Ephraim MURCH (1 Feb 1778-26 Nov 1848) +
Rebecca COBB (Feb 1782-14 Oct 1847)

Ephraim, Jr. (1799-????)

Lewis Cobb (12 Aug 1801-28 Jul 1887) — m. Louisa R. Coombs on 4 Mar 1825

Sarah (1805-8 May 1882) — m. Daniel Sullivan on 23 Aug 1821; m. Hatsuld Knowles Delano in 1861

Hannah (4 Jul 1809-6 Feb 1810)

Rebecca R. (23 Mar 1811-31 Jul 1890) — m. Francis Redman on 19 Mar 1829

James (8 Jun 1813-27 Jan 1815)

Jerusha “Jennie” (18 Mar 1815-after 1870) — m. Ezekiel Morse on 11 Apr 1841

James (14 Oct 1817-185x) — m. Mary Ann Jameson on 9 Jan 1841

Susan (29 Jan 1822-????) — poss. m. Robert Y. Myrick on 30 Jan 1842

Simeon Cobb (12 Jul 1825-27 May 1862) — m. Mehitabel Jordan on 16 Nov 1844

Ephraim was born in Gorham, Cumberland County, Maine, the ninth of eleven children to Walter Murch and Jerusha Brown. His family seems to have moved to Unity, Waldo County, Maine in the 1790s.

Rebecca was reportedly born in Hampden, Penobscot County, Maine, although History of Penobscot County, Maine, published by Williams, Chase & Company (1882), maintains the town was abandoned at the time of her birth in 1782 due to the threat from British soldiers, and doesn’t mention a Cobb family there until about 20 years later. According to one source, she was the daughter of William Cobb (~1760-????) and Tabitha Young (~1760-????). Information about them is lacking.

Ephraim and Rebecca married on 19 May 1799 in Hampden. In December 1804 they sold their Hampden property, and shortly thereafter settled in Castine, Hancock County, Maine.

Rebecca died in 1847 and is buried in Castine Cemetery. Ephraim died the following year and is buried with her.

Children

Ephraim Murch, Jr. (1799-????)

Nothing definite about Ephraim, Jr. except the name. The Ephraim Murch (63) in the 1860 census for Unity, Waldo County was from a different branch of the family.

Lewis Cobb Murch (1801-1887)

Lewis married Louisa R. “Lois” Coombs (5 Jun 1806-9 May 1888) in 1825. They lived in Belfast, Waldo County. Their children:

Henry L. (1826-30 May 1896) — apparently never married

Isaac Allard (17 Sep 1830-24 Mar 1886) — m. Emeline Thomas about 1851

Charles Augustus (24 Aug 1832-4 Oct 1833)

Mary Elizabeth (21 Jul 1834-4 Aug 1889) — m. Edward H. Gay on 30 Jun 1860; m. Charles Bowdoin Fillebrown

Susan A. (3 Oct 1836-22 Apr 1901) — apparently never married

Charles Augustus (7 Apr 1842-8 Jan 1884) — m. Frances H. Benner in 1860

George F. (12 Oct 1848-9 Feb 1910) — m. Annie J. Welch in 187x

Annette M. “Nettie” (27 Sep 1850-27 Aug 1932) — m. George Wallace Pearson

Lewis was a block maker – blocks in the sense of block & tackle for ship rigging, a trade his sons Henry and Isaac also followed. Lewis died in 1887 and is buried in Grove Cemetery, Belfast, Waldo County. Lois died the following year and is buried with him.

Sarah Murch (1805-1882)

Sarah has her own entry in the family tree.

Hannah Murch (1809-1810)

Hannah died in infancy.

Rebecca R. Murch (1811-1890)

Rebecca married Francis “Frank” Redman, Jr. (27 May 1805-21 Apr 1877) in Castine in 1829. They lived in Brooksville, Hancock County. They had an astonishing 15 children:

Sarah M. (5 Aug 1829-2 Jan 1912) — George W. Tasker in 185x

Cyrus D. (17 Sep 1830-1852)

Rebecca Ann (16 Sep 1832-after 1860)

Serena R. (22 Mar 1831-18 Jul 1894) — m. Lemuel Morgrage, Jr. on 16 Nov 1858; m. Samuel F. Devereux on 3 Jun 1876

Jerusha (12 Jan 1835-Mar 1912) — m. James K. MacKenzie

Frank H. (16 Jan 1837-12 Jul 1837)

Charlotte Fosse (16 Feb 1838-12 Nov 1897) — m. Frank M. Etheridge about 1860

Martha Jane (18 Nov 1840-9 Dec 1910) — m. Charles Bennett on 22 Aug 1861

Lucinda S. (11 Jun 1843-after 1860)

Francis H. “Frank” III (2 Feb 1844-16 May 1927) — m. Laura R. Manson

Olive A. D. (18 Jul 1845-after 1860)

Mary Susan (10 Aug 1848-16 May 1918) — m. Castaneous Morrill Smalley

James M. (10 Dec 1850-1930) — m. Lucy A. Howard in 1875; m. Augusta Abigail Dyer in 190x; m. Effie H. Dyer on 29 Oct 1913

Sophronia E. (Mar 1852-7 Apr 1934) — m. Charles A. Witham

Ephraim Lewis (14 Feb 1856-1931) — m. Ella E. ?Howard, Hayward?

In the 1860 census, all 13 living children were still there. Which is odd, because at least three of them had married, and the same census showed two of those – Sarah and Charlotte – living elsewhere (Strafford County, New Hampshire and Belfast, Waldo County, Maine respectively) with their husbands. Maybe the family just told the census the names of all their living children, whether they were living there or not. Maybe they had so many kids they lost track of who was where. Maybe, being so close to the busy port of Castine, their daughters were marrying sailors and staying with their parents when their husbands were at sea.

Anyway, Francis died in 1877. In 1880, Rebecca was living in a much quieter house with just son Ephraim. She died in 1890, and is buried with Francis in Carver Field, Brooksville.

James Murch (1813-1815)

The first James died young.

Jerusha “Jennie” Murch (1815-18xx)

Jerusha married Ezekiel Morse (Mar 1814-29 Oct 1902) from New Hampshire in 1841. Known children:

William H. (1843-????)

Charles A. (1844-????)

Albert N. (Aug 1847-3 Sep 1912) — m. Ada E. Johnson on 9 Oct 1877

Sarah Frances (17 Feb 1853-12 Oct 1915) — m. Wilbur Belcher on 24 Aug 1876

James L. (~1856-????)

Mary E. (~1859-????)

Maria H. (~1860-30 Dec 1881)

The 1860 census showed them and their six children, William through Mary, as hired labor on the Belfast, Waldo County farm of Hiram Kelley (54).

In 1870 they had their own place in Verona, Hancock County. Ezekiel was working as a house carpenter. Children in residence were William (27), Albert W. (23), Sarah F. (20), James (14), Mary E. (11), and Maria (9). The older boys were sailors, and Sarah was teaching school.

After her marriage, daughter Sarah moved to Massachusetts, taking her sister Maria with her. The 1880 census showed them there. It also showed what was probably brother William, sailor, as a boarder with Hannah Ross in Harpswell, Cumberland County. It apparently didn’t find Ezekiel or Jerusha.

In the 1900 census, Ezekiel, widowed, was living with a nephew in Somerset County. He died in 1902.

James Murch (1817-185x)

James, named for his older brother who died as a toddler, married Mary Ann Jameson (1819-24 Feb 1892) in 1841 in Bangor. They had at least five children:

Charles Arthur (11 Sep 1841-12 Dec 1913) — m. Rosa Bell Holland in 1871

George Washington (7 Nov 1843-21 Sep 1920) — m. Annie Laurie Hopkins on 28 Nov 1865; m. Isabelle Mary Parmenter on 11 Jun 1887

Andrew James (~1846-Jan 1893) — m. Irene V. Eastman on 5 Dec 1885

Amariah (1848-????)

Ruby A. (1850-????)

In the 1850 census, they were living in Montville, Waldo County. Children were Charles A. (8), Washington R. (6), Andrew J. (4), Amariah (2), and Ruby A. (9 months).

James died by 1860. The 1860 census showed Mary Ann, widowed, living near relatives in Rockland, Knox County, and what were probably George and Andrew living with two different families in Unity, Waldo County. Andrew enlisted in Company E, 14th Maine Infantry Regiment during the Civil War, and was mustered out in Aug 1865.

Mary Ann died in 1892 in Rockland.

Susan Murch (1822-????)

A Susan Murch married Robert Y. Myrick in 1842 in Belfast, Waldo County. Probably this family’s Susan. A married man named Robert Myrick (1821-Sep 1849) died of cholera in Bangor.

Simeon Cobb Murch (1825-1862)

Simeon married Mehitabel Jordan (15 Apr 1821-20 May 1909) on 16 Nov 1844. Their children:

Augustus Simeon (16 Sep 1846-2 Mar 1922) — m. Cynthia A. Churchill; m. Elizabeth Danforth Bronsdon

Susan Abigail “Abbie” (5 Dec 1848-6 Nov 1927) — m. Charles Albert Collins on 18 Nov 1865

John Edward (14 Nov 1850-1938) — m. Marietta Pressey; m. Carrie A. Allison on 21 Nov 1892

Sarah Frances “Fannie” (2 Dec 1852-8 Mar 1929) — m. John Franklin Coombs

Caroline Elizabeth “Lizzie”/“Carrie” (20 Sep 1855-10 Sep 1915) — m. Nelson Haskell Weed on 14 Dec 1875

Simeon was a sergeant of Company B, 2nd Regiment of Maine Volunteers, and was killed at the Battle of Hanover Courthouse in Hanover County, Virginia. He’s buried with his parents in Castine Cemetery.

Mehitabel apparently never re-married. In 1880, she was living alone in Castine and working as a nurse. She died in 1909, and is buried with Simeon.

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