Gardner Goddard (1763 - 1816)

Born 15 Apr 1763 in Northborough, Worcester, Massachusetts

Ancestors

Husband of Sophia (Rice) Goddard — married 11 Dec 1782 in Holden, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

Descendants

Died 16 Nov 1816 at age 53 in Boylston, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States

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Biography

Garner Goddard is an NSSAR Patriot Ancestor.
NSSAR Ancestor #: 343612
Rank: Private

Raised in Northborough on his father’s farm, he first appears in records enlisting as a private in the Continental Army on 21 July 1779. His total active service was a bit under a year. Garner was described on enlistment as 5 ft. 9 in. tall with a dark complexion.

After their marriage, the couple lived in Worcester County and was not prosperous. Garner is enumerated as a head of household living in Holden in 1790 and in Boylston in both 1800 and 1810.

He died in 1816 of consumption. No probate or burial site has been located.

Clear confirmation of Garner’s life and service comes from the Pension filed by his widow, Sophie, in 1838 (and continued after her 1845 by his children). Within the Pension, his birth, marriage, death, and the names of all his children are confirmed with certainty.

Research Notes

Records refer to him as both Gardner and Garner, and he was known by both names during his lifetime. According to his wife, he preferred to use Garner.^[1]

Goddard (1833) attributes an additional son, Abraham (with no details), to the couple. This relationship is followed by others, including FamilySearch; however, I cannot find any evidence for this and accordingly do not include it here.

Of the family, his son Josiah's obituary states:

His family are noted for their longevity, as of eleven children all of whom reached mature years, five attained to extreme old age, their ages varying from 80 to 93 years. Two sisters are still [in 1883] living, one aged 80 years at Templeton, Mass. [Mary], and the other aged 87 years at Southboro in the same State. [Asenath]

If this is accurate, there are two additional children not accounted for.

Many generations of the Goddard family tree ancestor pedigree chart are shown at https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/LH97-6P6 >

Sources

1. ↑ Affidavit of Sophia Goddard, 14 November 1838

• U.S. Revolutionary War Pension No. W.14801.
• Goddard, William A. A Genealogy of the Descendants of Edward Goddard. Worcester: M. Spooner, Printer, 1833.
• Collections of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan. Lansing MI: Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co., 1907. Vol. 6, Ppg. 255-6.
• "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VQX6-3Z2 : 10 February 2018), Josiah Goddard in entry for Garner Goddard, 15 Apr 1763; citing NORTHBORO,WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS, ; FHL microfilm 0873748 IT 5.
• "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4JL-R24 : 10 December 2019), Garner Goddard, 1763.
• "Massachusetts Births and Christenings, 1639-1915", database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:F4NN-KHW : 10 December 2019), Ganner Goddard, 1763.
• "Massachusetts, Revolutionary War, Index Cards to Muster Rolls, 1775-1783," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2RW-21W4 : 17 March 2018), Garner Goddard, 06 Jul 1780; citing Military Service, Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America, Massachusetts State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 2,026,871.
• "Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FHZ3-FZG : 5 November 2017), Gardner Goddard and Sophia Rice, 11 Dec 1782; citing Marriage, Rutland, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Boston; FHL microfilm 007009526.
• "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NW4N-XR8 : 25 February 2019), Garner Goddard in entry for Sophia Goddard, 1845.
• "Massachusetts Deaths, 1841-1915," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7VL-R2T : 22 May 2019), Gardner Goddard in entry for Gardner Goddard, 09 Oct 1851; citing Grafton, Massachusetts, v 59 p 131, State Archives, Boston; FHL microfilm 959,814.