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How Searching Google Books Led Me to More Goff Family Records

Mar 022013

For the last several years part of my research has focused on Licking County, Ohio, about 30 miles east of Columbus. There my 3^rd Great Grandfather, Abner Goff and his father, Daniel purchased 200 acres for $1,000 in 1813 after moving from Clarendon, Rutland, Vermont. In a search for “Abner Goff” in Google Books I discovered several references to an Ohio Appeals Court Case which addressed a dispute over land where an individual died intestate.

The subject Abner Goff (grandson of my Abner and cousin to my great grandfather) died in 1896 without a will and with no children. According to Ohio law his 162 acres passed to his widow, Martha. Martha died with a will, but the will did not address the disposition of the land, only granting a life estate to Martha’s brother, Ensley Finney Hass. The dispute arose at death of Mr. Haas as to the proper distribution of the property. The Goff family claimed that under Ohio law they were entitled to one half of the land. Mr. Hass’s heirs disputed this. Hence this court case.

What makes this case interesting to me is not the details of the argument from a court case more than a century ago, but what I found when I visited the Recorder’s Office in Licking County a few years ago. As a young person Abner’s brother, Gilbert B. Goff, moved from Licking County, Ohio to Michigan and had great success in lumber and other businesses. In 1911 as this dispute was headed to court, Gilbert Goff executed a quit claim relinquishing his claims to this property and giving it to the heirs of his brother, Zara Goff and their sister, Mary Goff Lampson. What’s interesting is that he lists fourteen of his known nieces (with their married names) and nephews as we see in a transcription of the document below. Continue reading »

William Sears Will – 1885 – Piscataquis County, Maine

Templeton, Uncategorized 1 Response »

Sep 162012

On our recent visit to the Moosehead Lake area of Maine, I located the will of William Sears, father of Emily Sears Templeton, and my wife’s great-great grandfather. The will was executed in 1885, about three years before his death. William left eight of his nine surviving children one dollar each. The tenth child, Melinda, died in 1882. The remainder of his estate he left to son, Charles H Sears in trust for his wife Edith. Charles was also entrusted with the care of the two minor children, Allen and Hiram, until they reached the age of 21. Charles died in 1890, providing some context for his mother’s marriage the following year to William Huff.

William died in 1888 and is buried in the Riverside Cemetery, Willimantic, Piscataquis, Maine. His tombstone gives his birth year as 1810, although his census records imply a birthdate in the 1820′s. His census records along with those of many of his children list his birthplace as Maine. However, some of his children’s later census records list his birthplace as Canada English. I have not found any information about him prior to the 1860 census.

The most significant fact from this document for our family research is the listing of daughter, Emily Templeton, confirming that this is our Emily’s family and that she had not remarried as of 1885.

The Biographical Notes of Nana

Favorites, Uncategorized, Wales No Responses »

Sep 082012

Mabel Louise Hervey

We recently had the opportunity to look through a drawer of ”memories” during a recent visit with Ruth’s uncle. One of the treasures was a spiral notebook written by Ruth’s great grandmother, Mabel Louise Hervey (1863-1960), wife of George Rogers Wales and mother of Susan Hervey Wales Rollason.

The 30 plus pages of the spiral ring notebook start at her birth as Adelaide Francis Gifford, her adoptive family, Abraham and Elizabeth Boynton Hervey, her courtship and marriage to George and the birth of her children. She remembers being stranded in a snow storm on the train ride home from the Centennial celebration in Philadelphia in 1876, and much more. Follow this link to read the Biographical Notes of Nana.

Samuel Templeton – Deed to Eben Robbins 1854 Kirkland, Penobscot, ME

Templeton, Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 072012

Click on image to open document

At the Registry of Deeds for Penobscot County, Maine I also found a deed dated 4 Nov 1854 by which Samuel Templeton transferred property to Eben W Robbins for $1. This is the same 50 acres that Samuel purchased from his father, Adam for $400 18 years earlier. From the deed we see that Ebenezer Robbins is living on the property in Kirkland (now Hudson) Penobscot, Maine.

What’s the story? Eben W. Robbins married Samuel’s sister, Mary Ann Templeton. It is very likely that Samuel and Mary Ann’s mother, Barbra (Barbary) Templeton was living with the Robbins, since there is a record of her death in Hudson in 1859.

Note, too, that an Amiel Robbins was a witness to this transaction. Most likely this is the son of Amiel Robbins who died in this area in 1833. The questions are: Is Amiel Robbins the brother of Susannah Robbins, Samuel’s wife? Is Eben a brother as well? Food for thought and more analysis – a good subject for another post.

Amiel Robbins – d. 1833 Penobscot County, Maine

Templeton, Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 062012

Click on image to see document

In the records of the Probate Court of Penobscot County, Maine I found this inventory of the estate of Amiel Robbins, who died, as stated here, on 20 July 1833, in Milton, Penobscot County. Why do I find this of interest? Ruth’s 2^nd great grandparents were Samuel Templeton and Susannah Robbins. We know that Samuel was the son of Adam Templeton, but to this point the family has not been able to identify the parents of Susannah. In the probate records Amiel Robbin’s wife’s name is listed as Susannah. Also of note is that Samuel and Susannah Templeton named a son Amiel.

The Amiel Robbins family was listed in the 1830 census in Boydstown, Penobscot, Maine, a household of 7 members with the male head between the ages of 50 and 59. Boydstown is now Orneville Township, located just south of Milo, Piscataquis, ME. This area of Penobscot County became part of the new Piscataquis County when it was created in 1838.

Adam Templeton – deed to son, Samuel – 1836

Templeton, Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 052012

Click image to open pdf of deed

Having just returned from a wonderful vacation to Greenville, ME , we delight in the time we were able to spend with Ruth’s mother in the town where she grew up. I also had an opportunity to visit the courthouses in Bangor, Penobscot County and Dover-Foxcroft, Piscataquis County. Over the next several days I look forward to posting several of my discoveries, i.e. more pieces to the puzzle that makes the stories of our families.

At the Registry of Deeds in Bangor I found a deed from Adam Templeton to son Samuel dated 29 March 1836 for 50 acres of land in Kirkland (now Hudson), Penobscot, Maine. We also discover several additional pieces of information in the details:

Adam Templeton acquired this property on 31 Jan 1831 from Richard Lancaster as “fulfillment of certain payment.” This places Adam in the area by 1831. Since he appeared in the census of Swanville, Waldo, Maine in 1830, we can pinpoint the time of migration to Kirkland.
The deed is also signed by “Barbra” – Adam’s wife. Note: in most other documents we find Barabee.
The deed is witnessed by Charlotte Templeton, their daughter.
Samuel paid his father $400 for the piece of property.

Silas and Elizabeth Estabrooks – A Tombstone Tuesday Post

Stiles, Uncategorized No Responses »

Dec 272011

Along a country road just a few files north of Sackville, New Brunswick, lies the Midgic Cemetery, the burial place for many members of the Estabrooks family, including Silas and Elizabeth.

Silas and Elizabeth Estabrooks, Midgic Cemetery, New Brunswick

Silas Estabrooks, a farmer, was born in this area in 1811 and died February 20, 1895. His great grandfather, William Estabrooks, came to Canada from Rhode Island as a young boy with his mother and step father.

Elizabeth Trerice Estabrooks was born in 1817, daughter of Elisha Trerice and Anna. Elizabeth’s great-great grandparents, Samuel Porter and Remember Makepeace came to Nova Scotia from Lebanon, CT in 1761, part of the New England Planters (see description.)

Silas and Elizabeth’s daughter, Matilda Jane Estabrooks was the mother of Angie Stiles, Ruth’s grandmother.

Midgic Cemetery, north of Sackville in eastern New Brunswick

Job Lane House (1713) – Bedford, MA

Uncategorized, Wales No Responses »

Nov 042011

Job Lane (1689-1762)

On a sunny August Sunday afternoon in 2008, Ruth and I visited a home first built by Ruth’s 7^thgreat-grandfather, Job Lane (1689-1762). Located on the Old North Road, just north of

Job Lane House
Bedford, MA

Bedford, Massachusetts, the home was built by Job Lane for his bride, Martha Ruggles at the time of their wedding in 1713. Maintained by the Bedford Historical Society, the home is open for tours one Sunday each month. The original home was from the front door to the right. The left portion of the home was built more than one hundred years later.

The property for the home was part of a larger 1,500 acre parcel which Job Lane’s grandfather, Job Lane (1620 – 1697) was given as payment for building a home for the grandson of Governor Winthrop in New London, CT in 1664.

The house is maintained by Friends of the Job Lane House. More information and hours for tours can be found here. The Bedford Historical Society also maintains an extensive list of historical papers from the Lane family that can be viewed at http://www.bedfordmahistory.org/Lane%20Family%20Papers/index.html.
Job Lane’s son – Job Lane Jr. (1718-1796) was a private in the Bedford Company that marched to Concord on April 19, 1775 to defend against the attack by the British troops. Hit in the leg by a musket ball, Job Lane served only one day, but was a part of that historical step in our nation’s history. His wound left him crippled; some reports say that his leg was amputated. Fortunately he survived for another twenty-one years to see the fruits of the struggles – the birth of our new nation.

Job Lane. Jr’s great granddaughter, Abigail Kittredge Richardson, was the grandmother of George Rogers Wales. The line: George Wales; Susan Howard Rogers; Abigail Kittredge Richardson; Hannah Bacon; Hannah Lane; Job Lane, Jr; Job Lane. Many of these families are found back to the earliest of English days in towns such as Woburn and Billerica, MA.

Sunday Obituary – Emma Jenkins

Templeton, Uncategorized No Responses »

Oct 022011

Emma Jenkins died in Guilford, Maine on August 24, 1932 at the age of 76. What I find sad about this obituary is what it doesn’t say: anything about her first husband, John Frank Templeton and their two sons, Hermon Orman (b. 1874) and Fred Frank (b. 1876).

Her first husband died in 1879, leaving her with two sons 5 and 3. From the Templeton side of this family we do not know much about what happened to Emma in the next 53 years. By 1880 Fred went to live with his aunt and uncle; Hermon with their aunt’s parents.

For more about the search for the rest of this story of Emma Sears Jenkins click here.

Frank and Clara Kimble – Wedding Wednesday

Kimble, Uncategorized No Responses »

Sep 282011

While I grew up thirty miles away in Lima, my family search takes me to Hardin County, Ohio where both sets of my grandparents were married.

Frank Kimble and Clara Goddard
18 May 1892

Frank Kimble and Clara Goddard were married on 18 May 1892 in Ada, Ohio. Like so many Americans of that era, Frank was a farmer, plowing his rich 40 acres with a mule. It would be more than 35 years before electricity came to their farm.

Frank and Clara had six children: Ethel, Roy, Avery, Marcellus (Ted), Cora and Anna, my mother.

Frank kept a diary, which I have had the privilege of reading. Neighbors helped neighbors harvest, build barns and split wood. Along with their neighbors Frank and Clara did their part in supporting the one room school house and the Sugar Grove Methodist Church.

Frank and Clara Kimble 50th Anniversary

This picture is from their 50th wedding anniversary, celebrated surrounded by family and freinds. Frank Kimble died on 16 Jan 1948. Clara died on 28 Feb 1954. They are buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Ada, Ohio.

As I research my family stories in Hardin County, I appreciate the hard working volunteers at the Hardin County Genealogy Society, who have rescued many records from the dumpsters and have expanded their office to house their growing collection.

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