James T. Marsh and Birdie P. Shreve
Our grandparents were James Thomas Marsh and Birdie Priscilla Shreve. Grandpa was born Thomas James Marsh 18 Apr 1886 in Rock Island, IL, but was always called Jimmy or Jim growing up. He was listed in the 1910 census as Thomas J. Marsh, but other than his birth certificate, that is the only instance we have found. By the 1920 census, and as far as we know otherwise, he used James T. Marsh. He was the son of James Marsh and Elizabeth Anne Hutt (see below).

Grandma, Birdie P. Shreve, was born 23 Feb 1888 in Brown Co, Ohio the youngest of three daughters of David Shreve and Helenor Kendall. Shortly after 1900 the family moved to Norwood, Hamilton Co, Ohio where grandma and grandpa were married about 1907. The family resided in Norwood until 1944 or 45. At that time, because of the health of one of our cousins, all our immediate family, grandparents, daughters Eleanor and Helen (our mom), grandchildren and great aunt Josie P. Shreve, moved to California.

Grandpa died 30 Aug 1964 and grandma died 19 Nov 1961, both in San Bernadino, CA where they had lived since the late 1940's. They are buried in Bellevue Cemetery, Ontario, CA alongside grandma's sister Josie Shreve.

[Note: Some other relatives are interred in the mausoleum at Bellevue Cemetery: Blanche P. Fox and Lloyd A. Fox. Their obituaries name children Lt. Col. Robert L. Fox of Tennessee and Mary Elizabeth Betzner, wife of Wayne Betzner, of Peru, Miami Co, Indiana. We believe that Blanche P. Fox, who was a native of New Albany, Floyd Co, Indiana and died in Peru, Indiana, is related to gr grandmother Elizabeth Anne Hutt (see next section). Lloyd Fox's mother's maiden name was Cunningham, according to California Death Records.]

James Marsh and Elizabeth Anne Hutt
Grandpa's parents were James Marsh, born 15 Dec 1854 in St. Helen's, Lancashire, England according to our grandmother's records (18 Dec 1854 according to his death certificate), and Elizabeth Anne Hutt, daughter of William Hutt and Mary Elizabeth Harris, born Aug 1867, and christened 24 Nov 1867 in Glamorgan, Wales. We believe that James Marsh was the son of Thomas Marsh -- see Update below.

James and Elizabeth were married 30 Dec 1882 in Floyd Co, Indiana and were the parents of seven children, born between 1883 and 1899. Elizabeth died 27 Mar 1905, from complications arising from a stillbirth. Our grandpa James T. was the 2nd of seven children, and oldest son.

James Marsh's naturalization records show that he filed a declaration of intent to become a US citizen in Floyd County on 26 Apr 1882. The record is in the Indiana State Archives in Indianapolis. The declaration of intent states that he was a glassblower and native of England, had emigrated from Liverpool to Philadelphia in 1880, and arrived in Floyd County 3 September 1881.

Esther Marsh and Joseph H. Johnson
We have been told that our great grandfather, James Marsh, had a sister and brother-in-law named Johnson, who lived in Manchester, England during the 1920's and '30's and manufactured fancy smoking pipes and that they sent these pipes each Christmas as gifts to our great grandfather. With the help of Judie Kotras, we have found a family in Lancashire census records for 1881 and 1891, whom we believe to be this sister and brother-in-law: Joseph H. Johnson, a pipemaker; wife Esther; and ten children: Sarah A., Esther J., Mary E., Thomas, William, Charles, Maggie, Kate L., Ernest and Agnes. The five oldest children were reportedly born in Rainford, and the younger five in Wigan. The FreeBMD website includes a marriage in June 1868 in the district of Prescot, Lancashire, for Esther Marsh and Joseph Johnson.

Update: We have obtained a copy of the marriage certificate dated 13 April 1868 for "Esther Marsh, 20, Spinster," and "Joseph Johnson, 19, Pipemaker" both of Rainford. They were married "at the Parish Church in the Parish of Prescot in the County of Lancaster" by George Holloway. Esther's father is recorded as "Thomas Marsh, Labourer" and Joseph's father as "Joseph Johnson, Pipemaker". The witnesses were Peter Mills and Mary Birchall.

To correspond about the above and related families, please e-mail.

Terry Bodkin
Editor & Webmaster
Marsh-Bodkin Family Assn.

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