John Marsh (minister)

John Marsh (April 2, 1788-August 4, 1868) was an American minister and temperance advocate.

Marsh was born, April 2, 1788, in Wethersfield, Conn., where his father, John Marsh, D.D., was for forty-seven years pastor of the First Congregational Church. His mother was Ann, daughter of Capt. Ebenezer Grant, of East Windsor, Conn. His eldest brother, Ebenezer Grant Marsh, died in 1803, when Tutor and Professor-elect of Languages of Yale College.

When only ten years old, John Marsh, Jr., became a pupil of Azel Backus of Bethlehem; at twelve he entered Yale College, and graduated at 16 in 1804. After teaching for some years, he began to preach at the age of 21. On December 16, 1818, he was ordained pastor of the Congregational Church in Haddam, Connecticut, where he remained until April 1, 1833. He interested himself in the cause of temperance; in May, 1829, the Connecticut Temperance Society was organized, and Mr. Marsh appointed Secretary and General Agent. In the winter of 1831–2, he spent three months in Baltimore and Washington in behalf of the cause, and in 1833 was invited to leave his pastoral charge in order to act as agent of the American Temperance Society. He moved to Philadelphia, where he resided until 1838.

In October 1836, Marsh became Secretary of the re-organized American Temperance Union and Editor of its new monthly Journal of the American Temperance Union, and continued to be thus employed until 1865, when a new organization took the place of the old, and the Journal was discontinued. The office of the Society was moved to New York City, in 1837. In 1846 he visited Europe, as a delegate to the World's Temperance Convention at London. The degree of D D. was conferred upon him by Jefferson College, Pa., in 1852.

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