From Atlas of Madison County by J.A. Caldwell, Condit, Ohio (1875)
This township is bounded on the south by Union, east by Deer Creek, north by Monroe and Pike Townships, west by Clarke County. It is watered by Deer Creek and its tributaries. The surface of the soil is level, well adapted to the growing of corn, oats, hay and grass; the farmers are principally engaged in growing and feeding of cattle, sheep and hogs. The national road passes through the township, also Deer Creek and Jefferson. It was built in 1833 and '34, which was the only pike the county had till within a few years, the County Commissioners have been building free turnpikes. Some of the early settlers were Robert and John Scott, Gabriel Jonathan Markley, Sutton Potee, Eli Williams, Andrew Ward, Peter Smith, Samuel Dickison, George Prue, Noah Marsh, Jacob Steel, Benjamin Hull, Eli Gwynne, Thomas Orpet, John Nagley, Thomas Taylor, the Wallins, Kirkleys, Culbers, Willards, Pierces and Manns.
From History of Madison County, W. H. Beers & Co, Chicago, 1883
This township is bounded on the north by Pike and Monroe Townships, on the east by Monroe and Deer Creek, south by Union, and on the west by Champaign County. March 4, 1839, "ordered, by the Commissioners, that the following boundaries, which have heretofore been a part of Deer Creek Township, be organized as a new township, to be known and designated by the name of Somerford, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of Pike Township, in the line of Champaign County, thence with said line south three miles and two hundred poles to the corner between the county of Champaign and Clark, thence with the Clark County line south ten degrees west, six and a half miles to the north bank of Deer Creek, on Daniel Wilson's land; thence north seventy-seven degrees east, two and a half miles, crossing the creek and the Xenia road to a small jack oak and large burr oak on Chrisman's land; thence north sixty-eight degrees east, four miles and one hundred and eighty poles, crossing the Urbana road and Glade Run to two black oaks and two burr oaks near where George Frederick formerly lived, on A. Toland's land; thence north to the line of Monroe Township, on Schuyler Lewis' land; thence with the line of Monroe and Pike Townships north forty-six degrees west five miles to the beginning." March 20, 1840, "ordered, by the Commissioners of Madison County, that the line between the townships of Union and Somerford be so altered as to include Daniel Wilson and the land upon which he now lives into Union Township."
Somerford township lies along the western border of Madison county, second from the northern border. It is bounded on the north by Pike, and Monroe townships, on the east by Monroe and Deer Creeks townships, on the south by Union township and on the west by Champaign county and Clark county. The following was taken from the record books of the county commissioners, dated March 4, 1839: "Ordered, by the commissioners, that the following boundaries, which have heretofore been a part of Deer Creek township, be organized as a new township, to be known and designated by the name of Somerford, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of Pike township, in the line of Champaign county; thence with the said line south three miles and two hundred poles to the corner between the county of Champaign and Clark; thence with the Clark county line south ten degrees west, six and a half miles to the north bank of Deer creek, on Daniel Wilson's land; thence north seventy-seven degrees east, four miles and one hundred eighty poles, crossing the Urbana road and Glade run to two black oaks and two burr oaks near where George Frederick formerly lived, on A. Toland's land; thence north to the line of Monroe and Pike townships north forty-six degrees west five miles to the beginning." The next and last record we find concerning the boundary line of Somerford township is in the record book, dated March 20, 1840, and is as follows: "Ordered, by the commissioners of Madison county, that the line between the townships of Union and Somerford be so altered as to include Daniel Wilson's and the land upon which he now lives into Union township."