One of the "joys" of researching several generations of a family where everyone has the same name is keeping track of who is being referred to in any given record. When the first Robert Moulton and his son Robert arrived in Salem, "sr" and "jr" sufficed; Salem church records first start the distinction between father and son when "jr" became a member in 1638. After "jr" married and started his family--which included a son named Robert--sometimes Bob No. 2 was referred to as "sr" and his son as "jr", while his father became "old Robert Moulton." But not always, because consistency wouldn't be any fun.
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Even professional historians had trouble keeping track of who they were talking about. Joseph Felt, in the 1827 Annals of Salem, had this entry for 1666:
Mix up of Bobs from Annals of Salem
Fortunately, Felt discovered his mistake, and furnished this correction some hundred pages later:
"errata" page from Annals of Salem
Still, there is some unpacking to do, as the references to the public offices held during the 1630s were those of the first Robert as well. (verify! verify! verify!)
Anyway, I should say here that of my "4 Guys Named Bob," info on Bob No. 2 is the murkiest (he didn't make as many waves as his father, son or grandson), but interesting things appear when studying his in-laws! In the above excerpt from the Annals you will see the reference to Bob No. 2's wife Abigail--whose maiden name was Goade (sometimes spelled Goode). As I mentioned in my last diary, Bob No. 1's stubbornness in sticking to principles did not diminish his general standing in Salem, and a marriage with his only son would have been seen as a very good match. At, least that was how Abigail's uncle, Emmanuel Downing, saw it.
For the benefit of those who haven't gotten lost in the weeds of Salem history, Emmanuel Downing was married to Gov. John Winthrop's sister Lucy. He was the son of George Downing, a schoolmaster in Ipswich, England; Emmanuel spent a number of years practicing law in Dublin, but was very involved with Winthrop's plans for how the new colony would operate. That said, it is interesting that the Downings did not arrive in Massachusetts right away--partly over concern that educational opportunities for their son George would be limited at first and so waited until Harvard was up and running (be sure to read the link to see what George did with his Harvard education).
I found a great deal of info on the Downing family, including this excerpt from a family tree chart:
Downing family tree excerpt
In addition to Emmanuel's father George and his famous son Sir George, you will see a tiny entry for his sister: "Abigail, 3d dau., wife of John Goade of London, Mercht and had issue." Well
ok, then. Fortunately, sister Abigail (as well as her children), are mentioned in various Downing family wills so I had a few more clues to help focus my research. She is named by her father as a co-executrix of his estate (1611), and her brother Nathaniel (died 1616) left legacies to Abigail and John Goade and also to John Goade Jr.
Abigail's husband, John Goade, was a Merchant Skinner (fur merchant), and the couple were members of the parish of St. Helen's in Cheapside in the City of London.
Now, avid Pride and Prejudice fans may be distracted by thinking about Lizzie Bennett's uncle Gardiner, who lived in view of his warehouses on Gracechurch Street in Cheapside. Because distractions like this are why it takes me so long to get anything actually "done" when it comes to research, I present this map of St. Helen's, which is at the junction of Gracechurch Street with Bishopgate Street:
Cheapside!
Back to the genealogy of real people! I haven't found the date of John and Abigail's marriage, but it would have been sometime after 1611 (the year of her father's death) and before 1615 (when their first child was born). The online parish records for
St Helen's allowed me to track the baptism of the four children of "John Goade, skynner, and Abigall, his wyfe." Here is the page showing the baptism of their daughter Abigail in September 1619.
Abigail Goad baptismal records from St Helens parish records
For one last distraction, feel free to read about the oldest Goade child,
John Goad Jr., and what he did in his
spare time.
St. Helen's records also show the burial of John Goade Sr. in April 1623; I haven't found the date of Abigail Downing Goade's death, but by 1640 Emmanuel and Lucy Downing were busy matchmaking for their niece. From the Winthrop papers, there is a letter from Emmanuel Downing to John Winthrop in January of 1640/1:
I have provided a verie good match for my neice NAB GOADE; he is old Moulton his only sonne, a member of our church, of 4 or 500 li [pounds] estate.
Lucy wrote a letter at about the same time to Margaret Winthrop (John's wife)
LUCY DOWNING TO MARGARET WINTHROP.
To her most honerd sister M" Margret Winthrop this present.
Boston.
[1640-1.]
Worthylie Honerd, - I humble thank you for all your fauors whearin both I and myne are sempiternally ingaged, allso I humble thank you for the mayde. I haue good hopes of her. My cosen Nab and she wear fellow trauillers in the ship from Eng: Nab. giues her the report of a very good carigd theer: allso my brother Got and his wife wear near neighbours to hir frinds in Eng. and they repute them to be people of a very godly conuersation, and many times hereditary blesings are perpetuated and vertue followes them. My mayd Abygall is suddaynlie to be maryed to Robert Moulton of this towne: and I hope it maye proue a blessinge of comfort to her, for the parents and scrane are people of a religious peacable life, and prouident in their estates.
While Lucy's letter rambles around a bit, it goes into a bit more detail on how close they were with the Goade ("Got") family. Both Emmanuel and Lucy were pretty well satisfied that young Robert Moulton would be an excellent match for their "cosen" Nab. And so the marriage took place late 1641/early 1642.
All in all, the pattern for the Downing/Goade clan is of fairly successful merchant class families who placed a great deal of importance on education...and daughters were important enough to be trusted with tasks such as estate administration. As you will recall from my previous diary, though "only" a skilled mechanic, old Robert Moulton wrote his own reports and held some important administrative positions in the new colony at Salem. It is easy to understand why all parties would have been pleased at the excellence of the match between Robert 2nd and Abigail Goade.
The couple had 25 years together before Robert died in September 1665:
THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF ROBERT MOULTON SENIOR OF
SALEM
I Robert Moulton, of Salem senior beinge by gods hande on my sick bedd but of pfect memorie doe dispose of my estate as followeth :
vide ; I doe ordaine my wife my whole executrix of this my last will and testament and I give and bequeath to my son Robert five pounds at my decease and to my daughtr Abigaile five pound st(er)ling also my son Samuell to enjoy all my lands within Readinge bounds buttinge on Ipswich river by estimation sixteen akers more or less ; also I give to my daughtr Hannah twentie pounds in neate Cattle to be pd at her day of marriage also I give unto my two yonger sons John and Joseph my now dwellinge house with all the lande and meadow with all othr apurtenances thereunto belonginge after the decease of my wife they payinge as a legasie to my two yonge daughtrs Meriam and Mary to each of them twentie pounds to be pd within one year after they come to posess it and in case either of my sons John or Joseph should die before their mother my will is that my son Samuell shall enjoy the pt of my house and lande, given to the ptie deceased and this I leave as my last will and testament witnis my hande the 5th of Septembr 1665.
Robert Moulton Senir
witnis Henry Bartholomew, George Gardner, Samuell Garnder
Leift George Gardner & Samuell Gardner gave oath in Court
George Gardner that the above written was signed by Robert Moulton & declared to be his last will and testament in these prsents : 28 : 9 Mo. 65.
Ateste Hilliard Veren, Clericr
And Abigail followed her husband just a few months later:
Estate Of Mrs. Abigail Moulton Of Salem.
The Last will & Testement of Abigail Moulton of Sallem widdow being by Gods hand weake in in Body but of Perfet memory: doe dispose of my Estate as followeth
I doe ordaine my Sonne Robert my whole Executor
I doe Giue to my sone Robert two oxen ye best with ye tackling belonging to ye teeme with what other tooles I haue & a Mare Colt & ye Bed I did vse to ly on with all its furniture
I doe Giue to my sone Samuell two three yeare ould steeres
I doe Giue to my Sons John & Joseph to Ech of them a Greate Book
I doe Giue to my daughter Abigaill one fine sheete
to my daughter Hannah I doe Give my best Bed with all its furniture & one fine sheete t
to my daughter Miriam I doe Gine one laste sheete
to my daughter Mary I doe Giue one payre of pillobers: & my will is the Rest of my linning shall be Equally deuided to my daughters Abigall & Hanah: & I doe Giue to my daughter Abygall all ye land hur father had of hur for debt
my will is ye Remainder of my Estate shall be Equally deuided to my sone Samuell & to my daughters Abigall Mirian & mary
my will & desire is that mr Joseph Grafton senr & mr Henrey Bartholmew & George & Samuell Gardner be ouer seeres of this my will & Gardients to my Children tel thay Com to Age As witnes my hand this 5th 12th 1665.
Abigail Moulton
Witness: Samuell Gardner, George Gardner.
Proved in Ipswich court Mar. 27, 1666 by the witnesses before Maj. William Hathorne.
Inventory taken 22: 1: 1665, by Joseph (his P mark) Pope, Henry Bartholmew, Joseph Grafton and Samuell Gardner:
one dwellinge house with above eightie akers of lande belonginge to it, 120li.; 4 oxen, 7 Cowes and som other yonge Cattle, 76li.; a horse, mare and a yeare old colt, 12li.; a pcell of swine, 5li.; one fether bed with boulster, a pr blanketts, a Rugge, Curtaines and vallence, 10li.; one bed with the appurtenances, 5li.; a table, 2 chests with other wood utensills, 2li.; brass and pewter, 2li.; Iron Potts, ketles and other Iron stuffe, 2li.; a pcell of bookes, 2li.; a Cart, plow and harrow with som other tooles, 4li.; a pcell of linin, 6li. 16s.; total, 246li. 16s. Debts, 28li. 3s. 4d.
Received and allowed in Ipswich court Mar. 27, 1666.
(A question for fenway49, are the Gardners listed in the probate records part of your family?)
The next installment of this series will cover Bob Nos. 3 and 4, so stay tuned.