Portland, Maine 04101 United States
1:00 PM
- Free and open to the public.
- Registration is kindly requested.
Anthony Coombs was a blacksmith who came to Wells, Maine in 1685. His descendants were among the earliest settlers of Islesboro and Vinalhaven in the 1770s and 1780s, and have been in Belfast since the early 1800s. But just how many “origin stories” does Coombs have, and which one is the true story? Join Belfast author and genealogist Dana Murch to explore the many origin stories of Anthony Coombs and how a recent DNA study has separated fact from fiction.
About the speaker: A Caribou native, Dana Murch is a retired state environmental regulator, author, and a 13th-generation “Maine-ah.” He is a descendant of many early settlers of Acadia and Quebec and multiple Mayflower descendants. He is now working on the definitive genealogy and history of the entire Murch family of Maine, whose roots have been traced back to 17th-century Devonshire, England. He currently resides in Belfast with his wife, Meredith Jones.