John Gould, Blacksmith of Kingstowne

John Gould was my sixth Great Grandfather.

This article was originally printed in the Rhode Island Genealogical Register, July 1978- April 1982. Beaman, Alden G. It has subsequently been reproduced in numerous online genealogical listings

THE PARENTS OF AND A LINE OF DESCENT FROM JOHN GOULD, BLACKSMITH OF KINGSTOWNE IN 1705/6

By Virginia (Southwick) Chappell

John Gould was of Kingstowne and he was referred to as a blacksmith when he received land from his father-in-law WIlliam Gardiner 8 jan 1705/6. His parentage has long been a mystery. It is the belierf of the author, shared by Mr. Myron Gould Pawley of California, that John Gould of Kingstowne, RI, blacksmith there in 1705/6 is the same John Gould blacksmith 1702 at Salem, Massachusetts, son of Adam (1) and Rebecca ____ (possibly Cooper or Cowper) of Chelmsford and Groton,

Massachusetts. B.A. Gould, author of The Family of Zaccheus Gould, 1st and 2nd editions gives the family of Adam Gould. In the first edition Adam’s son John is listed as born at Salem, Massachuses 31 Jan 1679/80 and as being a blacksmith there in 1702 with no further data on him. In the second edition B.A. Gould states that poss. this John (2) is the John Gould of Woburn who died in 1722 and mar the widow Elizabeth Snow widow of Richard Snow. They had a son John (3) who was prob born in 1711, mar Martha Furbush and had children: Anna, Martha, Rachel, Mary and Betty. John and Elizabeth also had a son William (3) born 1718 who mar 1745 Sarah Fisk and had children: Esther, William, John, David, Jonathan, Benjamin, and Susannah. This John of Woburn had no sons or grandsons named Adam as would likely be the case if he were John (2) son of Adam (1) and Rebecca. However, John Gould of Kingstowne did have a son Adam, a name not especially common in the area at that time, strongly suggesting that he was the son of Adam (1) and Rebecca.

Adam (1) GOULD was born abt 1655 and resided at Salem, Groton and Chelmsford, Massachusetts. He mar (1) Rebecca _________ (believed to be Cooper or Cowper). He mar (2) ________. In 1689 his brother Thomas (1) Gould was appointed Administrator of his estate, but Thomas died before the year was out and adminstration of Adam’s estate was then given to Thomas’s son Joseph (2) Gould. Adam was a soldier in King Phillip’s war.

Children, first three by first wife, last by second wife:

  1. Rebecca (2), b 25 Aug 1678 at Salem, Massachusetts; mar 1 July 1702 Ezekiel MARSH b 1676.
  2. John, b 31 Jan 1679/80 at Salem, Massachusetts and Blacksmith there 1702. Prob he was the John Gould, Blacksmith of Kingstwone, RI 1705/6 who mar 6 Jan 1705/6 Elizabeth GARDINER. (continued below)
  3. Dorcas, b 8 Sep 1683 at Groton, Massachusetts; mar 1 June 1711 Anthony BUXTON b 24 Feb 1682 son of John. Som sources say she mar at least three times.
  4. Thomas, b 1690, prob. died an infant.

John (2) GOULD (Adam (1)) was prob born 31 Jan 1679/80 at Salem, Massachusetts, son of Adam Gould and Rebecca (Cooper/Cowper?) and called a blacksmith at Salem in 1702. He mar 6 Jan 1705/6 Elizabeth GARDINER who was born abt 1686 of Kingstowne dau of William (2) Gardiner and Elizabeth Wilkinson. (Editor’s Note: For source of maiden name Wilkinson, see the article on the Potter family immediately preceeding this article.) John was of Kingstowne and was referred to as a blacksmith when he received land from his father-in-law William Gardiner 8 Jan 1705/6. He mar (2) 27 May 1736 at North Kingstowne Mary BARKER born 10 Jan 1698 dau of William & Elizabeth (Easton) Barker of Newport. The witnesses to this second marriage were Dorcas Gould (prob his daughter by his first wife as the dau had not yet mar Caleb Bentley) and Ruhamah Bentley (prob the Ruhamah Bentley sister of Caleb Bentley who later mar Dorcas Gould). John’s will was dated 11 Apr 1763 and proved 2 Feb 1764 at Charlotte, Dutchess County, NY.

Children, first five by first wife, last ten by second wife:

  1. William (2) b 1707; d 1738 (wd 29 Mar 1738, wp 9 May 1738 at SK); mar ca 1730 Penelope _____ b ca 1710, d 22 Feb 1742 (Adm her est 22 July 1742 at NK). Their dau Tabitha Gould became the second wife of Caleb (3) Bentley (RIGR 1:95).
  2. John (prob), b ca 1710; wp 9 June 1741 at NK; mar Sarah. In his will this John Gould mentions some of his land bounded northerly on the land of my father John Gould. The marriage (J.N. Arnold, VR RI NK p 22): GARDINER, Sarah, and ______; m. by Job Tripp, Justice of Peace, April ___, 1737, may refer to them. In his will (1741) John mentions two daughters under 18 and an unborn child which checks with his marriage date. sarah Gardiner may have been the Sarah Gardiner b 5 May 1716 recorded at Exeter dau of Isaac and Elizabeth (Davis) Gardiner.
  3. Adam, b 1712, d 10 Sep 1807 at SK; mar (1) ca 1732 Abigail _____ who d 13 Apr 1795. Adam mar (2) 24 Feb 1796 “old” Mary Nichols, wid who d Aug 1798. (continued below)
  4. Anne, b ca 1714; mar 1733 Samuel SLOCUM b 9 July 1711 on Jamestown.
  5. Dorcas, b ca 1716; mar 21 Jan 1738 at NK Caleb BENTLEY as his first wife (RIGR 1:95).
  6. William, named no doubt for the earlier brother William who died in 1738. This William was also a blacksmith. He mar 1761 Ann BLAKELY and resided in Dutchess County, NY. They had known children John, Adam and Dorcas.
  7. James, with his brother the second-named William, he was put out of the Quaker church for marrying outside of unity and for drilling with the militia at Dutchess County, NY.
  8. Ann
  9. Elizabeth
  10. Patience
  11. Peter
  12. Frances
  13. Wait
  14. Joshua
  15. Abigail

Adam (3) GOULD (John (2), Adam (1)) was b abt 1712 son of John and Elizabeth (Gardiner) Gould of Kingstowne, and died 10 Sep 1807 at South Kingstown, buried on the 13th. His will was made 7 July 1788 and pvd 12 Oct 1807 at South Kingstown. He mar (1) abt 1732 Abigail ________ who died 13 Apr 1795. He mar (2) 24 Feb 1796 “old” Mary Nichols, widow, who d Aug 1798.

Children, by first wife:

  1. Nicholas (4), d 13 Feb 1831; soldier in the American Revolution; mar 17 Nov 1774 Bethany STEADMAN, by Rev Torrey. Her ful name was Paethenia Bethany Gracey Steadman, b ca 1752 dau of Capt. John and first wife Parthenia Bethany (Gracey) Steadman, and granddaughter of Thomas and Hannah (Macoon) Steadman of SK and of Matthew and Rebecca (Applegate) Gracey of Shrewsbury, Monmouth County, New Jersey. (I am decended from this Nicholas)
  2. John, d 21 Sep 1828 at SK; mar Mary McCoon STEADMAN, b ca 1754 sister of his brother Nicholas’ wife. She d 24 July 1814. John was a soldier in the American Revolution.
  3. Adam
  4. Phebe
  5. Patience, prob mar William TUCKER, b 1781 son of John and Alice (CARD) Tucker
  6. Elizabeth
  7. Freelove
  8. Ann, prob mar Jeffrey WATSON

This article continues through the descendants of the last mentioned John Gould. You can read the entire article HERE