Goold family papers

Collection

Identifier: Coll. 2996

Staff Only

Scope and Content note

This collection contains business and personal papers of the Goold family of Windham and Portland, Maine, from 1751-1946. Some larger items are included, such as tax ledgers, day books, pocket diaries and a broadside. The majority of the papers belong to Nathan Goold, born 1778, however the collection contains a much larger cast of characters, whose relationships are described in the Biographical note. Other families included in the collection are the Gowens and the Clarks, whose daughters married into the Goold clan.

Dates

Creation: 1751 - 1946

Creator

Access

Unrestricted

Copyright

Access to collections at Maine Historical Society is not an authorization to publish. Rights and reproduction requests may be submitted in writing to the MHS Image Services Coordinator or Research & Administrative Librarian, subject to format.

Biographical note

The Goold family of Windham and Portland, Maine. Listed here are the truncated biographies of Goold family members and relations featured in this collection.

Nobel family: Benjamin Goold (1749) married Phebe Nobel of New Milford, Connecticut, in 1775. Phebe's father, Nathan Nobel, was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was shot and killed by musket fire in 1777.

James Gowen (1753/1754-1822): Father of Betsy Gowen, second wife of Nathan Goold (1778).

Benjamin Goold (ca. 1749-ca. 1807): Patriarch of the Goold family. A farmer who settled in Windham, Me., in 1774. Served as Windham's tax assessor and collector. Many of his tax documents can be found in this collection. To distinguish Benjamin Goold from his son of the same name, he will be referred to in this collection as "Benjamin Goold (1749)."

Nathan Goold (1778-1823): A farmer, town selectman, justice of the peace, representative to the General Court of Massachusetts and Captain of the Military Company of Windham in 1812. Nathan married Miriam Swett in 1803, but she and one of their sons died a few years later. He remarried in 1807 to Betsy Gowen and they had three more children. Nathan Goold built a home for the family in Windham, which remained in Goold hands for many generations. He managed the estates of nearly every member of his family and these documents can be found in this collection. To distinguish Nathan Goold from his grandson of the same name, he will be referred to in this collection as "Nathan Goold (1778)."

Ezra Goold (1789-1818): Brother of Nathan Goold (1778). Ezra served as Constable and Deputy Sheriff of Windham. After his death, Nathan managed his estate. His receipts and papers are part of this collection.

Simeon Goold (1776-1835): Brother of Nathan Goold (1778). Born on the 4th of July, 1776.

Betsy Gowen Goold (1781-1866): Second wife of Nathan Goold (1778). Be cautioned that Nathan Goold also has a sister of the same name (spelled "Betsey") who may appear somewhere in this collection. She is not mentioned in this finding aid, with the exception of the following biography.

Ephraim Hodson (d. 1843): Brother-in-law of Nathan Goold (1778). Husband of Nathan Goold's sister, Betsey Goold Hodson. His estate papers, settled by Nathan Goold, can be found in this collection.

Benjamin Goold (1805-1863): Brother of Nathan Goold (1778). To distinguish Benjamin Goold from his father of the same name, he will be referred to in this collection as "Benjamin Goold (1805)."

Abner Goold (dates unknown): Brother of Nathan Goold (1778).

William Goold (1809-1890): Son of Nathan Goold (1778). After his father's death in 1823, William took an apprenticeship with Seth Clark, a Portland tailor. In 1834, he went into partnership with Clark and married his daughter Nabby Tukey Clark (1816-1897). They had eight children. William was an avid Maine historian and prominent member of the Maine Historical Society; the organization houses many of his books. He was also very active in local government and served for a time in the Maine House of Representatives.

Seth Clark (1783-1871): Father-in-law of William Goold. A tailor in Portland, Me., and father of Nabby Tukey Clark Goold. Served in the war of 1812.

Francis Clark Goold (1840-1924): Son of William Goold. Served in the Navy during the Civil War, on the USS Housatonic and volunteered for the night boat attack on Fort Sumter in 1863. After the war, he became a jeweler and a watchmaker. His patent for watch regulators can be found in this finding aid (Box 6/Folder 3).

Nathan Goold (1846-1914): Son of William Goold. Shared his father's love of Maine history and was also a prominent member of the Maine Historical Society. He became the Society's librarian in 1892. Nathan was born in Portland and married Elizabeth Giddings in 1871. They had no children.

Abba Goold Woolson (1838-1921): The compiler of this collection and daughter of William Goold, Abba shared her father's love of history and genealogy. She graduated valedictorian from the Woolson School for Girls in Portland and promptly married her principal, Moses Woolson. She became a teacher and, with her husband, found jobs in Ohio, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, and eventually became a prominent member of Boston society. She was frequently published and wrote many articles on the changing role of women in America.

Paul Goold (dates unknown): Nephew of Abba Goold Woolson, contributing illustrator for Life magazine.

Philip Goold (dates unknown): Son of Francis Goold.

Extent

2.75 Linear Feet (6 boxes + 1 oversized volume + 1 oversized file folder)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Provenance

Gift of Patricia Walbridge Ahlbrant, great-great-great granddaughter of William Goold, September 14, 2016. (acc. no. 2016.157).

In museum

Coffin plate for Betsey (Goold) Hodsdon, July 15, 1845

Processing note

This collection arrived without any significant order and, thus, has been reorganized chronologically for ease of research. Within chronological sorting, the papers are filed by generation and significance of each family member. Significance is determined by relevance to the collection and quantity of material provided within the collection. For instance, Nathan Goold (1778), whose papers are the largest part of this collection, will be filed before his older brother, Simeon Goold, born 1776, who only contributes a handful of documents to the overall collection.

Because the two Nathan Goolds are mentioned frequently within this finding aid, they will be distinguished by the inclusion of their birth year following their name. The senior Nathan Goold will be notated as "Nathan Goold (1778)," the junior as "Nathan Goold (1846)." The same will hold true for Benjamin Goold. The senior will be notated as "Benjamin Goold (1749)" and the junior as "Benjamin Goold (1805)."

The collection was compiled, by and large, by Abba Goold Woolson, granddaughter of Nathan Goold (1778). Many of Abba's notes can be found scribbled into the margins of family papers and, often, piles of papers were bound with a note from Abba, describing the documents within. Abba and her father, William Goold, not only shared a passion for Maine history and genealogy, but they also shared remarkably similar handwriting and both Goolds often wrote in pencil. I have done my best to sort out their papers - the majority are William's, with occasional commentary from Abba - but I caution the researcher to scrutinize any of William's papers for possible misplacement.

Box 6, Folders 5 and 6 contain newspaper clippings which should be photocopied at some point.