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A Hunt for Ancestors by William Patton

From the Vevay Reveille-Enterprise - Thursday, December 18, 1935.
Transcription by Linda McCool - January, 2003.

Mr. W. B. Miller of Fort Bayard, New Mexico, wrote Mrs. Janet N. Walden of Chula Vista, Calif., for the Revolutionary War record of our ancestor, Joseph Goddard. Mrs. Walden turned the job over to me, who in turn shifted it onto our mutual friend, Benj. C. Waldenmaier of Washington, D. C., who has done an admirable job and will receive the blessings of a thousand descendants.
In order to follow the record, a brief history of the entry of the Goddards to America, as handed down by "word of mouth", will be necessary:

Two little boys, John and Joseph Goddard lived with their father and stepmother in an English seaport town. One day the stepmother took the two boys on board a ship, ostensibly, to show it to them. While the Captain was showing them over the ship they discovered it had left shore and was under way. They cried to be allowed to return, but the Captain whipped them. They were taken to Virginia and bound out till they were twenty-one, (some said sold.)

Later one of the boys married the daughter of a French Protest and who had suffered martyrdom for adherence to his faith. To this union born two sons, John and Joseph (this Joseph is our subject) and three daughters who later became Mrs. Susan Pitts, Mrs. Grace Quantance and Mrs. Sarah Plummer.

Joseph Goddard married Frances Glasscock in 1780. After the war he and his father and their families immigrated to Fleming County, Kentucky, where they bought farms and remained through life. The sisters married and settled down in the same county. So now I’ll turn you over to Ben.

Washington, D.C., October 31st, 1835

Dear Mr. Patton – Herewith you will find an abstract of the records of your ancestor Joseph Goddard. It is interesting and I really enjoyed digging it all out of old musty records. It is indeed a record to be proud of. I congratulate you, all.
I hope this finds you all reasonably OK – Sincerely, Benj. C. Waldenmaier, 1835 Mintwood Place.

Joseph Goddard, born Septembe 27th, 1761. Frances Glasscock (his wife) born September 30th, 1762. Married September 20th, 1780. Their children were: William, born Oct. 17, 1781, married Judith Greenwood. John, born March 12, 1783, moved to Iowa, probably to Troy, Davis County. Abbot, born May 28, 1765, married Fannie Lewis. Mollie (Polly and Mary) born March 12, 1787, married Elisha Berry. Jesse, born February 5, 1789, married Rebecca Hill, second Nancy Edmonton. Benjamin, born July 27, 1791, married Nancy Ringo. Richard , born December 12, 1793, married Sarah Moss. Leanner, born January 16, 1796, married James Cookson. Frances P. born October 19. 1799, married Joseph Malin. Sarah, born March 20, 1802, married Joshua Smithson. Grace Q. born March 25,1905, married James Cole. Fanny Lewis, born January 28. 1807, married Wm. Northcott.
Jesse Goddard, born February 5, 1789. Rebecca Hill his first wife died February 17, 1845, aged 57 years, 6 months and 17 days. Lenora P., born July 10, 1810. Cynthia T. born January 12, 1812. William B. born November 8, 1813. Joseph Hill, born September 7, 1815. Richard T. born November 9, 1817. Nothan S., born November 234, 1820. Rebecca Ann born November 17, 1823.

Kerrella D., born February 1, 1825. John A. born February 20, 1827. Second wife, Nancy Edmonton, born 1809, married June 16th, 1845. Jeremiah C., born June 11, 1846. Mary Jane, born May 17, 1847. James F. born June 24, 1848. Martha Ellen born April 14, 1850. Sarah Marie born April 29, 1851.

"Revolutionary soldiers were not provided with enlistment and discharge papers as is now the custom. About all the data concerning them is taken from Roll Books. These items have been transcribed on separate pieces of paper about 3 by 8 inches and are placed in an envelope jacket with the name of the soldier on the jacket. These are indexed.

At the Old Records Division the index showed two Joseph Goddards, Revolutionary soldier from Virginia. One of the jackets was empty and the notation indicated the two names were of one and the same individual.

The other jacket had a number of slips showing mostly payments of money he received. The first entry however was enlistment as a private November 19, 1776 in Thos. Blackwell’s Co., 10th Regular Continental Troops, commanded by Col. Edward Stevens, later command of Maj. Samuel Hawes.

There was an entry from Valley Forge showing he was there from March 1778 to April 1778 also an entry from White Plains, August 3rd, 1778. On September 7, 1778 he was made a Corporal. There were entries showing him at Camp Robertson, October 5, 1778; Camp Middlebrook, October 1778’ Camp, Rasmipaw, Oct., 1778. The last record was dated Oct., 1st, 1779. It was not legible in the copyists handwriting as these copies were made years ago, before typewriting machines were used. No other records.
This looks to me like the ancestor you want to know about. The tradition in your family that he was in the battle of Brandywine is in agreement with the Valley Forge entry, as both locations are within a few miles of Philadelphia.

The records available do not show any age, place of birth or residence, but the file jackets were with the Virginia veterans files. That he was from Virginia is sure. Also, that there was no other Joseph Goddard from Virginia in the list of names of Revolutionary soldiers.

An act approved March 1st, 1790 provided for the enumeration of the inhabitants of the United States. The scattered and spares population in most outlying districts of the original states made it difficult to obtain data. But there was moreover other difficulties of very serious moment in 1790, the inhabitants having no experience with census taking, imagined that some schemes for increasing taxation was involved and were inclined to be cautious lest they should reveal too much of their own affairs.

There was also opposition to enumeration on religious grounds, this being regarded as contrary to divine pleasures.
The original schedules of the first census, 1790 are now contained in 26 bound volumes, preserved in the census office at Washington D.C.

For the most part the headings in the original schedules were written by hand. Indeed up to and including 1820., the Assistant Marshals generally used for the schedules such paper as they happened to have; ruling it, writing in the headings and binding the sheets together themselves. In some cases merchants account paper was used, and now then the schedules were bound in wallpaper. As a consequence of requirin Marshals to supply their own blanks, the volumes containing the schedules vary in size from about 7 inches long, 3 inches wide, and ½ inch thick, to 21 inches long, 14 inches wide, 6 inches thick. Some of the sheets in these volumes are only 4 inches long, but a few are 3 feet in length, necessitating several folds.

The results for the states of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee and were destroyed by the British when they fired the Capitol in Washington during the War of 1812.

For several of the states for which the original schedules are lacking, the names of heads of families have been obtained from tax lists in the respective counties. From a volume of lists of heads of families taken from enumeration records and tax records between 1782 and 1785 for the state of Virginia, but 39 counties are given, 41 counties are missing.

I examined the above volume and find not a single name of Goddard but there appears:
Name County Family
Abraham Glasscock Glouchester 6
Issac Glasscock Glouchester 6
William Glasscock Frederick 6
William Glasscock Halifax 6
Estate 22 colored
Zach Glasscock Mecklenburg 8 white
1 colored

The census records for Kentucky before 1810 are lost, probably all burned with the Capitol fire in 1814. The census schedules for 1810 for Kentucky have all been photographed and it is these bound nealy into volumes that are passed out for inspection.
The data given herewith, I have copied from these pages. The order in which the names appear is without meaning. The ages of dependents are very confusing until knows that apprentices, maid servants, hired hands, brothers, sisters, boarders and in-laws are listed as dependents. (See Spreadsheet document called Goddard1810 is the table listed in the news article.)

Most of these Goddards are undoubtedly the ones you are seeking. All are very probably relatives. The two John Goddard sons are very likely cousins and as these names are found several pages separated they lived in different parts of Fleming County.
The name Glasscock may or may not be a relatives but I found it so included it in the list for your inspection.

The record indicates that Jesse Goddard had a free negro hired hand. There were no slaves listed with a Goddard.

The applications for pensions are the best source of information on Veterans of the Revolution and War of 1812. The veteran made affidavit to facts concerning himself that are not to be found in his military record and often nowhere else. I went to the office where these old pension papers are preserved and asked if they had any file as to Joseph Goddard, Revolutionary Veteran or his widow Francis Glasscock Goddard? There was such a file. Here is the summary of the contents of the file wrapper:

August 9th, 1823 Fleming County, Kentucky.
Joseph Goddard appeared to answer to an affidavit to take advantage of an act of Congress passed June 7, 1832 for a pension for Revolutionary War soldiers. He was born September 27th, 1761 (place not given.) He enlisted in Army of the Va., January 16th, 1777, where he then resided, serverd in 10th Virginia in Continental Regiment under Col. Edward Stephens (not difference in spelling from War Dept. record) in Thos. Blackwells Company. He was in the Battle of Brandywine, 11th of September 1777 as a private. Later made a Corporal, served until Dec. 1778. The command was later reduced and called the 6th, then under Co. John Green in Company of Capt. James Williams. He was at Camp Middlebrook, N.J., in December 1778. He re-enlisted under ----- Nichols, Major in the 10th Regiment. Other officers named among them, Samuel Hawes. He was furloughed a few days before Christmas 1778 to visit his home in Virginian that he substituted a man named Harris to serve for him. Later he (Goddard) returned to his Company in Middlebrook, N.J. and served until the expiration of his enlistment September 1779 and was discharged but says his papers were lost. (I think he never was given any discharge). He says he was in the Battle of Monmouth, also Stony Point under General Wayne.

His signature is very well written indeed.

This affidavit and the character of Joseph Goddard attested to by A. G. Houston of Fleming County, Ky., August 1832.

Another affidavit made by John rust as to character and truthfulness of Joseph Goddard.

And affidavit made September 1844 states that Joseph Goddard died in Fleming county, Key, June 28th, 1844 and that Francis Goddard was his widow and now applying for a widow’s pension.

This pension seems not have been granted as she died in 1845.

Joseph Goddard received a pension of $80 per year, which was increased to $85 per year December 18th, 1845. (These dates with his death are in conflict, and can be explained by very slow mail an dilatory pension officers.

This affidavit for pension made by Francis Goddard made March 22nd, 1845 before Jonathan Froman, Justice of the Peace, says she was too aged and feeable to go to court to make the affidavit. It states she was married to Joseph Goddard, September 20th, 1780 in Tanquier Co., Va., and that shortly after her husband’s death she went with a son to Indiana and has since resided there. Signed X her mark. Jonathan Froman’s signature is attested by Edward Patton, Clerk Court, Switzerland County, Indiana. There were other affidavits from persons in Fleming County, who knew her there. There was arrears of pension due Joseph Goddard, not pail until after the widow’s death. For this Sarah Smithson qualified to receive the money for the heirs. Her signature was very well written. Attested to by Zadig Rous and his signature attested by Ira Malin, Clerk Court."

B. C. W.