Thomas (Goff) Goffe Sr (abt. 1645 - 1726)

Born about 1645 in Northumberland County, Colony of Virginia

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Prosser) Goffe — married 1672 (to 1687) in Old Rappahannock, Virginia Colony

Husband of Margaret (Unknown) Goff — married 1688 in Virginia Colony

Descendants

Died 28 Sep 1726 at about age 81 in Hanover Parish, King George County, Colony of Virginia

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Linda Jiron [send private message], Darlene Roy [send private message], and Michael Goff [send private message]

Biography

This profile is part of the Goff Name Study.

Thomas (Goff) Goffe Sr was a Virginia colonist.

Thomas Goffe Sr. was born in about 1645 in Virginia's "Northern Neck" that had begun to be settled by English colonists at that time. In 1644 there was still no official "county" recognized by the Colonial government but the name "Northumberland" was already being used on land and other documents. In 1648, newly-organized Northumberland "County" sent its first representative to the House of Burgesses in Williamsburg. The area called Northumberland in the mid-17th Century was subdivided many times, including Richmond County (not to be confused with Virginia's capital city, Richmond, originally in Henrico Co., about 100 miles south-west), Westmoreland, Lancaster, Essex, Old Rappahannock, and King George counties.^[1]

Thomas Goffe's parents were:

William Goff, immigrant, born in 1605 in Dedham, Essex, England, and educated at Cambridge.

Martha Margaret Baxter, born in 1622, most-likely in Yorkshire, England, although many genealogies say "Old Rappahannock, Virginia," which is mistaken as that county was not formed until 1656.

William and Martha-Margaret married in 1641 in what was then York County, then Northumberland, "Northern Neck," Virginia. Thomas was their 2nd son (older brother, Robert Goffe). Some family genealogies put Thomas' birth later (1650s), making him a 3rd son.

Thomas Goffe married Mary Prosser, b: ca. 1653 in Virginia, around 1672 in Old Rappahannock County (Northern Neck), Virginia. They had a son, John Goff, born around1680 and a daughter, Margaret (or Mary) Goffe, born around 1684. There may have been other children, who likely died young. Mary (Prosser) Goffe died between 1685 and 1687 on their plantation in Virginia's Northern Neck.^[2]

Thomas Goffe re-married to Margaret (last name unknown), born between 1650-1660 in New Kent, Virginia, in 1688. They had at least 2 sons:

1. Thomas Goff (aka Gough) Jr., b: ca. 1695 in Essex Co., Virginia
2. William Goff, b: ca. 1700 in Essex Co., Virginia

There may have been other children, a daughter Abigail is sometimes mentioned and another Margaret or Mary...

14 Jan 1723: Thomas Goffe appeared in King George Co. on Jan 14, 1723 selling to Joseph Trougher of Essex Co. VA, 200 acres of land in St. Mary's Parish, Essex Co. which had been bequeathed to Thomas and Robert Goffe by John Prosser. Margaret [Arnold] his wife signed the deed. - Witnesses - Isaac Arnold, Jonathan Gibson, John Gibson, Peter Gibbon. Essex Co., VA, Deed Book 17, p. 207.^[3]

Thomas Goffe Sr. died on September 28, 1726, in Hanover Parish, King George County, Virginia. His 2nd wife, Margaret (Arnold) Goffe, survived his passing and died on the family plantation on about May 4, 1728.

Research Notes

One record had birth year 1656 and birth place Richmond, Wise, Virginia. Which is correct? Whitten-1 11:30, 4 February 2011 (EST) - Note: Richmond, Wise, Virginia cannot be correct as Wise County was not formed until 100 years later. Richmond County was formed in 1692 near where this family lived. Chet Snow 23 June 2017.

Is there any evidence that this Thomas Goff was married to Ann Pope?

Sources

1. ↑ Northumberland County Virginia article on Wikipedia
2. ↑ Thomas is mentioned in John Prosser's will as his son-in-law on Aug. 28, 1673. See: Ham/m Genealogy on RootsWeb - Thomas Goffe. Well-researched genealogy by a university historian.
3. ↑ See Ham/m genealogy on RootsWeb, previous Note.

See also:

• Family Data Collection - Deaths; Ancestry Record 5771 #1026236; Name: Thomas Goffe; Death Date: 1726; City: Hanover; County: King George; State: VA; Country: USA.
• Family Data Collection - Individual Records; Ancestry Record 4725 #4135665; Name: Thomas Goffe; Parents: William Goffe, Martha Baxter; Birth Place: Richmond, VA; Birth Date: 1644; Marriage Date: 1661; Death Place: Hanover Parish, King George Co, VA; Death Date: 1726.
• Historical Southern Families. Volume II • The Kendall Family; Page: 112. Image; Quote: Thomas² Kendall with Thomas Goffe and John Willis bought 405 acres of land March 7, 1687/8 in Rappo Co. which afterward fell in King George Co. The deed was from Mallary Peale of Stafford Co. and was witnessed by Lawrence Washington and Richard Lee. (D.B. 7–486)
• Millennium File; Ancestry Record 7249 #10844868; Name: Thomas Goff; Gender: Male; Birth Date: 1644; Children: Abigaill Goff.
• Richmond County records, 1692-1704 • Vol. XVI; R. 16; Page: 30; Title: Deed Book No. 1; Image; Quote: p. 97. Deed. 3 January 1692/3. John Willis of Richmond Co, planter, to Thos Kendall of the same Co., planter, for certain cattle, a parcel of land in Richmond Co., "being betweene the land of Indrein and Joseph Mason"; Wit: Tho Parke, Tho x Goffe; Signed: John x Willis; Rec. 20 Dec. 1693
• The Rucker family genealogy, with their ancestors, descendants and connections • Part III. Auxiliary lines; Chapter: Gough—Goffe; p. 430–31; Image; Quote:
  • The name first appears in York, then New Kent, King and Queen, King William, Rappahannock, Essex, King George, Richmond, and one branch moved to Orange, then to Amherst. The records of three of these counties have been destroyed; it is impossible to trace them. The spelling of the name varies often, twice in the same document.
  • John Goffe patented 400 acres of land on Aracio Swamp, adjoining another division of said Goffe's 5 Opr. 1664 (B. 5, p. 420, L. Gr.).
  • Margaret¹ married 1st, Gough or Goffe; 2nd, John Prosser who died in Rappa. Co., 1671, will mentioned "Sons-in-law, Robert and Thomas Goffe. She received 500 acres on the north side of the Rappa. by will of her husband, John Prosser (now in King George Co.). Issue: 1. Robert² Goffe. 2. Thomas² Goffe.
  • 2. Thomas² Goffe ( Margaret¹), died before 1726, m. Margaret ________. His step-father, John Prosser, left to him by will dated 1671, ½ interest in 200 acres of land on the south side of Rappahannock River (now Essex). The entire 200 acres Thomas sold. He bought 200 acres of land in Westmoreland Co., which later was sold by two of his sons, Thomas and John Goffe.
  • John Willis, of Richmond Co., patented land, beginning at the head of Mary Gunstocker, on Indian or the Rappahannock River, in the clive adjoining Thomas Goffe, to John Arnold's, 19 Mch. 1696/7 (Vol. 2, p. 264, N. N. L. Gr.). The same day Thomas Kendall patented 105 acres of land in Richmond Co. in the clive adjoining Thomas Goffe. The same day Thomas Goffe of Richmond county patented 105 acres, beginning at Thomas Kendall's, back of Mary Gunstocker in clive, to John Willis's, at the head of Warasque Creek (same book and page, B. 2, p. 266, N. N. L. Gr.).
  • Thomas Goffe of St. Mary's Parish, Richmond Co., deeded to his daughter, Margaret, wife of Isaac Arnold, land adjoining said Goffe and John Willis, Jr. Margaret, wife of Thomas Goffe, signed the deed, Feb. 28, 1707 (D. B. 4, p. 126, Rd. Co.).
  • Thomas Goffe and wife, Margaret, were administrators of Wm. Goffe, deceased, with Isaac Arnold security, 4 Apr. 1716 (B. 7, p. 114, Rd. Co.).
  • Thomas Goffe now appears in King George County, on 14 Jan. 1723 he sold to Joseph Trougher of Essex Co., 200 acres of land in St. Mary's Parish, Essex Co., which was bequeathed to said Thomas and Robert Goff by one John Prosser, dec'd. Margaret, wife of Thomas Goffe, signed the deed. Witness: Isaac Arnold, Jonathan Gibson, John Gibson, Peter Gibbon (D. B. 17, p. 207, Essex).
  • William Kendall of Stafford Co., sold to Jere Murdock of King George Co., merchant, for 2,000 lbs. of tobacco, the land where Wm. Kendall formerly lived, purchased by Thomas Goffe from Maj. Wright, 28 Sept. 1726 (D. B. 8, p. 179, King George Co.).
    1. Margaret³ Goffe, wife of Isaac Arnold.
    2. Thomas³ Goffe.
    3. John³ Goffe.
    4. Wm.³ Goffe.
• WeRelate.org Text: Text content at WeRelate.org is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0 CONT Data: Date: 13 September 2014 Text: Current version: http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Thomas_Goff_(11) CONT Authors: http://www.werelate.org/wiki/Person:Thomas_Goff_(11)?action=history