Person:Abraham Goad (2)

Family Ancestry

The Goad/Phillips Ancestry11 Carroll 1765-1815: The Settlements, by John Perry Alderman; Alderman Books, Hillsville VA, 1985, p. 411-413.

The Goad family of Virginia descends from one Abraham Goad who died in Richmond County, Virginia in 1734. A little is known of his wife’s ancestry; nothing is known of his. The wife was Katherine Williams, daughter of John and Eve Williams. John Williams died and the widow remarried a William Smith, carpenter, and they executed a marriage contract dated March 9, 1681/1681 (Rappahannoc County, Va., D.B. 6-179). The contract refers to Eve’s two children, John and Katherine Williams and describes Eve as the “relict” of John Williams, deceased. William Smith, the carpenter, died in 1699 leaving a will, which left most of his property to his widow, but which also, mentions the older Goad children. Eve Williams Smith left a will, which was written April 24, 1704, and which was probated October 4, 1705 (Richmond, W.B. 2-86) in which she mentions not only her daughter Katherine Goad, but also her grandchildren William, John, and Hannah Goad. Her son-in-law, Abraham Goad, was the executor of her estate.

Not much can be written about Abraham Goad, for very little is known. It is said that he was in Lancaster County, Virginia by 1682 and it is known that he was married to Katherine Williams sometime before 1693, which is the date of the birth of their first child. It is likely that he settled on Moratico Creek on the north of the Rappahannck River with the Smiths after marrying Katherine. His land records are not complete in the Richmond courthouse. In 1724 he and his eldest son, William, conveyed a tract of land to William Downman (Richmond, D.B. 8-273). His death, together with that of his wife are recorded in the North Farnham Parish Register; also in the parish register are recorded the births of five of their seven children along with the births of several of the grandchildren. Abraham wrote his will March 7, 1733 and died a year later on April 11, 1734. The will, which he signed by his mark “AG”, names his seven children and his widow Katherine. Since his son William had predeceased him, he devised “to my grandson William Goad, the Son of Wm. Goad, that Plantation whereon Mary Goad now lives.” The sons, John, Abraham and Peter were also devised land and the three daughters Hanna Phillips, Elizabeth Dodson and Alice Dodson, were bequeathed one shilling each. Katherine Williams Goad, according to the parish register, died May 23, 1741.

William Goad, son of Abraham and Katherine, was born in August 1693, according to the parish register. He died before his father on Jan. 18, 1732, leaving a widow Mary whose maiden name is unknown, but who died Jan. 39, 1735. There are two references to William in the county deed books, in 1724 and 1729; on each occasion he conveyed land to William Downman. William and Mary had two children whose births were recorded in the parish register, Ann and William. The daughter Ann Goad was born Feb. 13, 1713 and was still unmarried in 1740 when she conveyed to Peter Goad her interest in a hundred acres which had descended to her from her father (Richmond, D.B. 9-639). Her brother William was born Jan. 29, 1717. He was obviously living when his grandfather Abraham wrote his will in 1733, but would seem to have died before his sister deeded the family farm in 1740.

Hannah Goad, the eldest daughter of Abraham and Katherine, was born in November 1695. She married the elder Tobias Phillips and was still living in 1739 when her husband wrote his will. John Goad, the third child, was born Nov. 27, 1700, and as the eldest surviving son, he was executor of his father’s estate. His first wife was name Catherine, as shown by the deeds they made while in Richmond County and five of their children’s births are recorded in the North Farnham Parish Register. He left the county a few years after his father’s death and more concerning him is given hereafter.

Elizabeth Goad is referred to in her father’s will as Elizabeth Dodson. Neither her birth or marriage is found in the parish register, but it seems likely that her husband was either John Dodson or Thomas Dodson for both lived in the parish and had wives named Elizabeth.

Alice Goad was likely the third daughter, for while her birth is not recorded in the parish register, her marriage to Fortunatus Dodson, celebrated September 9, 1726, is recorded there. Abraham Goad, the third son, was born March 15, 1710, and while his father devised him a tract of land, there is no record of his selling it, other than a later reference in the books to his brother Peter having acquired it. He also left the county after his father died, although he may have moved a little later than his brother John. Only the birth of his eldest child (1736) is recorded in the parish register. He eventually settled in Pittsylvania County and is discussed further hereafter.

Peter Goad, born May 27, 1715, was apparently the youngest child. No record has been found to indicate he married, although he lived to an old age in Richmond County. E acquired much of his father’s land, and seemingly he lived on it until his death, which probably occurred in 1794 (Richmond, W.B. 9-16). He left his tools and land to friends in Richmond County.

John Goad, the second son of Abraham and Katherine (Williams) Goad, eventually settled in Bedford County, and those who research the family have come to call him “Bedford John.” He was well settled in Bedford County when that county was formed in 1754 for he was surety on the bond of the new sheriff that year (Bedford, D.B. 1-3). It is probable that he settled for a time in the Shenandoah Valley before coming to Bedford, for his eldest daughter seems to have married there. In Bedford, John lived on the Staunton River (now called the Roanoke River), in the southern part of Bedford. From the deeds made by his heirs, it would seem that he acquired about 268 acres. John wrote his will July 7, 1771 and it was probated July 23 of the same year (Bedford, W.B. 1-132). In his will he left land and personal property to his sons, with remainder therein to their sons. The wife named in the will is Ann, not the Catherine who had signed his deeds back in Richmond County. Obviously the old man had remarried, and he left to Ann, among other things, “all the estate that she brought with her when she was married.” No other reference to her has been found and the writer thinks it likely that all eight children were by the first wife. The will names eight children, and the births of the first five are recorded back in Richmond County in the North Farnham Parish Register: (1) Joannah Goad, born Nov. 1, 1723, married Valentine Sevier, an immigrant with a considerable talent for acquiring property. They lived for a time in the Rockingham and Shenandoah County area where most of their children were born, and apparently they did not come to Bedford with John Goad. Their eldest child was General John Sevier (born 1745) of Kings Mountain fame who was the first Governor of the State of Tennessee. Joannah’s death date has been the subject of some dispute among researchers, and it is not clear whether she went to Tennessee with her husband or died before he went. (2) Elizabeth Boad, born July 12, 1726, was the second child, and it is she who married John Cock, settled in Pittsylvania County, and then came to Burks Fork in Carroll as related in the Cock sketch herein. (3) John Goad, born July 1, 1729, was the eldest son. He bought land in Bedford County, sold it, and settled in Pittsylvania County, just across the Roanoke River. In the 1780s he moved to Sullivan County, Tennessee where he died in the early 1790s. His wife was named Margaret. (4) Hannah Goad was born April 7, 1732 and is described in the will of her father as Hannah Bennett. Her husband may have been William Bennett. (5) William Goad, born March 3, 1734, was the last of the children whose births were recorded in the North Farnham Parish Register and may be the last of the children born before his father left. He was living in Bedford when his father died, but sold his inheritance and moved to Pittsylvania County. He was there as late as 1802 and it is not clear what became of him. (6) Ann Goad, born perhaps about 1737, is mentioned in her father’s will as Ann Risden, and nothing more is known concerning her. (7) Abraham Goad, born about 1740, married a girl named Anne, and in 1773 came to Carroll and settled on Burks Fork as related. He eventually moved on to Tennessee where he died about 1816. (8) Robert Goad, born about 1742, lived in Bedford, sold out there in 1804 and moved to Tennessee.

Abraham Goad, the third son of Abraham and Katherine (Williams) Goad, eventually settled in Pittsylvania County and is referred to today by those who research the family as “Pittsylvania Abe.” There is some reason to believe that he lived for a time in Prince William County after he left Richmond County and before he settled in Pittsylvania (Haas, The Goads, p. 10). Abraham died in Pittsylvania in 1779, writing his will on July 13, 1779; it was probated September 21 of the same year (Pittsylvania, W.B. 5-451). The will does not mention his wife Joannah, so it is assumed that she had predeceased him; it does list nine children, all of whom were bequeathed one shilling, excepting Robert and Abraham who were devised the land. It is likely there was a tenth child, Joshua, who predeceased him. (1) Sarah Goad, born April 7, 1736, is the only child whose birth is recorded back in Richmond County in the parish register. (2) Mary Goad, birth date uncertain, seems to be recorded in the will as Mary Shane; a good argument has been made to the effect that she was Mary Shaw (Haas, The Goads, p. 10). (3) Hannah Goad is listed in the will as Hannah Burdett; she is not further identified. (4) Elizabeth Goad is mentioned in the will as Elizabeth Collier; it is believed that she was the wife of Aaron Collier who settled on Burks Fork and then moved on to Lee County, Virginia. (5) William Goad, birth date uncertain, who is thought to have lived in South Carolina for a time and then moved to Rhea County, Tennessee where he died about 1830 (Haas, The Goads, p. 80). (6) Judith Goad mentioned in the will as Judith Hollay, may have been the wife of a John Haley. (7) Ruth Goad is described in the will as Ruth Dillard, and she was the wife of Thomas Dillard who also came to Carroll and settled on Burks Fork. (8) Abraham Goad, the fourth of the name, married a girl named Rainey and came to the Big Reed Island watershed in Carroll. As related, he died in the service during the Revolution, following which is widow returned to Pittsylvania County. (9) Robert Goad, born in the 1750s, married a girl named Isabel and sometime before 1786 settled on Big Reed Island in Carroll. He died in 1836. (10) Joshua Goad may have been a tenth child. He died Oct. 31, 1776 while serving in the 6th Virginia Regiment, and if he died without issue, his father Abraham would not have mentioned him in the will, which seems to have been the case (Haas, The Goads, p. 11).

The first Phillips in Richmond County seems to have been John Phillips who died in 1701, leaving a will, which mentions four sons and two daughters (Richmond, W.B. 2- 33). Some have thought he married an Elizabeth Tobias, which would account for the name given to their fourth and youngest son. This Tobias was born in 1687 according to the North Farnham Parish Regishter, it was he who married Hannah Goad, daughter of Abraham and Katherine. Tobias’ father had beeequesthed him the right to live on and make crops on the family farm so long as he remained single, which was not a very attractive inheritance. Tobias did well enough in life, which provided for a son George and three daughters; there were other children whose births were listed in the parish register, but they may have died in infancy.

George Phillips, son of Tobias and Hannah (Goad) Phillips, married a girl named Hannah whose maiden name is unknown. Before they left Richmond County, the births of five of their children were recorded in the North Farnham Register, including that of their firstborn, another Tobias Phillips, born Jan. 25, 1750. It was the younger Tobias, a great grandson of the first Abraham Goad, who married the Peggy, came to Greasy Creek in Carroll, and died in 1809.