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.

Gilbert may have been generous, or he may have been astute enough to realize that this case had little likelihood of success.   While the initial court case in 1914 supported the Goff family claim, the appeals court in 1915 found in favor of the Haas estate.   You can read these court cases here.

For me this experience is a great example of how online sources can open doors and raise questions.  But it also underscores the reality that 80 to 90 percent of all genealogical information is not online, but is waiting to be discovered in court houses and other repositories.

Transcription follows:

GILBERT B GOFF, #1643 to ANNA B SCHOOLEY ET AL, Received May 17, 1912, at 9:30 A.M, Recorded May 17, 1912, J.M. Farmer, Recorder

KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS: That I, Gilbert B Goff, an unmarried widower, of the County of Sagniaw and the State of Michigan, in consideration of the sum of ONE DOLLAR and other good, sufficient considerations to me moving, to me paid by Amanda B Schooley, Martha Clark, Rowene Harris, Mary McCartney, Allie M Keener, Jennie Hughes and Ida McCalla, children of my deceased brother, Zara Goff, and all the children of my deceased sister, Mary Lampson and to the child or children of her deceased child or children, such grandchildren to take by right of representation.  That is Shadwick Lampson, Mary Stevenson, Kate Aubrey, Kate Lampson, Frank Rudasill, Lyda Eppeely, William Rudasill, the Grantees, the receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged, do hereby REMISE, RELEASE, AND FOREVER QUIT CLAIM, to the aid Grantees their heirs and assigns forever, the following Real Estate, situated in the County of Licking, in the State of Ohio, and in the Township of Washington, and bounded and described as follows- viz;-

BEING all my right, title and interest in the lands and tenements of which my brother Abner Goff died seized, and all of the lands and tenements which have come to me by the death of said brother and by inheritance to me from him, and whether the same be located in the said Township of Washington and said County of Licking, Ohio, or elsewhere, it being my intention by this deed of quit claim to sell, assign and transfer over to the children of my deceased brother Zara Goff, above names, all the interest I now have or may hereafter acquire in the estate of my deceased brother Abner Goff, whether the same be located in Washington Township, said County or elsewhere; and it being my intention especially to convey to said children all my interest in the lands in said Township of which said brother Abner Goff died seized, Known as- “The Goff Farm”, and being the same lands which were devised by Martha Goff in her Last Will and Testament to her brother, Ensley Finney Haas, for life, and therein referred to as the “Goff Farm”.

In the pending litigation over the above property, the grantees herein are to bear the Court and other expenses so that the grantor herein has nothing further to do with said property or any expenses connected therewith.

I am not able to give the names of all of the children of my deceased sister, Mary Lampson or of the children of any of her deceased children, but among her children are: Shadwick Lampson, Frank Lampson, Kary L Stephenson and Katie Aubrey.

TO HAVE and To HOLD said premises, with all the privileges and appurtences there unto belonging, to the said Grantees their heirs and assigns FOREVER.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, The said Gilbert B. Goff has hereunto set his hand this 8^th day of January in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and Eleven (1911).

SIGNED, ACKNOWEDGED and DELIVERED IN PRESENCE OF –

Eugene Wilber                                                 G. B. GOFF

H. L. Kaber                                                      GILBERT B. GOFF

THE STATE OF MICHIGAN, SAGINAW COUNTY, SS

Before me, a Notary Public in and for said County, personally appeared the above named

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.

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.

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.

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.

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, 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

Here lieth the body of Mr. Jn Kilborn, who died November y 25th 1711 in ye 60th year of His age.

According to a family history [1], John was instrumental in providing the land and building the parsonage for the first pastor, a requisite for establishing a new town.   His father and grandfather arrived in Connecticut in 1635 and were active leaders in Wethersfield, just across the Connecticut River.  John Kilbourn is buried at the Glastonbury Green Cemetery.

What makes this story special to our family is that my wife, Ruth, grew up just 10 miles southwest of Glastonbury in Middletown.   Until recently, however, she had no idea that one of her ancestors (her 7th great grandfather) had lived so near.  As we have traced her family history, her line goes to Greenville, Maine where Fred Templeton and Angie Stiles were married.  Angie was born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, where our story ended until the last few years.

What we discovered in 2004 was that the Stiles family, along with several of Angie’s other ancestors, were New England Planters, a group of 8,000 people from Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island who moved to Nova Scotia before the Revolution to claim offers of free land from the British.   After expelling the French-speaking Acadians, they were desperate for farmers to settle the lands.

A large group of these New England Planters came from the area around Hebron and Lebanon, Connecticut,  just 15-20 miles east of Glastonbury.  Among these were Nathan Stiles, Jr. and Kesiah Kilbourne, the great granddaughter of John.

The map outlines the chapters in this 300 year story.  As we learn more and more about the stories of vision, courage and struggles of our ancestors, I appreciate how deeply indebted we are to them in so many ways.

Click here for a larger view of the map.

1)  Kilbourn, Payne Kenyon, The Family Memorial: a History and Genealogy of the Kilbourn family in the United States and Canada from the Year 1635 to the Present Time, Hartford, Connecticut, Brown and Parsons, 1845 as accessed on Google Books.

A copy of Harry’s SS Application arrived in today’s mail.   Indeed Harry was a brother of Fred Templeton (my wife’s grandfather) since he lists his parents as Emma Sears and Frank Templeton.   The Emma living in Waterville, Maine is indeed Fred’s mother.

From his WWI Draft Registration card we know that he was living in Wyoming in 1918.  At the time of his Social Security application (1937) he was living in Sedona, AZ.  He died and was buried in Yavapai County Cemetery on November 13, 1968 according to records found at the website of the Sharlot Hall Museum in Prescott, AZ (www.sharlot.org).   There is no marker.

Another piece of the puzzle and a new member of the family.   We hope that we can learn more about Harry’s life.

   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.