? Are you a male Golden descendant and taken a DNA test? See note at end of article.
George Jasper Golden, CSA, Captain
War often causes technologic breakthoughs due to the need for better, faster and more efficient.
George Jasper Golden (GJG, 1833-1880) was one such person.
GJG is a cofounder of Stanford & Golden ‘Engine Builders and General Machinists‘ and credited with design of the world’s first breech-loading artillery gun.
Stanford & Golden was colocated with the Columbus Ironworks which produced their products before the war. Both were seized (nationalized) and reestablished in 1862 and operated by the Confederate Government as the Naval Iron Works, making cannon and other war ammunitions and two gunboats, the Chattahoochee and the ironclad Muscogee.
This plant was credited with producing the first breech-loading cannon. Though the cannon never made it into general use, coming too late in the war, the Iron Works contributed much of the artillery used by the South in the war.
GJG was given the rank of Captain, CSA Company B, Naval Battalion, Georgia Infantry, but this appears to have largely been an honorary as when his company was seized the Confederate government appointed him superintendent of the Columbus Ironworks.
All was destroyed by the war’s end but GJG picked up and was integral to building a new Columbus Iron Works. In 1872 GJG was the General Director of the Iron Works, which ceased operations in 1965 but still exists today as part of the Columbus, Georgia Convention and Trade Center. The Iron Works were made a historical site in 1957 by the State of Georgia.
Another technology feat by GJG was to use the Iron Works to produce early large-scale refrigeration machines. In 1872 the Iron Works under GJG established an ice-making plant and by the early 1880s was one of only three companies to mass produce ice machines. The Iron Works machines used ammonia-absorption technology. These machines sold thoughout the USA, Canada and Latin America.
Origins / DNA Testing
Family histories disagree as to the parentage of George Jasper Golden (GJG). Recent YDNA testing appears to have resolved that, but no GJG descendant male Golden is known to have taken a YDNA test — which would confirm which set of parents are correct.
YDNA is different than Ancestry’s test, which is an atDNA test.
Ancestry’s test, as well as MyHeritage and 23andMe, can be converted without cost to show the YDNA within it.
I would be glad to assist you in converting your DNA if you need help: Bill Golden, Norfolk1956@gmail.com — please let me know your test results if your convert your DNA. Thanks! Am assisting other Golden families in researching this line.
Two sets of claimed parents in genealogies:
Parents / Set 1
William C. Golden Jr., 1809–1870
Johanna Gregg or Craig, 1816–1870
— If these are GJG’s parents then YDNA type should be R1b or R-M269 (or a related ‘R’ type), as William C Golden is descendant of William Golding and Elizabeth Foster. At least four male Golding/Golden YDNA tests have been done on this line.
Parents / Set 2
John C Golden, 1800–bef 1850
Priscilla Robinson, 1808–aft 1840
— If these are GJG’s parents then YDNA type should be ‘E-L117’ or ‘E-M35’ or ‘E1b1b1 (formerly E3b)’ , as per three YDNA tests for male Golden descendants of John C Golden and Priscilla Robinson.