Thompson H. Murch (1838-1886) a U.S. Representative, was born in Hampden on March 29, 1838 and attended the common schools.
He spent his early life at sea, learned the stonecutter’s trade and engaged in that occupation for eighteen years. He became editor and publisher of the Granite Cutters’ International Journal in 1877 and secretary of the Granite Cutters’ International Association of American in 1877 and 1878.
Elected as a Greenback candidate to the Forty-sixth and Forty-seventh Congresses (March 4, 1879-March 3, 1883), Murch was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1882.
He pursued some business interests and died in Danvers, Massachusetts on December 15, 1886, with interment in Hampden Cemetery.
Additional resources
Thompson H. Murch Congressional Biography: https://bioguideretro.congress.gov/Home/MemberDetails?memIndex=M001080 (accessed January 1, 2021)