Golding / Golden / Goulding et al Family History on Facebook
Our Golden family origin before South Carolina in the early 1780s is unknown.
There are however hints and clues and circumstantial evidence.
FIRST IMMIGRANT GOLDEN?
Our Goldens have many links to grandparents and kin that came from the modern Caroline County and surrounding areas.
There is one family in particular that is of specific interest: the Thomas Goulding family that settled at Occupacia Creek in November 1666.
Of note, Colonel Johnathan Catlett, who transported Thomas Goulding, is closely related to several lines of our family (FN 1). While am not able to directly connect to Cooper, Jones, Leonard, and Parker families underlined in green below, our Goldens have grandparents from local families with these names.
Disclaimer: There are numerous Gaulding (YDNA), Golding (YDNA), Gouldin and Golden (YDNA) families that originate from this same area at the same approximate time that are searching for their immigrant grandparent. To my knowledge, none have identified this original immigrant.
We have collected multiple YDNA test samples for the families marked as (YDNA). None of these families are related by YDNA, although atDNA indicates numerous instances of intermarriage with offspring.
GOULDIN FAMILY of Rappahanock Region
There is no formal documentation for what happened when Thomas Goulding settled in the Occupacia Creek area in 1666. There is no known genealogy for Thomas’ family.
A large family of Gouldins (and Gouldings) lived in this very exact area through 1942. Some still do. Many live nearby, and have since the late 1700s.
One Gouldin claim as to their genealogy points to a different Gouldin, also a Thomas. The genealogy claims descent from Thomas Gouldin who came as an indenture in 1623 and settled in the Jamestown area, known to be living there through August 1638 when he bought a plot of land.
A genealogy exists on file in the Virginia Room of the main Library in Fredericksburg, Virginia that claims descent from this Thomas — indicating that he is patriarch to the modern Caroline County Gouldin family. Without these Gouldins being YDNA-tested we are unable to determine where our Goldens are directly related, or whether they might be relate to one of the other similar-named families.
The Fredericksburg Gouldin genealogy outlines a line of descent from 1597 through today. I believe that the first three generations presented contain numerous challenges of reliability.
OUR EARLIEST KNOWN GOLDEN from Rappahanock Region
Right where the well-documented Gouldin family lived from the early 1800s onward, came a member of our Golden family: Barbara Goulden, c1720-1794.
Aside from a DNA connection via Raines family members, we do not know how we connect with Barbara Goulden. None of her Goulden family are known to be documented, although she is associated with a John Goulden.
The John Henry Rains (Raines/Reins) family of Old Rappahanock County, Virginia claim that their grandmother Barbara Goulden was born about 1720 in Virginia. We know that she lived her early life in what is now Port Royal, Caroline County, Virginia. She passed about 1794 in Randolph County, North Carolina. Her son John Raines documented some of their early years in Caroline County within his application for a Revolutionary War pension.
The Carolina County Rains descend from a 1704 immigrant:
John Henry Rains Sr
1689–1767
BIRTH 25 JAN 1689 • Westbury, Wiltshire, England
DEATH AUG 1767 • Caroline, Virginia
John Henry Rains and Barbara Goulden had at least two, possibly three sons (Meredith, John and Richard). They went forth and multiplied. Many of their descendants have taken DNA tests through Ancestry or 23andMe. Numerous matches exist with our Goldens.
FOOTNOTES
1 – Relationship between Colonel Jonathan Catlett who transported and settled Thomas Goulding in September 1666: paternal grandfather of wife of 1st cousin 8x removed:
John Catlett Col / Immigrant (1624 – 1670)
paternal grandfather of wife of 1st cousin 8x removed
John Catlett II, Col (1658 – 1724)
son of John Catlett, Col
Margaret Catlett Prince (1706 – 1822)
daughter of John Catlett II, Col
Joseph Garrett Sr (1704 – 1789)
husband of Margaret Catlett Prince
Frances Elizabeth Buckner (1680 – 1739)
mother of Joseph Garrett Sr
Richard Buckner (1658 – 1733)
father of Frances Elizabeth Buckner
Margaret Buckner (1690 – 1760)
daughter of Richard Buckner
Ann Hay Taliaferro (1702 – 1760)
daughter of Margaret Buckner
Shadrick Sherrod James (1744 – 1852)
son of Ann Hay Taliaferro
Thomas R James Sr (1792 – 1877)
son of Shadrick Sherrod James
Nancy Ann James (1825 – 1911)
daughter of Thomas R James Sr
I Ninna Graham (1862 – 1917)
son of Nancy Ann James
Sultania Graham (1886 – 1923)
daughter of I Ninna Graham
Readie Mae Belcher (1907 – 1993)
daughter of Sultania Graham
John Henry Golden (1934 – 2001)
son of Readie Mae Belcher
William David Golden (1956-still drinking coffee in 2018)
son of John Henry Golden
You are welcome to add to or to correct this story by contacting: Bill Golden, Norfolk1956@gmail.com
BTW – I look forward to sharing your stories, photos and in-search-of quests. Contact me at the email address above.