Elisha Marvin

Capt. Elisha Marvin of Lyme, the youngest son of Capt. Reinold Marvin and his second wife, Martha Waterman (an elder Elisha had died an infant). Made a freeman in 1740, he farmed a mile north of the part of Lyme called Hamburg, on land his descendants still owned in 1904. He was lister, tithing-man, surveyor of highways and grand juror, and selectman from 1754 to 1761, when “upon the motion of said Marvin, the town voted to excuse him from serving in that office.” He was made lieutenant of the 4th train-band of Lyme in 1754 and captain of the company “made out of the third trainband” in 1761, and represented Lyme in the General Court in October 1766 and January 1767. On 13 Sept 1774 the town named him to a committee to “raise funds to aid the town of Boston in its distressed condition,” and on 11 Dec 1777 he and one of his sons took the oath of fidelity to the State (source).

Salisbury, from family recollection: “Capt. Elisha, unlike most Marvins, was not tall, but rather below the average size; he was an active, athletic man, with a powerful voice, and possessed great executive ability” (source).

He married Catharine Mather in 1739; his brother James married her sister Ruth. His will, dated January 1800 and recorded at New London, made his son Joseph executor and left him his “silver-hilted sword,” which a descendant still kept in 1904; land at Pittsfield, Massachusetts, went to his son Enoch. Their children, born at Lyme: Pickett (1739/40-1762), Elisha (1742), Timothy (1744), Enoch (1747), Elihu (1752), Joseph (1755) and Catharine (1757). Among their descendants are Congressman Dudley Marvin, son of Dea. Elisha; Bishop Enoch Mather Marvin, grandson of Enoch; and Gen. Elihu Marvin, brigade major at Valley Forge.

Research: research/hatten/Hatten_Philbrick_Marvin.md.