I research all Goldens, and similar names, whose family lines are believed to have settled in North America before 1800. Am in search of my Goldens — but find it quicker to collect them all and then to sort them out. As of mid-2018, I also research Gouldman and Keeling families that originated in Virginia prior to 1800.
Our Goulden/Golden line appears to have descended from the Keeling line that settled in Virginia, closely related to George Keeling (c1650 VA – 1720 NC) and Edward Keeling (c1640 EN/VA – 1697 VA). Our Gouldens may also have been Gouldmans briefly between 1660-1710/20 when the Goulden name was first recorded in the Rappahanock, Virginia area. My belief is that the Gouldmans also descend from Keelings.
So while I may not be related to your Goldens or Gouldings or Gouldens or …. I do want to know about them, and may be able to help find new information about them.
Best regards,
William “Bill” Golden
Norfolk1956@gmail.com
Pre-1761 Origin of Goldens of Newberry, South Carolina: Virginia
A Probable History of the Golden Family of Newberry, South Carolina Since 1761 Updated 2025.12.08 The individuals below may appear in your DNA matches. ~~~~~~ Origin of our Golden family immediately pre-1760 settlement in Newberry, South Carolina was probably in the Albemarle and Goochland area outside of Richmond, Virginia by 1720 at the latest. … Read more
Thomas Golden (Patriarch), of Newberry, South Carolina, born before 1735
Our family story begins about 1760 in Newberry, South Carolina with a farmer by the name of Thomas Goulden or Thomas Golden.
Thomas Golden was born before 1741 based upon him being nominated for a land grant in 1762, which should have required him to be age 21+ at that time. If presumed son William was born about 1750 and possible daughter Elender Golden was born about 1745 then Thomas would have probably been born before 1725, or thereabouts at the latest. Where Thomas was born is unknown.
An Approximate History of our Golden Family
Collected notes on the family of Thomas Golden who settled at Newberry, South Carolina by 1761, if not a year or two earlier. Wife’s and children’s names are unknown … but DNA creates a path back in time as to Thomas’s origins and family associations. Multiple males branches descending from Thomas Golden are yDNA Y700 tested.
Notes – Godwin / Goodwin
Thomas Godwin (Bridger), born c1640 at New Kent, New Kent, Virginia; Death 27 May 1713-1714 at Suffolk, Nansemond, Virginia. Multiple DNA matches link two lines of our Goldens with Thomas Godwin’s descendants, which are themselves named Godwin. DNA matches exist with male descendants of Nathanael Greene Golden (b1783) and Samuel Golden (b1770 SC).
Ship ‘Seven Sisters’, a regular visitor to Virginia in mid-1600s
A Christopher Goold supposedly sailed on the Seven Sisters in the 1650s. Am in search of this ship, its travels, and passenger lists in the hope to confirm if Christopher Goold could be Christopher Goulding.
Christopher and Thomas Goulding / Golden / Goalden of Christchurch, Middlesex, Virginia before 1670
Christopher Goulding is documented in 1656 Virginia Archive record as being the first cousin of the recently deceased Henry Edwards who travelled from Barbados above the ship Dove … and arrived dead. This page also documents my experience using artificial intelligence (A.I.) as a genealogy tool.
Arriving in America – 1607 to 1699
GoldenGenealogy.com — Family history and genealogy for surnames of Golden, Golding, Goulding, Goldman, Gouldman, Goleman, Golman, Golmon and other similar families arriving in America and the Carribean.
Ancestry DNA: Possible Golden or Golding kin? Can help search through it.
Goldens, Keelings, Gouldmans and others that may be kin: Taken a DNA test but NOT sure how to make sense of it? Would be glad to take a look and see what matches I can find.
Notes – Gore/Goare and Goldens
Our William and Nellie Golden descendant branches from 1770-1790 all share DNA matches with Goare, aka Gore, family of Middlesex County, Virginia, and Prince Georges County, Maryland. These DNA matches can include living Gores — the Goare name appears to have disappeared from use by the Revolutionary War.{[(|fnote_stt|)]}There are several Kentucky lines of 1820s and 1830s that annotate Gore as being Goar.
Green Golden and F.W. Golden charged for conspiracy in the killing of the Governor of Kentucky
The governor-elect of the Commonwealth of Kentucky was gunned down on January 30th, 1900 while walking to his inauguration. Governor-elect William Goebel lived to take the oath of office but died four days later on February 3nd. Goebel is the only governor in American history to have been killed while in office. Two Goldens were charged among many others with conspiracy to kill the Democrat governor-elect.