, and served as its pastor and as an elder.
In 1716, the families of Benjamin Marsh, Elisha Johnson and Nathaniel Johnson were the first three pioneer families to settle what is now Sutton. Brothers Samuel and Daniel Carriel also occupied the Benjamin Marsh family cabin. They almost didn't survive the first winter — the winter of the "big snow" — which buried their cabins. Marsh's daughter, Abigail, was the first white child born in Sutton. As the town grew, Marsh held a number of positions of responsibility, including Selectman, Town Clerk and Town Moderator. He served on committees representing the town for the purpose of erecting a meeting house and financial matters, and served as Trustee for town funds. On Sep. 16, 1735, he founded the town's Baptist church, which is the fourth oldest Baptist church in Massachusetts. He served as an elder of the church, and was its pastor from 1737 until his death in 1775.
Elder Marsh is buried in a small cemetery on the Marsh homestead, with a granite headstone marked "Eld. M."
[Marsh, William H. III, ''The History of Our Marsh Family,'' p. 9. Bremerhaven, Germany, 1978.]
References
External links
Sutton, MA Web siteSutton Historical Society Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Benjamin
People from Sutton, Massachusetts
1687 births
1775 deaths