William Moody Golden, born before 1792 SC, death 1831 Bibb, Alabama

Table of Contents

A Probable History of the Golden Family
of Newberry, South Carolina Since 1761
Updated 2025.09.05

The individuals below may appear in your DNA matches.  

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PROFILE

• Parents:  Unknown. Some unsourced genealogies indicate that his parents were Richard Golding 1759–aft.1850? and Ann Walton 1778–aft.1850?… they were Virginia born and  may have lived out their life in Davie County, North Carolina.William Moody Golden (WMG) was mostly likely South Carolina born. Richard and Ann Walton Golding married 3 May 1798 at Orange, Virginia. Their son Richard Golding was born the following year in 1799 at Orange, Virginia so we know they were in Virginia and not in South Carolina when WMG would have already been at least 6-7 years old at the time of their 1798 marriage.
• DNA Tested?
  ~~~ No known descendants are yDNA tested.
  ~~~ Yes. One or more descendants are DNA (atDNA) tested. atDNA matches exist with our Goldens in the lines of AXG, CAG, WDG.
• Birth: Probably before 1792. Where born is unknown, however it is very unlikely that he was born in Virginia. See discussion below in timeline for 1792.
• Death: Before 12 Nov 1834 when a probate claim was signed at Bibb County, Alabama. We know this probate to be William Moody Golden’s because it appoints Nicholas Lagrone as administrator. It is unclear what the exact relationship of Nicolas Lagrone was, however William Moody Golden wife was Sarah Mary Elizabeth (Elizabeth) Lagrone.
• Children:
  ~~~ Yes, there were approximately eight to nine children. All were daughters except for one son.^[1]Children of William Moody Golden and Sarah Mary Elizabeth (Elizabeth) Lagrone can be found at https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/173427102/person/142504465429/facts
• Military: No known military service. Probably served in local district militia. Was not of age to require military service in any active war during his lifetime.
• Working Notes: Yes.
• A Last Will and Testament and/or Probate documentation exists: Yes^[2]A probate claim for 12 Nov 1834 is filed Bibb County, Alabama with the original still existing. ESee estate Files (Bibb County, Alabama), 1815-1924; Index, 1815-1916; Author: Alabama. Probate Judge … Continue reading
• Relationship WDGolden: Unknown. DNA matches with descendants. 

TIMELINE 

1792 or before — When and where born? Unknown. Circumstances: William Moody Golden‘s (WMG) wife was Mary Elizabeth (Elizabeth) Lagrone, born c1791 at Newberry SC.

• • 1809:  An unsourced claim is that WMG had a daughter born c1805-1809 at Newberry SC: Abigail Golden^[3]Abigail Golden, c1809–1873), was married to Edward John Giddens, 1805–1873. There is some concern as to whether Abigail was a Golden or was herself a Geddings / Giddings. Was she a real person or … Continue reading. WMG would/should have been born before 1790 to have a daughter born in 1805; 1785 would be even more appropriate for WMG’s birth year.
  • 1812: Daughter Orrena / Irena Golden born 1812 in South Carolina, no specific location claimed. She married 25 Dec 1833 Perry, Alabama, to John Goldin aka Gooden and Goodwin; most records are under the Goodwin name. Multiple atDNA matches with this lineage across three separate of our Golden branches that split before or about time of the Civil War. WMG would have been born before 1793 (age 19 if ’93) to have a daughter born 1812.
  • 1815-1831: There were other children born to WMG but their birth provide less circumstantial evidence for when he may have been born. Those children are:
    Epsey Golden (Butler), 1815–1890
    Sarah “Sally” Golden (Colburn, Downey), 1819–1906
    Mary Helen “Polly” Golden, 1823–??? DAC?
    Nancy Golden (Nichols), 1825–1889
    Jacob Logan Golden (Crews), 1827–1877
    Martha Golden, 1829–
    Elizabeth “Betsy” Golden, 1831–1895
  • Parents of WMG are unknown. Some unsourced genealogies claim that WMG’s parents were  Richard Golding 1759–1822 and Ann Walton 1778–aft.1850 … both Virginia born from the Hanover, Virginia area; both may have left Virginia and moved  to North Carolina where there is a Richard and Ann Golding in the 1850 census for Davie, North Carolina.William Moody Golden was very likely a child raised in the Newberry, South Carolina area as he met his wife there and was having children there by 1809-1812. Richard and Ann Walton Golding / Golden married 3 May 1798 at Orange, Virginia. Their son Richard Golding was born the following year in 1799 at Orange, Virginia. There is no way they had a son born before 1793, five or more years before they married, with the son being raised in South Carolina. As for census records, the 1810 census for Orange County, Virginia was burned in the War of 1812. Richard and Ann Golding of Orange, Virginia do not show up in any census records except for 1850s Davie County, North Carolina.

1832: William Moody Golden passed away. His death would create some 40+ document pages regarding his estate management in the Bibb County court system.

1834 12 Nov: Probate for the estate of William Moody Golden completed at Bibb County, Alabama. We know this probate to be William Moody Golden’s because it designated Nicholas Lagrone as administrator.  Nicolas Lagrone (Harrison) was the paternal 1st cousin to Mary Elizabeth (Elizabeth) LaGrone (Arendall, Golden), wife of William Moody Golden.

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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, compiled by William Golden