| People | 1,645 |
| Families | 469 |
| Unique Surnames | 253 |
| Notes | 355 |
| Photos | 190 |
| Documents | 0 |
| Headstones | 61 |
| Histories | 0 |
| Recordings | 0 |
| Videos | 0 |
| Sources | 27 |
| Date of Last GEDCOM Import | Jan 16 2025 16:53:40 |
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Welcome!
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Greetings to family, friends, visitors and fellow genealogists! Welcome to the Marsh Clarke Family Tree website. My name is Guy Marsh and my interest in genealogy is the reason for going online. I hope that I may find others who are also interested in my family history or may have a connection and like to share it.
This website is created with hopes of preserving the memories and history of our ancestors. Many of these people we know about, but many are forgotten because their records have been lost or destroyed through the years. In any case, it's hard to imagine where we'd be without their dreams, dedication and sacrifice. Our ancestors made it possible for us to live as we do today and we show our gratitude by learning about their life experiences. I hope this website gives you an opportunity to learn something new and exciting about your family.
We strongly recommend that you register for a new user account. For security purposes, much of the data regarding living individuals on this site is restricted unless you log in, so we encourage you to apply. Once your registration is approved, you may be given permission to view additional information on living persons as well as see various photographs and documents. It will also help us to add information about your family if you so desire.
If you have any questions or comments about the information on this site, please contact us. We look forward to hearing from you.
So, please feel free to look around, and do let us know if you find a connection.
While every effort will be made to have accurate information on this site, that is not always possible. I am currently in the process of sourcing and verifying current information. However, just because a fact has a source does not necessarily mean that it is accurate as many sources are secondary. You should always verify facts independently. Notes will indicate problems with data when discovered. The information presented in these pages would not have been possible without the assistance of other genealogists, family and friends.Disclaimer
Who was Joseph Marsh?
It is said that about 1809/1810 Joseph Marsh and James Toop(e) came to Trinity from Somerset, England, as sailors on a cargo ship. They decided, against the wishes of the ship's Captain, to remain in Newfoundland. In order to hide and not be forced back to England, they left Trinity and went to the Bonaventure area.
It is said that they spent their first winter in Newfoundland in a tilt they constructed in a cove near Bonaventure Head. The next spring Joseph Marsh went to Bonaventure to live while James Toop(e) made his way to Ireland's Eye, perhaps via Rider's Harbour. They subsequently married and started the Marsh and Toop(e) families in these places, respectively. Joseph's wife was Elizabeth and church records show Joseph as a planter in Bonaventure in 1825.
Also, to solidify the origin of these men; on James Toop(e)'s marriage record to Grace Hodder, (witnessed by Joseph [x] Marsh) James Toop(e) was listed as from "East Lulworth near Wareham, Dorset". It was about this time that the surname "Mesh" appeared, and later the occasional "Mish".
Joseph Marsh was born Abt. 1785/1789 in Somerset, England. He married Elizabeth Bailey Abt. 1824 in Bonaventure, Trinity Bay, Newfoundland.
Many people think Joseph changed his name to avoid being caught. Most likely the name sounded like Mesh when spoken with the English accent, was written that way by the witness, and the misspelled name stayed around for many years later.
At this point in time, it is not absolutely clear where or when Joseph died or was buried. There are several stories including his going off to live with Indians; going back to England; and living with a brother elsewhere in Newfoundland. There is no indication that his family was raised by anybody else after his wife died, which raises the possibility that he remarried and continued to raise his children himself.