Notes – Godwin / Goodwin

Table of Contents

A Probable History of the Golden Family
of Newberry, South Carolina Since 1761
Updated 2025.07.05

 

Numerous DNA matches exist with the Godwin and Goodwin surnames present pre-1750 in the James River and Tidewater Virginia regions. This could include intermarriage within the Albemarle, Goochland and Louisa county areas.

Godwin / Godwyn: DNA match search indicates some level of shared DNA with living surnamed Godwin families of early Virginia. Most of the matching Godwin trees are insufficiently developed beyond several generations. However, several do reach back to early 1700s Virginia and clearly indicate a Nansemond, Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia area connection. One match includes a living Godwin family in Australia^[1]SGS: DNA2507052033 .

~~~ One line would appear to be my 9th grandparents, with DNA matches crossing two Golden lines that split before 1783: Thomas Godwin, 1640–1713, and Martha Bridger, 1644–1714.^[2]More research needs to be done on shared Golden DNA match liness other than my own to determine if Thomas Godwin, 1640–1713, and Martha Bridger, 1644–1714, may also be grandparents of our other … Continue reading

Goodwin: DNA match search indicates some level of shared DNA with living surnamed Goodwin families of early Virginia. The matching Goodwin trees are insufficiently developed to make sense of how our genealogies might mesh, other than ‘both from early Virginia’. One match even includes a living Goodwin family from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England.^[3]WDG: DNA2507050951

The individuals below may appear in your DNA matches. 

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Searches: MHJ 250705; SGS 250706

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TIMELINE

1640: 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.^[4]Matches exist with descendants of Nathanael Greene Golden (b1783) and Samuel Golden (b1770 SC). ^[5]AXG DNA match with Thomas Godwin (Bridger) line: DNA2403261624   ^[6]MHJ DNA match with Thomas Godwin (Bridger) line: DNA2507051614, DNA2507051631 (living Godwin-surname)

Thomas was married to Martha Bridger (Godwin), 1644–1710. DNA matches with our Goldens come from two of his son’s lines:^[7]AXG and WDG DNA matches; research has not started in earnest in looking at Godwins across Golden lines.
William Arthur Godwin (Pitt), 1679–1720, and James Godwin (Kinchen), 1695–1770.

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1748: John Goodwin born in the Newberry, South Carolina area in 1748; Died Apr 1809 Kershaw, South Carolina. Married to Ruth Elizabeth Linaweaver, B:1751 Newberry, Newberry, South Carolina; D:After 1791 Kershaw District, South Carolina. This DNA match could be due to sharing a granddaughter with the Kinard family, with the DNA match passing through the granddaughter: Luodicia Conwill, B:03 DEC 1801 Newberry, South Carolina; D:29 JUL 1884 Itawamba Co., Mississippi.

John’s father was Abraham Goodwin, claimed to have been born about 1715 Above Ninety Six Court House, Ninety Six District, South Carolina; passing in 1800 at Pickens, South Carolina. It is somewhat unlikely Abraham was born in this area. If so, Abraham was one of the earliest settlers in the area, with none known and named before 1730’s Robert Goudy.

— Above Ninety Six Court House may be a reference to the north side of the town of Ninety Six as it existed primarily to support a courthouse for the region. After the British abandoned and burned Ninety Six in the summer of 1781, the town was rebuilt and renamed as Cambridge in 1787.^[8]A History of Cambridge, South Carolina, J.D. Lewis https://www.carolana.com/SC/Towns/Cambridge_SC.html The current town of Ninety Six does not exactly sit where the original did. Per the town’s official history: “Ninety Six has a colorful history dating back to early colonial times when a settlement began at the 96th milepost from Keowee Indian village, on a trail used by traders with the Indians. A small store, run by Robert Goudy supplied traders with such items as rum, sugar, and gunpowder, is on record as existing as early as 1730.”^[9]Local History per Town of Ninety Six government: https://townofninetysix.sc.gov/local-history

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©2025 William Golden, Norfolk1956@gmail.com // Material may be shared without requesting permission and with appropriate attribution: A Probable History of the Golden Family of Newberry, South Carolina Since 1761, by William Golden