A Puritan was a member of the religious group in the 16th and 17th centuries that advocated "purity" of worship and doctrine who believed in personal and group piety. Puritans were persecuted in England and came to America so they would be free to practice their religion.
Bathsheba Lothrop Bale Marsh was baptized in Barnstable on February 27, 1641. Her parents were John Lothrop and Ann Hammond.
Bathsheba married Benjamin Bale (Beal or Beale) about 1668. Benjamin was born about 1634 in England.
Bathsheba and Benjamin's children included:
Benjamin Bale (1669, married Hannah Holman),
Mercy Bale Trott (1672, married Samuel Trott),
John Bale (1674, married Anna Crosby),
and Mary Bale Baxter (1677, married John Baxter).
Benjamin died on April 27, 1680. She was the executor of his estate.
She married Lieutenant Alexander Marsh on September 18, 1683 when she was about 42 years old. He was born in England about 1628. He arrived in the colonies in 1654 and settled in Braintree, Norfork County, Massachusetts where he was made freeman on May 3, 1654. He was called yeoman. In 1670 he bought two hundred acres and iron works from Thomas Savage. He soon sold the property.
Alexander had been married before to Mary Belcher on December 19, 1655. Mary was Gregory Belcher's daughter. Alexander and Mary had 9 children who are listed below. Mary died on February 17, 1678.
Alexander died when he was 76 on March 7, 1698.
Bathsheba died when she was 82 on January 8, 1723 and was buried in the Dorchester Burying Lot on Stoughton Street.
Various spellings of Lothrop:
Lathrop, Laythrop, Lothroppe, Lothropp, Lowthrop, Lowthropp.
A yeoman was a man who owned and cultivated a small farm. He belonged to the class below the gentry or land owners. A husbandman was a free tenant farmer. The social status of a husbandman was below that of a yeoman.
Genealogies of the State of New York, Volume 1 by Tunis Garret Bergen
Alexander Marsh, of Braintree, is mentioned in the records as arriving in 1654 and later settling at Braintree.
The Vinton Memorial by John Adams Vinton
Lieut. Alexander Marsh of Braintree, "yeoman," d. March 7, 1697-8, a. abt. 70. la his will, dated March 19, 1696-7, he mentions
wife Bathshua,
daus. Rachel and Phoebe Marsh,
son-in-law Samuel French and Anna his wife, "my daughter,"
son-in-law Dependence French,
son-in-law Samuel Bass,
gr. dau. Mary French,
son John Marsh, a minor,
dau. Mary French.
[Surf. Prob., 8 : 133. J Alexander Marsh's first wife Mary was dau, of Gregory and Catharine Belcher. Gregory Belcher and Alexander Marsh bought the "Iron Works" of Thomas Savage in 1670, with two hundred acres of land, but did not keep it long. [Suft. Deeds. 9 : 141.]
In 1688, during the Glorious Revolution, the Protestant king and queen,William and Mary, took the English throne from Catholic King James II. The bloodless revolution profoundly impacted the American colonies.
Genealogy of the Marsh Family by Dwight Whitney Marsh published by J. E. Williams, 1886
Alexander Marsh, of Braintree, now Quincy, Mass., freeman May 3. 1654, born Eng. abt. 1628, m.
(1) Dec. 19, 1655 Mary Belcher, dau. Gregory, whose wid. Catherine Belcher in her will 1680 mentions her "Mary Marsh." Alex. Marsh was rep. 1692, d. March 7, 1698, age 76 He m.
(2) Bathsheba, who d. Jan. 8, 1723, age 82, says grave stone at Dorchester, Mass.
Children of Alexander arid Mary Marsh:
1. Mary, b. Feb. 21, 1609, m. Dependence French abt. 1683 and had dau. Mary, b. March 30, 1684, she d. before 1688 and he m. (2) Rebecca and had son John, b. March 10, 1689.
2. Elizabeth, b. 1660.
3. Ann, b. prob. (?) 1662 m. Sam. French and had son Samuel, b. 1680 prob. 1686, as next child was b. in 1688.
4. Katheren, b. Dec. 12, 1661.
5. Mercy, b. April 2, 1669, bap. Sept. 29, 1672, m. Nov. 29, 1689, Samuel Bass.
6. Nathaniel, b. Oct. 17, 1672.
7. Rachel, b. Feb. 2, 1674, bop. April 19, 1674, m. Mr. Weston after 1698.
8. Phebe, bap. Sept. 3, 16.76, m. Mr. Tirrell, after 1698.
9. John, b. Feb. 17, 1678 (or 9) bap. March 2, 1679), m. Sarah Wilson, after 1698.
Old Style Calendar
Before 1752 the year began on Lady Day, March 25th,. Dates between January 1st and March 24th were at the end of the year. Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are used to indicate whether the year has been adjusted. Often both dates are used.
Any man entering a colony or becoming a a member the church, was not free. He was not forced to work, but his movements were carefully observed to see if they followed the Puritanical ideal. After this probationary period, he became a "freeman." Men then took the Oath of a Freeman where they vowed to defend the Commonwealth and not to overthrow the government.
