A General History of the Thomas Gouldman Family
of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia
Updated 2023.01.20
Table of Contents
The individuals below may appear in your DNA matches.
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TIMELINE
1770:
~~~ 1774: … James Edward “Edward” Gouldman, 1774–1855, married prior to 1809[1]No record for marriage date or place exists. with Almira L Thompson, 1790–1845. Four children: … James Edward Gouldman (Booker), 1809–1866, … Mary E Gouldman, 1810–, … Amanda A Gouldman, 1813–1875, and Martha Gouldman (Copman), 1825–after 1876 … After wife Almira passed away in 1845, James (age 76) moved to the Appomatox, Virginia area. In the July 1850 census, he has a farm with three slaves. Daughters Amanda Gouldman and Martha Gouldman (Copland, later Copeland) and three of her children are living with him.
………. Note: Members of this Gouldman family are DNA-tested (atDNA). Am myself a match with descendants of son James Edward Gouldman (Booker) … Descendants of this Gouldman family can be found in the 1950 census, living in the Bibb County, Georgia area: … James Gouldman, 1899–1990, married to Willie F. Brice, 1901–1992.
………. There may be a later mulatto daughter: Polly Gouldman, born c1832. Polly is living in the household of son James Edward Gouldman, 1809-1866. Both he and his father James Edward Gouldman Sr., 1774-1855 owned slaves. ‘Gouldman’ is a rare name. Polly did have a white father or grandfather, and she is designated as ‘mulatto’ in the 1870 census while living in the Gouldman household. Within the census, she is not marked as a child, just resident in the house with her role being ‘cook’.
~~~ 1785: … Neddy Gouldman, 1785 born in Caroline or Essex, Virginia … died at some time after 1826-1827 when his last child was born. There is no 1830. 1840 or 1850 census record for Neddy. Neddy married 29 Dec 1812 at Richmond and Essex, Virginia to Elizabeth (Betsy) Wright, 1790–1865. There are two known children: Eliza Gouldman, 1819–1892, and Theodore Gouldman, 1827–after 1857. Betsy appears in the 1850 census at Caroline, Virginia, listed as a pauper and living alone. She appears again at 1860 in living in Central Point, Caroline, Virginia, living with widowed daughter Eliza and her four children.
………. Parents: … Some genealogies claim that Neddy Gouldman’s parents were Frances Gouldman, 1770–1847, and Millicent “Millie or Milly” Hawes, 1769–1840. Both born in Essex County, Virginia, and passed away at Lincoln County, Georgia. As parents, this is unlikely. Both parents would have been just 14-15 years old at Neddy’s birth. Other children of Frances and Mille Gouldman were born in 1790 and afterward when the parents were age 20-21.
………. DNA Matches: I have DNA matches with descendants of Neddy Gouldman as well as two of Frances and Mille Gouldman‘s children: … Elizabeth Goldman nee Gouldman, 1791–1859, and Richard M. “Dick” Goldman nee Gouldman, 1808–1887.
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1800:
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1810:
~~~ 1812: … Riley Gouldman, born about 1812 in Indiana. Died after 1871 when last child born. Often confused in genealogies with Virginian Riley Gouldman, born 1812 and died in 1862 at Caroline County, Virginia.
………. Married 26 Jun 1837 at Daviess, Indiana to Ruth Ruminger, 1816–1860. Children: … Susannah (Susan) Gouldman (Henson), 1838–1868 … Daniel John Gouldman (NKS), 1841–aft. 1860 census … Frederick Polk Gouldman (NKS), 1844–aft. 1860 census … Jessee Gouldman (Lay), 1847–aft. 1870 when married … Rebecca Gouldman (Christenberry), 1849–bef. 1880 … Mary A (Maryann) Gouldman (Smith), 1850–1944 … Dolly / Daly Gouldman (Smith), 1850–1871 …
………. The widower Riley would next marry on 22 Jan 1867 at Martin County, Indiana to Lydia Rickets, . One known child born: … Louis R Gouldman, c1871-1959. You can find numerous descendants in the 1950 census living in the Terre Haute, Vigo, Indiana, area.
………. By mid-1860s, Gouldman had morphed into ‘Goolman‘ for several children with marriage records showing Goolman in records. Various records from 1812 onward use both Goldman and Gouldman.
1817: … James Gouldman, 1817–1862, and Martha Turner, 1816–1883. James was born in Caroline or Essex County, Virginia. Martha was born in Essex with her parents being John Turner, 1779–1822, and Nancy Ann Wright, 1782–1875, also of Caroline and Essex County.
………. It appears that both the Gouldmans and Turners had moved to Perry County, Alabama by 1842 where Sarah E Gouldman was born in 1842. The three prior Gouldman children were born in Virginia, the last being in 1840.
………. Of possible interest, Martha’s brother Mordecai Turner married Susan Dollins, b.1817, also of Virginia birth. This is of interest as only one other Dollins exists in my database: … Virginia S Dollins, 1832–1902, married Joseph Gouldman, 1826–1863. Joseph is one of the seven Gouldman children orphaned at Perry County, Alabama in 1842, a child of supposedly Robert Gouldman and Susan Parker. The children were made wards in 1842 under the guardianship of Samuel Parker, Susan’s brother. See 1842, Perry County Gouldman Orphans.
1820:
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1830:
~~~ 1830-1831: … George Franklin Gouldman, 1830–1931, born in Caroline County, Virginia, probably at Bowling Green where he lived his entire life. Married on 3 Nov 1857 to Mary Taliaferro Anderson, 1837–1924. Together they had 10 children, three boys and seven girls. There are no Gouldman family trees with a son named George that is unaccounted for.
~~~ 1834 May: … Archibald (Archie) Gouldman, born May 1834, or 1838, and married 1879 to Mary Jane Rice (Gouldman, Quesenberry), 1838–1929. Several genealogies claim that Archbald’s parents were William L and Elizabeth Gouldman ~~~ there is no known evidence for them as parents, or even for such couple named William and Elizabeth living in the King George, the Northern Neck of Virginia or Virginia in the years preceding or concurrent with Archibald’s life.
………. Archibald Gouldman‘s own life is well documented to include residences from 1860 onward, slave ownership (x2), CSA military service and post-war pension, taxes, and his 1879 marriage. Wife Mary Jane Rice had children by a prior marriage to William Payne Quesenberry, 1832–1869 … both sets of children raised together in Gouldman household. Wife Mary Jane Rice reverted to using the Quesenberry name after Archibald’s death, and daughter Lizzie appears to have gone by both Gouldman and Quesenberry.
1840:
~~~ 1842: … Gouldman Perry County, Alabama Orphans: … Seven children of Robert Gouldman, 1803–1838, and Nancy Ann Parker, 1801–1842, were made wards under the guardianship of mother Nancy’s brother Samuel Parker, 1798–1857.
………. The seven orphaned Gouldman children: … Frances A. Gouldman (male), 1820–aft. 1842 … Joseph Gouldman, 1826–1863 … William F. Gouldman Golden, 1831–1847 … Robert Gouldman, 1831–1875 … Charlotte Gouldman, 1832–1895 … George C. Gouldman, 1834–1853 … and Martha Gouldman, 1838–aft 1842.
………. Of interest is that Joseph Gouldman married Virginia S Dollins, 1832–1902. This is of interest as only one other Dollins exists in my database and ties into the James Gouldman, 1817–1862, and Martha Turner, 1816–1883, family who are also from Perry County, Alabama and is an orphaned line (Gouldman parents unknown). Martha Turner Gouldman‘s brother Mordecai Turner married Susan Dollins, b.1817, Virginia birth.
………. Some genealogies list Phoebe Snow, 1774–1860, as the mother of orphan Robert Gouldman. She did have a son named Robert, but he was born about 1816-1817. However, Phoebe and husband Thomas Gouldman, 1770–1816, did not have a son named James Gouldman.
……… See 1817: … James Gouldman, 1817–1862, and Martha Turner, 1816–1883.
1850:
~~~ 1852 Jan or 1855 Jan: … George Clinton Gouldman / Goldman, 1852–1929, married in 1883 [2]Year: 1900; Census Place: Election District 9, Baltimore City, Maryland; Roll: 607; Page: 16; Enumeration District: 0040; FHL microfilm: 1240607 to Catherine Elizabeth (Katie) Carlton, 1860–1929. George was born in Virginia and wife Catherine born in Maryland per 1900/1910/1920 census. [3]1900 census. Children, all born in Maryland in the Baltimore area: Elizabeth White Gouldman “Bessie” (b1886), Walter Leroy Gouldman (b1891), Carlton Bradley Gouldman (b1893), Earl Clinton Gouldman (b1895), Ethel Florence Gouldman (b1898), and Elmer Ernest Gouldman (b1900). … Note: No known DNA matches. Baltimore, Maryland Gouldmans often have association with King George County, Virginia. There are several George Gouldmans born in the 1850s in Virginia but all seem accounted for as to parentage, except for George Clinton Gouldman; could be a Goldman but did not see candidates for that family either.
1860:
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1870:
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1880:
~~~ 1889 Feb 28: … Born in Virginia on 28 Feb 1889, supposedly in King George County, Thomas Levin Gouldman passed away on 17 Feb 1980 in Montgomery, Missouri. His parents are unknown, although there are some bread crumbs to follow. Some genealogies suggest one of the two following sets of parents, although most genealogies and documentation offer no names:
~~~~~ Set 1 of parents: … John Oswald Gouldman (1850–1934) and Nancy Jane Trigger (1852–1927). They did have a son named Thomas born about 1890. Was at home with them in 1900 and 1910 census, but not 1920.
~~~~~ Set 2 of parents: … same father John Oswald Gouldman (1850–1934) and his first wife Ann Willis White (Gouldman) (1848–1891).
………. Whomever his parents were, Thomas Gouldman at no time makes reference to his parents, nor do any documents. Nor do the two set of parents above make any reference to him after he achieves age 21. Thomas of Shiloh, King George, Virginia (1900, 1910 census) disappears from Virginia.
………. By 1912, Thomas Gouldman born in Virginia per census records, is living Montgomery, Montgomery County, Missouri. He marries in the same year to Maggie Burt (Gouldman), 1884–1974, a local. His descendants were still living in the Montgomery County, Missouri area in 1950 census.
1890:
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1900:
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1950:
~~~ 1950 Apr 18: … James and Sadie Gouldman in census, sister and brother living at Henry, Hanover County, Virginia. Both listed as never married: Sadie Gouldman, c1891, and James E Gouldman, c1893. Their address is rural and described as: Beginning At Chickhomory Mer and Going North Cost On Right Side of 615.
………. There is a social security record for Sadie Goldman that gives dates of birth and death as 31 Dec 1891 – 2 Dec 1957. … Am thinking that these two Gouldmans may be Sallie Blanch Gouldman, 1889–1988, and James Edward “Eddie” Gouldman, 1891–1969. Neither ever married. Sallie and James’ parents were William Baynham Gouldman, 1848–1923, and Lillie Blanche / Belle / Bertland Casey, 1862–1946. After William Baynham died, Lillied lived at Henry, Hanover, Virginia from 1935 onward til her own death in 1946.
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©2023 William Golden, Norfolk1956@gmail.com // Material may be shared without requesting permission and with appropriate attribution: A General History of the Thomas Gouldman Family of Old Rappahannock County, Virginia, compiled by William Golden