The Gould Family History

By Gerry P. Haines

The book starts in England in the 1500's and follows the family to America starting in Massachusetts and ending in
in Southwestern Wisconsin. During the 1800's many of the family came from Norway and Germany. Although farming was the primary occupation up to the 1900's, there were inventors, boat captains, and military officers.

You will find the personal chapters for Janet, Joe, and Jim to illustrate how different each of us perceive our lives while growing up. The emphasis of each viewed the world around them differently. Ada's personal story of teaching in a one-room school will give you insight into how a nineteen year old girl viewed a class of forty students. You will gain insight into the formation of the town of Blanchardville, Wisconsin where many of the family lived.

The quickest way to find information for an individual or their family would be to refer to the index. I tried to include every name in the index.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Aug 7, 2017
• ISBN: 9781543906660

Book preview

Index

INTRODUCTION:

Adamae Gould (always called Ada) was my mother-in-law and she lived a long life, passing away at 102. I started getting information from her when she turned ninety. I was able to conduct a number of information sessions over the next few years before her memory begin to fail. She grew up in a much different household than her husband, Norman Wahl Robb. They both grew up in the small town of Blanchardville, Wisconsin but their families were very different. While Norman’s family was more reserved and private, the Gould family was very public.

My earliest connection to the Gould’s begins in England in the fifteen hundreds with Richard Gould I. Most of the early information came from two sources, R. L. Gangwere and the books about Zaccheus Gould. I will try - to list resources to consult as I discuss the different families. Much of the information is available on Ancestry.com and Family Search websites. My research came from a variety of sources. I used the computer to access much of the information but I also visited all the Colonial States in their courthouses and libraries where the Gould’s lived and worked. A lot of searching was done in courthouses and libraries in the nearby counties of Blanchardville, Wisconsin plus the history section of the state historical collections in Madison, Wisconsin. I relied on interviews with the living relatives and worked with other researchers in North America who were working on parts of the Gould Family.

I have tried to include information about the present generations. You will find the chapters for Janet, Joe, and Jim illustrating how different each person from the same household remembers their life. I have tried to include information from the history of the areas to give you a better understanding of the times and places involved. There is a section showing the connection of the Gould’s and Robb’s to the Salem Witch Trials of 1692.

Marcy Gould invented a type of salve that made him known in the area and he spent his life producing and selling the salve which is still a secret recipe held by the family. He married Catherine Elizabeth Mill and it was her father, Henry, who helped establish the town of Blanchardville, Wisconsin. Henry E. Mill and Alvin Blanchard were the ones that developed the town and for many years they were the most prominent citizens.

Ada’s father, Walter Eugene Gould, had a dairy farm at the edge of town. He also was an auctioneer, played tuba in the clown band in town, and was the mayor for a number of years. He even tried running for state office once but lost the election. Walt was very popular in the Blanchardville area and known as Mr. Blanchardville. He was instrumental in the formation of Yellowstone Lake, which is now a state park. The family was very musical and all the siblings played a musical instrument and sang. Adamae and her sisters, Esther, and Annabelle sang at weddings and celebrations in the area. Ada’s older sister, Dora, became a housewife and passed away at an early age. Ada’s brother, Robert, became a farmer, her younger sister, Annabelle, went to beautician school while Esther and Ada became school teachers.

The Gould’s came to Wisconsin in the 1850’s, which was early in the area’s history. George Victor Gould came from upstate New York and settled in Lafayette County near Argyle, Wisconsin. He later moved to the Moscow and Blanchardville areas in Iowa and Lafayette Counties. The next two generations comprising Marcy Linus Gould and Walter Eugene Gould lived in Blanchardville. With the coming of the automobile the old system of most people marrying someone who lived within five miles of them changed. Within another generation the family members spread throughout the United States.

This book contains a lot of statistics and in spite of my best efforts there are probably mistakes in some of the data. I hope, if there are glitches, it will not be significant. Let me know if you question anything or find problems. You can reach me at 5964 Pelican Bay Blvd. #425, Naples, FL 34108 or [e-mail].

The names in Bold Type show the family descendent line.

Richard Gould I born 1530 in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Jane Weden in 1552 in Mundon, Hertfordshire, England. Children listed:

Richard Gould II born in 1553

Richard Gould II born 1553 in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Mary Colder in 1578 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Children:

Zaccheus Gould born in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England. He married Phebe Deacon in 1620. Children listed:

John Gould born 21 June 1633 in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Sarah Baker 14 October 1660 in Essex County, Massachusetts. Children:

Thomas Gould born 14 February 1666 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married Mercy Sumner 2 December 1700 and she died about 1728, they had children. He married Mary Dorman on 13 January 1728 in Topsfield, Massachusetts, they had no children. Children with Mercy:

Jacob Gould born 16 January 1703 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married Dorothy Goodridge 4 February 1730 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Children:

Jacob Gould, Jr. born 16 October 1737 in Worcester County, Lunenburg, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Hale on 13 June 1763 in Hillsborough County, New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Children:

Nathan Gould bom 23 February 1772 in Cheshire County, Rindge, New Hampshire. He married Susannah (unknown) about 1793 in Rutland County, Vermont. Children:

George Victor Gould born 25 April 1796 in Rutland County, Wallingford, Vermont married Virginia Brockway. Children:

Marcy Linus Gould born 3 August 1846 in New York married Catherine Elizabeth Mill 23 August 1874 in Iowa County, Wisconsin. Children:

Walter Eugene Gould born 6 August 1888 in Lafayette County, Blanchardville, Wisconsin married Anna Wallom 8 July 1909 in Blanchardville, Wisconsin. Children:

Adamae Gould born 14 July 1912 in Lafayette County, Blanchardville, Wisconsin married Norman Wahl Robb 10 June 1935 in Blanchardville, Wisconsin. Children:

Janet Mae Robb born 13 April 1938 in Sauk County, Spring Green, Wisconsin married Gerry Paul Haines 12 November 1960. Children:

FIRST GOULD GENERATIONS to 1800

Richard Gould I born 1530 in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Jane Weden in 1552 in Mundon, Hertfordshire, England. Children:

Richard died in 1604 and Henry in 1603. I was able to confirm the date of death for Richard from the Ancestry.com Millennium File.

The earliest mention of Gould is a record copied in Chauncy’s Historical Antiquities of Herfordshire. This was in the year 1235 and Thomas Gould signed the document, apparently as a trustee of the church. No direct connection between this Thomas Gould and the Zaccheus Gould Family of Bovington, Hemel, Hempstad, Herfordshire, England has been proven.

Richard Gould II born 1553 in Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Mary Colder in 1578 in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Children:

Richard’s parents are verified from the Millennium File which is a world file including the British Isles and Colonial America.

Zaccheus Gould born 1589 in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, England. He married Phebe Deacon in 1620 in Bovington, Hemel, Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England. Children:

Zaccheus immigrated to New England about 1638. A number of his relatives had settled in America previously. He settled in Weymouth, Massachusetts where he purchased land from his brother, Jeremy but moved to Lynn, Massachusetts in 1639 and owned a mill on the Saugus River. He also leased 300 acres of Salem Land and the Plain Farm. For the Salem Land the annual rent was 400 bu. of rye, 300 bu. of wheat, 200 bu. of barley, 8 oxen, 5 cows, 2 heifers, 4 calves and 2 mares. For the Plain Farm the rent was 160 pounds the first year and 200 pounds the next, to be paid in farm goods. Zaccheus was evidently quite wealthy.

By 1644 Zaccheus petitioned the court to have a section of Ipswich where he lived incorporated as a separate town which became Topsfield. The court agreed in 1650. We are referring to an area about ten miles north of Boston. It is ironic that the Puritans came to America to escape religious persecution and the first thing they did was establish the Puritan Church as the only church you could belong to. Zaccheus was a problem for the Puritan Church. He was fined for allowing Quakers to stay overnight at his home and for entertaining Baptists. At this time people were required to attend the Puritan Church and he was fined for not being there every Sunday. He then attended, sat with his back to the others and talked while the minister gave his sermon. Zaccheus died between March and November 1688 and was one of the largest land holders in the area with over 3000 acres. Information about the Goulds came from the book, The Family of Zaccheus Gould of Topsfield written in 1895 by Benjamin A. Gould. It has been digitized and is accessible through Google.

John Gould born 21 June 1633 in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, England. He married Sarah Baker 14 October 1660 in Essex County, Massachusetts. Children:

John led an interesting and exciting life. He was a prominent member of the Topsfield, Massachusetts community. He served fourteen consecutive years as selectman. He became a lieutenant in the Topsfield Company of militia. He created an iron works and operated it for a number of years. John had an altercation with their minister, Rev. Gilbert, who was known to have a drinking problem. A court case developed for assault and slander against Rev. Gilbert by John.

The new Royal Governor of Massachusetts, Andros, was an enemy of Johns and had him arrested for treason for making unfavorable statements about the King, James II. John was put in prison for a time. When the political turmoil changed things in England, the former governor, Bradstreet, demanded the present governor, Andros, resign. He refused and took refuge in the fort but was soon captured. The political winds had shifted, the Royal Governor Andros, ended up in prison and John was released.

Sarah passed away 20 January 1709 and John died 26 January 1710. Both are buried in Essex County, Topsfield, Massachusetts.

Thomas Gould born 14 February 1666 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married Mary Mercy Yates Sumner 2 December 1700 and they had children. He married Mary Dorman on 13 January 1728 in Topsfield, Massachusetts, they had no children. Children with Mercy:

Thomas did not marry until he was 34 years old. There are some sources which list a child, Abigail, born in 1695 which might have been a child of a previous marriage for either Thomas or Mary. It appears to me that Abigail was probably Mary’s child from an earlier marriage to a Sumner and took the name of Gould in the census reports.

Thomas was a weaver as was his brother, John. Thomas lived his entire life in Topsfield, passing away 29 June 1752 at age 86.

Jacob Gould born 16 January 1703 in Topsfield, Massachusetts. He married Dorothy Goodridge 4 February 1730 in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Children:

Jacob lived his life in Lunenburg. He was a prominent citizen and was a selectman, constable, and a Captain in the Militia. He died 16 July 1763 in Lunenburg and Dorothy passed away 23 March 1801 in Lunenburg.

Jacob Gould, Jr. born 16 October 1737 in Worcester County, Lunenburg, Massachusetts. He married Elizabeth Hale on 13 June 1763 in Hillsborough County, New Ipswich, New Hampshire. Children:

Jacob was active in the Revolutionary War. He served as Captain of Heaths Massachusetts Regiment in 1775. He was Captain of the 24th infantry for the Continental Army starting in 1776. He moved to Rindge, New Hampshire and was elected selectman in 1780. He moved to Grafton, Vermont in 1788. Jacob died 21 May 1801 in Grafton, Vermont. Elizabeth passed away 20 July 1812 in Grafton.

Nathan Gould born 23 February 1772 in Cheshire County, Rindge, New Hampshire. He married Susannah (unknown) about 1793 in Rutland County, Vermont. Children:

Nathan was living in Rutland County Vermont when he was married in 1793. He lived there with Savannah when the first five children were born but had moved to Hinesburg, Vermont before 1807 where Marcellus was born. He was listed in Hinesburg in the 1810 census but by 1820 he had moved to Madrid in St. Lawrence County, New York. I was unable to establish a place or date of death for Nathan or Savannah.

George Victor Gould was born April 25, 1796 in Rutland County, Wallingford, Vermont. He married Elizabeth Macomber Brockway in New York. They had five children:

George was born and grew up in Wallingford, Vermont. I found information showing George crossing from Canada to Vermont in 1918. That would indicate that George was in Canada and this matches with the fact that he married Virginia Brockway and she is listed as being born in Prescott, Ontario, Canada. I have been unable to find any other information about him until his marriage to Virginia. His birth shows up in the Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954 Database. His place of marriage is unknown but their first child was born in St. Lawrence County, New York in 1832. By the 1850 census they were living in Monroe County, Madrid, New York and they had five children. Virginia’s father, Joseph, was listed as a farmer living in Monroe County New York in the 1850 census also. There were no records of land ownership by George and Virginia in St. Lawrence County or Monroe County, New York. In the 1860 census he was a farmer in Lafayette County, Argyle, Wisconsin with a farm value of $800. In the 1870 census George lived in Blanchardville, Wisconsin still in Lafayette County. He was still listed as a farmer and his farm was valued at $1500. Marcy Linus was living with him and working on the farm. George died between 1880 and 1890. Elizabeth (known as Eliza) died 16 December 1893 in Ontario, Canada.

SECOND GOULD GENERATIONS

Elizabeth Gould (George) was born about 1832 in New York. She married William Clack 28 May 1855 in Moscow, Wisconsin. They had nine children.

The 1850 census lists Elizabeth with her family in Monroe County, Ogden, New York. She was the second wife of William Clack when married in 1855. Most of my information about Elizabeth came from Norma Clack. She has the Clack Family Bible and much of the information came from that. William and Elizabeth lived most of their married lives in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. William immigrated from England in 1847 with his first wife, Mary, and their three children. He was listed as a salesman of Pennsylvania maps. All three children soon died but they had two more, a daughter, Mary in 1847, and a son, William in 1849. Mary (the mother) died in 1849 and in 1855 William married Elizabeth Gould. William was listed as a Baptist Minister in the 1860 census, an auctioneer in the 1870 census and a farmer in the