Goldthwaite Genealogy ---=---.::c==-=-: ==================== DESCENDANTS OF THOMAS GOLDTHWAITE AN EARLY SETTLER Of SALEM, MASS. \\'!Tll SOME ACCOUNT OF T!IE GOLDTHWAITE FAMILY IN ENGLAND Jj'llttlltrntrl.J COMl'ILFn ANIJ l'IJ111.ISl1Fn By CHARLOTTE GOLDTHWAITE Compiler of the Boardmnn li-enenlo~y 11,artforb }l'mili : THE CASE, LoCK\\'OOD & BRAINARD CoMP.\NY 1899 GOLDTHvVAITE GENEALOGY The GOLDTHWAITE GENEALOGY is now ready for delivery, and will be forwarded to subscribers on receipt of the subscription price, $5.oc per copy, with postage (20 cents), if sent hy mail. - - The <~cnealogT treats of the family of Thomas Gold­ thwaite, an early settler of Salem, Mass., and ancestor of all of this name in America. The following is a list of its contents: IntrOlluction. History of the Work - Wide Distribution of Family-Sources n( Information -- Different Records Exntnined - Correspondence with Descendants-Centers of Familr Residence Visitcd--Rccords Prc~ervc<l in Fainilies -Tradition: Separation of the Trtte from Falsc--Thc 'l'rne Often Corroborated by Conten1pora.ry Records­ Impnrtant Clue~ to Lines of Descent thus Obtained - Instances G ivcn - Errors in Records Generally Authentic -The name Gold• thwaite- Various Spellings --Different Forms Used in the Fatnily - • Reasons fur and ng-ainst Use of Final i!-Chnnge from Original Form in Many Nan.H'S -Ooldlhwaitc Remains ns u;arliest Found­ Varic<l Pronunciations - Its Ag-e ancl AdYantnges as a 8urname­ Lilllits of its llnme during- First Century in New Englnnd-Natnes St1(•cessively Bortle hy First Home-Acknowled~ntents for Assist­ ance - lllH~trations -Contrih11tio11s towards Pnblicatinn. The (;oldthwaitc Family in England. lt:-. N:t1t1l' a Proqf of thl' Cott11lry ancl Parlknlar Region of its Origin -1.krh·ation and ).leaning- of //m•,tilt.' --Sig-nilicanee 0f its Prelix1.•s-Other Names of Like Termination-Are Namcs1 First of Places, thence of Owner or Inhabitant -Such Places Once in Ex.ist­ ence - In 11any Cases Now Lost Sight of -- Can Place Called Gold­ thwaite now be F'onn<l ?-Search for it in English Records- Its Final Di~covery- - Name Preserved in that of Ancient Manor House --llul;o <le Goldthwaite1 1.347~ Earliest of the Name Found -Signifi­ cance of Prefix. Gc,ld- Station of the Family~- Discoveries Corrobo• rn.tecl by Other Autltoritie~ -·- Ancient Record~ of Goldthwnites - Sotnc Connected with Fountains Abhey-Histi)ry of Region about Anl'ient Home -- Distin,g-uishctl Person~ Originat in_g in that Rc~h,n ·- Appearance at Pn•!-i011t nay -Ahstraets of Ancient Family \\Tills - - ( lra,·cynnl Inseriptinm:.. Thomas (;o]dthw:litc of Salem anc1 his Descendants. Appendix. 1. Goldthwaite Record Left by John Goldthwaite of llam·ers, hnrn 1771. 2. Account of the Roston Fatnily Gi\~cn hy Miss Hannah llolc.l­ thwnite Gowen, born 1774. Index I, Christian Names of Goldthwaites. Index II, Other Names than Goldthwaite. The book contains about four lrnndred and twenty large, well-filled pages, in substantial binding. The printing has been done in the best manner, in clear, good-sized type, and . on good paper. About 2,600 named descendants are given, brought clown to the tenth generation from the emigrant ancestor. The illustrations consist of views of places in England connected with the family, and of reproductions of portraits of some of its early members, among them those (painted by Copley) of Ezekiel Goldthwaite, Town Clerk of Boston and Register of Deeds for SulTolk County, 1740 to 1 776; of Col. Thomas Goldthwaite, Commandant of Fort Pownal, Mc., 1763-1775; of :Major Joseph Goldthwaite, Lieu­ tenant-Colonel in the French and Indian \Var, and Commis­ sary of the British troops in Boston, 1768-1776 ; and of Eliz­ abeth Goldthwaite, wife, in succession, of Rev. Alexander Cummings and of Rev. John Bacon, ministers uf the Old South Church, Boston, between q63 anc1 1776. As the edition is a small one, only 250 (numbered) copies having been printed, it will be for the advantage of subscrib­ ers, as well as a convenience to the Publisher, that orders should be sent as promptly as may be. Address the Com­ piler and Publisher, MISS CHARLOTTE GOLDTHWAITE, HARTFORD, CONN. CONTENTS. Introduction, I-IO History of the W urk - W itle Distribution of Family -Sources of Information - Different Records Examined- Correspondence with Descendants-Centers of Family Residence Visited-Records Preserved in Families - Tradition: Separation of the True from False -The True Often Corroborated by Contemporary Records - Important Clues to Lines of Descent thus Obtained-Instances Given-Errors in Records Generally Authentic-The name Gold­ thwaite-Various Spellings-Different Forms Used in the Family -- Reasons for and against Use of Final e-Change from Original Form in Many Names-Goldthwaite Remains as Earliest Fonnd­ Varicd Pronunciations-Its Age nnd Advnntnges n~a Surnnme­ Li1nits of its Hotne During First Century in Ne,v England- Names Successively Borne by First Home-Acknowledgments for Assist­ ance - 1!1ustrations-Contributions towards Publication. The Goldthwaite Family in England, 11-34 Its Name a Proof of the Cottntry and Partienlar Region of its Origin - Derivation and Meaning of tltwaite-Significance of Its Prefixes-Other Names of Like Termination-Are Names, First of Places, thence of Owner or Inhabitant -Such Places Once in Exist­ ence - In Many Cases Now Lost Sight of - Can Place Called Gold­ thwaite now be Found?-Search for It in English Records - Its Final Discovery- Name Preserved in that of Ancient Manor House -Hugo de Goldthwaite, r347, Earliest of the Name Found-Signifi­ cance of Prefix Gold-Station of the Family-Discoveries Corrobo­ rated by Other Authorities-Ancient Records of Goldthwaites­ Some Connected with Fountains Abbey- History of Region about Andent Home - Distingttished Persons Originating In that Reirion -Appearance at Present Day -Abstracts of Ancient Family Wills - Graveyard Inscriptions. Thomas Goldthwaite of Salem and his Descendants, 37-344 Additions and Corrections, 345 Appendix, 351-355 ,. Goldthwaite Record Left by John Goldthwaite of Danvers, born r771. ,. Account of the Boston Family Given by Miss Hannah Gold­ thwaite Gowen, born 1774. Index I, Christian Names of Goldthwaites, 357 Index II, Other Names than Goldthwaite, 37° LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. GoWTHWAITE IIALL, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND, Facing Page I I PORTRAIT OF EzRKIEL GOLDTHWAITE OF BosTON, PORTRAIT OF COL. THOMAS GOLDTHWAITE, RF.SlnENCF. OF COi.. TIJOMAS GOl.llTIIWAlTF., \VAL­ TllAMSl'lll\', EN<;LAND, l\IAJOR JoSEPH GoLDTIIWAlTE, UNFINISIIED PORTRAIT nv Coru:v, 121 PORTRAIT 01' MRS. ELIZAilETH GOLDTHWAITE BACON, PORTRAIT OF LIEUT. ERASTUS GOLDTHWAITE, 158 PORTRAIT OF JoNATIIAN HALE GOLDTHWAITE, 224 PORTRAIT OF WILLIAM COLTON GOLDTHWAITE, 230 GOLDTHWAITE GENEALOGY. INTRODUCTION. Fifteen years ago, having then first become interested in the study of genealogy, I began, and have since at every opportunity continued, the collection of the records which are the foundation of this history of the Goldthwaite family. For a considerable part of this period the object of research was always a double one, including both my father's and mother's families, until, in 1890- 1891, a series of fortunate discoveries in England regarding the latter family led to the compiling and publishing of its genealogy - Boardman, 1895 - since which time I have been steadily engaged in completing in the same way what has come to seem a' similar duty, owed to the family of my father. The thorough preparation of a family genealogy, with its sub­ sequent publication, is no brief task. The time required for col­ lecting and afterwards compiling material extends through years, to which succeeds the need of providing for expenses of publica­ tion, often a cause of long delay, or even, in many cases, of final abandonment of the undertaking ; while, last of all, are the months required for the important business of seeing such a work carefully through the press, a process never admitting of haste. To an earnest student of family history such a work will never seem fully completed. So many are the deficiencies of records, which it is always hoped in some way yet to overcome, and so numerous are the sources, so far unknown or inaccessible, from which further information may still be possible, that the historian can never be sure, even after the most extended research, that new facts of importance to the work may not yet come to light, and against such hesitates to close the record. It has been said that "the most laborious historian is pretty sure to be superseded within thirty years by the mere accumulation of new material." While this is probably to a large degree true in the wider field of general history, it cannot be equally so in the more limited one of the family historian. This is forbidden by the nature of the records on which he must rely. They are, for the most part, those of the town, church, county, or colony, or such as have been kept in individual families, either in writing, or in the recollections of their oldest living members. Such records furnish informa- ( 1) 2 GOLDTHWAITE GENEALOGY tion, the least of all likely to be found superseded. The genealo­ gist, therefore, who, realizing that his work must sooner or later be brought to an end, endeavors to state as facts only what can thus be proved, well considering, in the light of an exhaustive study of his family, what, in the absence of records, must be to some extent conjecture, giving it as such, with his reasons, may with reasonable confidence present his work to his family, leaving it for those who come after to make such additions as the future may reveal. It is with such considerations that the compiler of this family history now offers the results of her work. While dis­ claiming all pretentious to its entire freedom from error, it can be said that no effort has been spared to make it as accurate as the circumstances have allowed.