1. There was born in Scotland, July 9, 1626, one JAMES MOSMAN, descended from THOMAS MOSMAN 1426, who came to New England before 1667. By his wife, ANNA, he had a son Timothy, born Nov. 17, 1679, who married 27 July 1701 to SARAH HICKS, daughter of SAMUEL HICKS. Timothy and Sarah (Hicks) Mosman resided in Sudbury MA, where he died 27 Feb. 1773. His wife, Sarah, died in Sudbury and he married 2nd to TABITHA BALCOM, 27 Nov. 1767. While he was one of the original proprietors of the town of Dorchester, Canada (Ashburnham), it was his son, Timothy, who lived there a short time, and then in Princeton MA, and who was presumably the father of Oliver and of Timothy, the traditional “Tory Tim”, who removed to Canada before the Revolution and served in the English army. The name has been variously spelled Mossman, Mosman, Morsman, by the different families, the latter Morsman being adopted by Oliver and his descendants.
2. OLIVER MORSMAN, Revolutionary soldier, son of Timothy, born in Rutland East Wing, now Princeton on 9 Jan. 1760 married in 1783 to DOLLY TROWBRIDGE of Worcester, MA. She was the daughter of JAMES TROWBRIDGE by his second wife MARY KILLEY, and a descendant of THOMAS TROWBRIDGE, one of the first settlers of New Haven CT. She was baptized on 13 Oct. 1765 and died in Chesterfield NY in 1791.
Oliver and Dolly lived in Stratton VT, and Chesterfield NH and it was at the former place that their three children were born. After the untimely death of Dolly, Oliver may have lived for a time in Brattleboro VT or vicinity before he went to Delaware Co NY where according to tradition he was at one time a gatekeeper at a toll bridge over the Delaware. He married second to a widow, Lucy by name, who survived Oliver and lived with a son by her former husband.
Oliver and Lucy moved from Delaware Co. to Jefferson Co NY and he died at “eleven o”clock the morning of April 30 1835, at Henderson, Jefferson Co NY where his remains were buried.
Children of OLIVER and DOLLY TROBRIDGE Morsman were:
3 i MARY MORSMAN born 1784; died 1861 or 62; married LEMUEL COBLEIGH
4 ii MARTIN-TROWBRIDGE MORSMAN born 1785; married ABIGAIL PHILLIPS
5 iii MOSES-JENRY MORSMAN born Stratton VT; married POLLY FRENCH (no issue), whom he survived. He died in Jefferson Co NY at 82 years.
4. MARTIN -TROWBRIDGE MORSMAN, son of OLIVER and DOLLY, was born at Stratton VT on 6 June 1785 and married at Henderson, Jefferson Co NY on 20 Sept 1807 to ABIGAIL PHILLIPS, daughter of JOSHUA and DORCAS (COOK) PHILLIPS by whom he had two children. JOSHUA PHILLIPS was an American by birth and Scotch-Irish by descent. ABIGAIL PHILLIPS was born April 1785, and died 10 May 1830. Martin-Trowbridge married second to the widow Conger (no issue), whom he survived. He was a solider in the War of 1812 and when he was 86 years old he applied for a pension which was allowed: surg. Ctf. 219618. He died at age 94 at Sacketts Harbor, Jefferson Co NY on 17 April 1879. A block house was built on his farm.
The children of MARTIN-TROWBRIDGE and ABIGAIL (PHILLIPS) MORSMAN were:
6 i EPHRAIM PHILLIPS MORSMAN born 1809; died 1898; married BETSEY DIMMICK.
7 ii DR. MOSES-JENRY MORSMAN born 1812; died 1898; married MARY-MARGARET HUBBARD.
6. EPHRAIM PHILLIPS MORSMAN, son of MARTIN and ABIGAIL, was born at Henderson, Jefferson Co NY on 11 March 1809 and married BETSEY DIMMICK on 6 June 1830. He died at or near Sacketts Harbor, NY on 3 Nov. 1898. Ephraim wrote on 20 April 1889: “I am now to tell you that my father died on the 17th of this month and was buried on yesterday, he was a model father and a model man, father and his last wife are buried at Sacketts Harbor. As father helped to defend Sacketts Harbor in the war of 1812 and was in the battle of that place he seemed to think he better be left there until he should be wanted. I am intending to remove my own mother's remains to the place where my father lies.”
Children of EPHRAIM and BETSEY (DIMMICK) Morsman were:
8 i LAURA MORSMAN, born Jefferson Co NY on 13 Feb. 1832; married JOSEPH BLODGETTE
9 ii RUSH-JENNER MORSMAN, born 1835; married SARAH JANE SPICER
10 iii MERENIUS-JAY MORSMAN, born 22 July 1840 Jefferson Co NY; resided Sacketts Harbor NY.
7. DR. MOSES MORSMAN, son of MARTIN-TROWBRIDGE and ABIGAIL MORSMAN, was born at Henderson, Jefferson Co NY on 20 May 1812; received his MD from the Univ. of NY on 14 April 1835. In 1835 he moved to Ohio and at Castalia, margaretta Township, Erie Co. married MARY MARGARET HUBBARD on 22 May 1836, daughter of ELISHA ANDREWS and AMANDA (FALLEY) HUBBARD, born 2 June 1819 at Fulton, Oswego Co NY.
9. RUSH-JENNER MORSMAN, son of EPHRAIM and BETSEY, was born in Jefferson Co NY on 22 Sept. 1835; he married SARAH JANE SPICER at Sacketts Harbor on 14 Oct. 1858 and moved to Fort Collins Colorado.
Children of RUSH-JENNER and Sarah MORSMAN:
11. DR. GRAN MORSMAN born 3 July 1864; married AMELIE E. HARRIS at Ft. Collins CO
12. SHERMAN N MORSMAN born 1869; married FLORENCE LAMB on 27 March 1895
10. MERENIUS-JAY MORSMAN, son of EPHRAIM PHILLIPS MORSMAN and BETSEY DIMMICK was born 22 July 1840 Jefferson Co NY; resided Sacketts Harbor NY.
Children of MERENIUS-JAY MORSMAN:
13. WARD MORSMAN d 1894 or 1895 at 22, unmarried
14. FLOYD MORSMAN b 1874; resided Sacketts Harbor
15. PEARL MORSMAN, resided Sacketts Harbor
16. CLARK MORSMAN born Nov. 1842; Union Soldier; died at Fort Baker, Washington DC in August 1863; unmarried
17. CAROLINE MORSMAN born 8 Sept. 1844; married AARON STEARNE at Sacketts Habor
18. FRANCES MORSMAN born Jefferson Co NY on 22 Oct. 1847; married F. O. McKEE
19. GILES MORSMAN born 19 may 1855; died January 1872, Jefferson Co NY
Source: Hist. Of the town of Princeton, co of Worcester and the commonwealth of MA 1759-1915, Vol 1, by Francis E. Blake, p 18.
Provided by: M Sapienza
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