Bartholomew Bartlett Goodman of Louisa County, Virginia

ca 1736 - 1799

French & Indian War land grants contain many references to Bartlett / Bartellot Goodman, some of which are in regards to his own claims, and others are his oath as to the service of others. In addition, land and other records in several Virginia and North Carolina counties provide evidence of his location in later years.

His name is recorded in several variations in the public records, and I have tried to retain the spelling that occurs in the applicable records. However, the most reliable documents, especially his will, seem to indicate that his full and correct name, and also the name of one of his sons, was actually Bartholomew Goodman, and that the Bartlett/Bartellot and other name variations were either "nicknames" for his given name, or possibly a middle name he used for many records.

See also this site for more on descendants of this family in Indiana: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/6718/goodman.html

Wife Tabitha Gibson and Her Family

Before describing some of Bartholomew/Bartlett Goodman's records, I will first describe some of the early Hanover and Louisa County and other Virginia records that appear to be related to the family of Tabitha Gibson, who I now believe to be his wife. Coincidentally (or not!), these Gibson and LeMay records seem to tie these families pretty closely with the Goodmans of early New Kent, Hanover and Louisa, and even later in Lunenburg, and also those later in Granville County, NC.

• September 22, 1716, O.S., p. 37 [new pagination p. 59; Chamberlayne p. 75]. In Obedience to an Order of new Kent County Court, dated ye 8,th day of march 1715, its ordered that Jeremiah Parker, have Frances Clark: Jno English, Jno Venable, Jno, Corley, Sam,l Sperring, W,m Webb, Paul Bunch's Quart,r Tho,s Wetherford, Gilbert Gibson, W,m Thacker, Stephen Raglin, & John Hart, with all their Male Tithables to assist him in Clearing a road from tony run downward to half sink road. This places Gilbert Gibson as a land owner in New Kent County before 1715, and before his 1719 grant on the Pamunkey River.
• Louisa Co., VA Deed Book A, pg. 31-33: Mar 14, 1742, Charles LeMay of Hanover County to Thomas Underwood of King William County, for 20 pounds, 100 acres in Hanover and Louisa Counties and bounded by the lands of Richard Richardson, William Borne and John McGurry, which said land was purchased by Peter Lemay deceased, father of the said Charles. The Dower of Sarah Lemay (nee: Sarah Turner) widow of the said Peter Lemay excepted. Wit: Abraham Venable, John Carr, and Richard Baxter. Mar 14, 1742 at a court held for Louisa Co., ordered to be recorded. (The location of this land, on the Hanover/Louisa border, places it very near the Goodman lands, also on that border. Charles Lemay continued to own land in that same area, per later St. Paul's Parish processionings, cited below,)
• Louisa County Road Orders, 9 Jan 1743 O.S., Page 89: "Ordered that the Lands from Gilbert Gibsons Mill creek up to Orange County line be added to Benjamin Johnson's precinct."; 27 May 1746 O.S., Page 190: "On the Petition of Gilbert Gibson to have a bridle way through Capt: Hollands Land; at Green Spring & Thomas Moremans Land, it is Ordered that John Smithson & Charles Moreman do view the same; and make report of their proceedings herein to the next Court."
• Charles Lemay, Sr., son of Pierre/Peter LeMay, born ca 1721, appears in the 1759 Processioning records for St. Paul's Parish, Hanover Co., VA, along with the Goodmans, Peaces, Masks and Usserys. He also appears on a 1763 Tax List as the owner of 510 acres located in Hanover Co., VA. He next appears in the Processioning Records in 1767 in the Precinct that is located in the vicinity of Matadequin Creek near the New Kent County line. In 1771, Charles Lemay does not appear but his son William Lemay appears in his place. In 1759 and 1767, St. Paul's Parish processioning, Precinct 24 in 1759, includes Charles LeMay adjacent to John Turner, and in the same precinct as Benjamin Goodman, with George Turner and Charles Turner on either side, and several Blackwells. This places him very near the same Blackwells and Turners who seem to have been closely related to Benjamin Goodman of New Kent / Hanover. In the 1771 processioning, this is precinct 5, with many of the same names, plus Anselm Bailey. More on the LeMay and related families.
• Charles Le May, Sr. was born ca. 1721 in VA, and died ca. 1767 in Hanover Co., VA. He married Susannah Turner in 1747 in New Kent Co., VA, daughter of John Turner. She was born June 17, 1721 in New Kent Co., VA, and died 1786 in Granville Co., NC.
• Edward Gibson, born ca 1688, was a brother of the Gilbert Gibson described below. He received a slave named Judy by his father's will. He left a 10 April 1727 Charles City County will, proved 7 June 1727, by which he left Israel Brown his carpenter's and cooper's tools, his slave Judy to his wife Anna Gibson, and named his daughters Rebecca Gibson and Tabitha Ellet (sic: Elliot). His wife was executor [DW 1724-31, 167-8].
• Israel Brown left a 22 August 1757 Lunenburg County will naming his wife Anne (Gibson?) Brown and daughter Lucy Cuttillo [Lu WB 2:21]. Israel Brown was an adjacent neighbor of Robert Goodman (previously of Hanover) in Lunenburg, and is likely also related to the Brown family of Bedford, with which Ansel Goodman is so closely associated in Bedford, in Boonesborough, and later in Russell County, KY. John Williams, a Goodman cousin by marriage of Benjamin Lewis Goodman to Maria Williams, was a partner in land speculation in Lunenberg County with Israel Brown.
• Gilbert Gibson Will dated 17 December 1756; Louisa County, Virginia Deed Books A-B 1742-1759 p. 140-142; Later Voided. Excerpt: "Gilbert Gibson, Sr. ...To Tabitha Gibson 100 acres of afsd. tract of land, 1 mare, 2 cows, 1 bed and furniture, 2 head sheep, 1 iron pott, 1 puter dish, 2 plates, 2 bsons, half doz. spoons, 1 table and chest; ... I give all my goods, chattels, personal household stuff, implements, lands and negroes and all other premises to sd. Gedion Gibson, Jordan Gibson, Tabitha Gibson, Mary Gibson and the child which shall be born....Memorandum: If it do please God I shall die in my Jurney from house to South Carolina or elsewhere, I shall appoint my wife my sole Executrix; if I return home, to be void till otherwise determined before the three witnesses. 22 February 1757 acknowledged by Gilbert Gibson.". Re: Full copies of these wills.
• Gilbert Gibson Will dated 7 June 1760, Rcd. 15 October 1764: Louisa County Will Book 1, page 78: Will of Gilbert Gibson, Planter. Synopsis: He gave all his estate to his wife Sarah during her lifetime and then divided the estate as follows: to (her son) John Lemay 200 acres on Ballanger's Creek in Albemarle County, to his sons Gideon and Jordan Gibson land on Pamunkey River (He was granted two patents for land in what was then New Kent County on 11 July 1719: one for 224 acres adjoining Stephen Sunter's patent and Captain Dangerfield's line and another for 125 acres adjoining John Macon and Matthew and Thomas Anderson.), to his son William Gibson land on South Anna River (he received a patent for 400 acres on both sides of the South Anna River on 28 September 1728 in Hanover County, 400 acres in Hanover County adjoining John Woodey on 28 January 1733, and 200 acres on both sides of Ballenger's Creek in Albemarle County on 20 August 1747 [Land Office Patents 10:437; 14:3; 15:146; 23:138].), to his sons Gilbert and David one shilling each, to daughters Tabitha, Mary, and Jane Gibson household items and farm animals, and lent to his son George Gibson and daughter Frances Gibson the land where they were then living during their lifetimes provided they paid ten shillings. Feeba Bunch was a witness to the will [WB 1:78]." (RG: The Pamunkey River spans Hanover and New Kent Counties, and into York County, where it joins with the York River. The South Anna River is a major tributary of the Pamunkey that spans the western part of Hanover and SE part of Louisa Counties. The locations of these lands documents this family's migration up the Pamunkey from New Kent through Hanover and Louisa to Albemarle, basically the same migration path as the Goodmans of New Kent and Hanover.)
• Albemarle County, VA, Will Book 2, p. 35, Account of Sales of estate of Gilbert Gibson, 13 July 1763. Includes mention of Bartlett Goodman as one of the purchasers. This estate sale in interesting due to some of its other parties. Gilbert Gibson's 2nd wife was Sarah Turner, believed to be a daughter of William Turner. They married about 1743 in Hanover County, VA. Sarah Turner's 1st husband was Pierre/Peter Le May, a French Huguenot emigrant, of Hanover County, VA. Their sons included Charles Le May, Sr, born ca 1722, John Le May, Sr., born ca 1721. A Samuel Le May born ca 1737 is also attributed by some researchers to Charles and Sarah, but he may have been a son of John or Charles.
• Louisa County Orders, Page 413, 12 September 1770: Benjamin and Frances Branham Complts. Vs. Jordan Gibson In Chancery: It is decreed the complts. has a right of fee simple in a parcel of land bounded by Peters Creek and Little Cr., the whole land between sd. Creeks but leave is given to the Infants of Gilbert Gibson, Dec'd., when they come of legal age to claim their right. (RG: Little Creek = Little River? If so, then this places it very near the Googman lands on the Little River.)
• Louisa County Deeds Book: E, Page: 94, Grantor: Jerdone (sic: Jordon) Gibson, Grantee: Robert Anderson Gent., Date: 13-May-1776: Jerdone Gibson of Trinity Par. Louisa County to Robert Anderson Gent. of same for £6 10 for 25 acres on Eastern side of Peters Creek known by the name of Goodmans Hill adj. Peters Creek, sd. Anderson and James Johnson. Sig. Jerdone Gibson. Wit. Jno. Watson, John Hoga, Thomas Johnson Shf. (RG: Was Goodman's Hill actually a small plantation owned by one of the Goodmans? It seems likely, and it also places the Gibsons and Goodmans in very close proximity in that part of Louisa County. Peter's Creek Road in present day Louisa County is located just off I-64, about 1/2 way between Richmond and Charlottesville, which also places it close to the Louisa/Albemarle County line.)

The Gibson family was supposedly of Melungeon and/or Indian ancestry, and is found in early Charles City, York, New Kent, Hanover and Louisa County VA records, where members of the family are listed as "mulatto" in some early tax records. Re: http://www.freeafricanamericans.com/Gibson_Gowen.htm. Tabitha and Gibson / "Gibby" were traditional Gibson family given names. Some of the Gibson family, including Gilbert Gibson, Jr, along with the Bunch and Goins families, also "Mulatto" and later called Melungeons, removed from Hanover and Louisa County VA about the same time to Granville County, NC, a more tolerant political environment, and some to South Carolina.

The Gilbert Gibson 1763 estate sale and other records cited above seem to identify Bartlett Goodman's wife as Tabitha Gibson, a daughter of Gilbert Gibson, probably by his 2nd wife, Sarah Turner (poss. dau. of William Turner? One of Turner's orphans?) whose 1st husband was Pierre (or Peter) Le May. Bartlett and Tabitha Goodman had a son, Gibson Goodman, b. ca 1764-68. If Bartlett and Tabitha had already married by 1763, and she was the daughter Tabitha named in Gilbert Gibson's wills, then to be sure, Bartlett would have gone to the funeral and estate sale, and may have purchased items that had sentimental value to his wife, and he would be more likely to name one of their sons Gibson Goodman. Still, just like marriages, attendance at an estate sale in one county does not necessarily mean that the person lived in that county. Louisa and Albemarle were adjacent counties, and Trinity Parish spanned the two counties at their borders, so it would be common for residents of one to show up in records of the other from time to time. Bartlett may have even lived in Albemarle for a time, if his wife's family was from there. But his primary residence, at least after he married Tabitha, was Louisa County.

From the Gilbert Gibson wills above, we see that Tabitha Gibson was considered to be of age to receive land and household items named in 1756, and was still being listed under her maiden name when the 1760 will was written. She was supposedly the 3rd born child of Gilbert and Sarah Gibson. If they married about 1745, 2 years after Pierre/Peter Lemay's death, Tabitha Gibson could have been born ca 1749, and she could have been Bartholomew/Bartlet Goodman's first and only wife, marrying in about 1764, very shortly after her father's estate was sold, and when she was but 15-16 years old. Based on their respective marriage dates in Bedford, and later census records, I estimate that son John born about 1766, son Gibson about 1768, daughter Sally about 1770, and Rhody about 1779. However, from other researchers and descendants, their son Bartholomew (Jr.), was born ca 1783, daughter Jane about 1786, and youngest sons William Wesley and Micajah 1790 and 1793 respectively. This is a 27 year span of child births. If the youngest was born ca 1793, and Tabitha born say about 1749, Tabitha would have been age 48 when the youngest sons were born. This is certainly not impossible, but highly unlikely in those early days. Once again, the date math and limits on ages of fertility, especially in those dangerous times, raises troubling questions of reasonableness.

Bartlett and Tabitha Goodman Records

• Ansolem (sic: Anselm) Clarkson, also of Louisa County, was a soldier in Capt. Sam Overton's Co. of Rangers in 1755 till legally discharged; served twice as a sergeant in said company in 1756 till properly discharged. Louisa County, Oct 11, 1779. While Bartlett Goodman was not in this same company, their common county origins seems to indicate that the Anselm name could have come into the Goodman lines from this source.
• The Goodmans of Louisa County could be connected to Capt. Sam Overton's family. An Overton Goodman married Mary Camp on 07 Feb 1785 in Goochland Co., VA. This Overton Goodman was therefore probably born before 1765, and his family probably lived in Louisa County at one time.
• Bartlett Goodman was a soldier in Capt. Throgmorton's Co. of Rangers until 1759 'till properly discharged, Louisa Co. Court, Feb 14, 1780. (Virginia Colonial Militia, 1651-1776, By William Armstrong Crozier, p. 21)
• Bartellot Goodman was a soldier in Capt. Thomas Bullet's Co. of Rangers in 1762, Louisa County Court Nov 8, 1779. (Virginia Colonial Militia, 1651-1776 By William Armstrong Crozier, p. 56) He assigned his 50 ac. grant to John Nelson, then to Charles Smith. Peter Clarkson was in Capt. Sam Overton's Co. of Rangers, and he also assigned his grant to Charles Smith.
• Bartellot Goodman lived in Louisa Co. as of 18 Nov 1779, when some of the Fr. & Indian War veteran's grants were recorded. Those grants may have been in what is now Campbell Co., at that time part of Bedford.
• "Old Home Places of Louisa County", a book published by the Louisa Co. Historical Society, and that I encountered while visiting their location at the Louisa County courthouse, describes that the "Fontaine/Michie House" was owned briefly by Bartellot and Tabitha Goodman (and others) before it was purchased in 1780 by John Michie.
• On 3 Apr 1784, VA Gazette (Richmond) publishes an article, wherein Thomas Johnson, Sheriff, advertises for sale at Louisa Co. courthouse, Bartellot Goodman's land to satisfy the tax thereon (VA Genealogist, v30, p. 108). He may have removed to Campbell Co. before this notice, and failed to pay taxes on some of the Louisa Co8unty lands he left behind.
• In Campbell Co., VA, June 1, 1786, Gibson Goodman married to Elizabeth Crawley, consent by John Crawley. Wit. John Goodman.
• In Campbell Co., VA, July 14, 1788, Cornelius Carver married to Sally Goodman, consent by Bartlett Goodman, father of the bride. Bond by Cornelius Carver and John Goodman
• In Campbell Co., VA, Oct 29, 1791, John Goodman married to Elizabeth Howeth, performed by James Kenney, entry also lists bride as Howette.
• In Bedford Co., VA, Jun. 30, 1794; Matthias Cane & Rhody Goodman, dau. of Bartlett who gives his permission; John Goodman, Surety.

Most of these children of Bartlett and Tabitha Goodman are not mentioned in his Iredell Co., NC will, probably because they had already been given lands and other property before Bartlett and Tabitha removed to NC, or were given dowry when they married, so only their younger who removed with them to NC were named in his will.

Conclusions and Surmises

If Bartlett was about 19-20 at the time of his initial French & Indian War service, then he was probably born about 1736/37, and may have been a son of Robert (b. ca. 1705) or Benjamin Goodman (b. ca. 1703) of Hanover / Louisa Co., who were the brothers of the elder Samuel Goodman mentioned previously as having owned land on the Hanover / Louisa Co. border. (These brothers mentioned in Vestry Book St. Paul's Parish, Hanover County VA, 1706-1786).

For the following, I have kept in mind correspondence and postings from other researchers that these Goodmans may still have been in Louisa County in 1790. However, this timing cannot be certain, as the 1790 Virginia census is not a true enumeration as of 1790, but is actually a reconstructed census, done in 1908, and taken from the earlier 1782, 1783, 1784, and 1785 VA State census and early tax records. Therefore, it can be determined that they were in those counties until 1784/5, but it can only be presumed that they may have been in the same counties as listed in those earlier enumerations.

The records clearly show that Bartlett Goodman was originally in Louisa County with wife Tabitha. From the Louisa Co. Sheriff's sale notice of April 1784, it appears that Bartlett and Tabitha Goodman may have removed from Louisa to Campbell County before or around that time, and that his name on the 1790 reconstructed federal census of Louisa Co. may have been a result of his earlier numeration in the 1782/83/84/85 VA census and various county tax lists. He was certainly in Campbell County before June 1, 1786, when son Gibson Goodman married to Elizabeth Crawley. He removed to Iredell County, NC some time after Oct 1795, when his last Campbell County land purchase is recorded, and before Dec 1798, when he sells his Campbell County lands to his presumed son John Goodman and others. According to several posts to GenWeb by other Goodman researchers, this is the Bartlett Bartholomew Goodman who died in Iredell Co., NC in 1799, and whose wife was Tabitha, and she then removed with some of their children first to Logan Co., KY, then some of them went to Knox Co., IN.

The John Goodman in the Campbell Co. records was in Campbell Co. before June 1, 1786, when he witnessed for marriage of his brother Gibson Goodman to Elizabeth Crawley. He married Elizabeth Howeth/Howette in Campbell Co. in 1791, and may have lived and worked on his father's lands until his own first land purchase in 1793, when he acquired 198 ac., from Ancil Rogers adjoining Bartlett Goodman's line. He apparently owned only those lands adjoining his father's in Campbell Co. as mentioned in those deeds, and none in Bedford Co., so was not the same John Goodman, brother of Ansel, who was in Bedford Co. and on its tax roll in 1787. By Sept 1802, he sells parcels of lands on Flint Stone Creek, and his wife was listed as Betsy. By April 1807, a John Goodman whose wife is listed as Lucy, sells another parcel on Ward's road.

Neither Bartlett or John Goodman appear in any earlier Bedford or Lunenburg Co. recorded deeds, so one could surmise that they came directly from Louisa to Campbell, and that Bartlett/Bartellot was very likely the French & Indian War veteran, b ca 1736/37, who received land granted in Louisa county for that service. The Ward's Road (now US29) Flat (Rock) Creek area of Campbell County that is described in the Bartlett and John Goodman deeds is shown on this map.

Bartlett Goodman's Will

Will Book 1799 page 104, Iredell County, North Carolina

In the name of God, Amen. The fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord, 1799, I Bartholomew Goodman of Iredell County State North Carolina, being very sick and weak in body, but perfect in mind and memory, thanks be given unto God for the same, and calling to mind the mortality of my body and knowing that it is appointed for all men once to die, do make and ordain this my Last Will and Testament, that is to say principally and first of all, I give and recommend my soul into the hands of God that gave all; and for my body I recommend it to the earth to be buried in a Christian like and decent manner, at the discretion of my Executor, nothing doubting, but at the general resurrection I shall receive the same again by the mighty power of God; and as touching such worldly estates, Wherewith it hath pleased God to bless me with in this life, I give, devise, and dispose of the same in manner and form following; that is to say
In the first place, I give and bequeath to Tabitha my Dearly beloved wife, the tract of land whereon I now live, with one bay horse, one gray mare, one cow and two yearling, one sow with four pigs, with all moveable property whatforever to me belonging during her widowhood, except one gun and all debt due to me, and after her widowhood to be given to my youngest sons, William Goodman and Micajah Goodman, except the land.
Also, I give to my well beloved Daughter Genny Goodman, one bed and furniture and one cow.
Also, I give to my well beloved son Bartholomew Goodman, one Larrel horse and one gun.
Also, the land before mentioned after her Widowhood to be sold and equally divided amongst all my children and
Also the debts before excepted to be collected and equally divided amongst my children as they become of age,
and I do hereby utterly disallow, revoke and disannul all and every other former Testaments, wills and legacies, bequests and executors, by me in any way before this time named willed and bequeathed notifying and confirming this and no other, to be my Last Will and Testament, in witnessed whereof I have here unto set my hand and seal, the day and year above Written.
I also appoint my beloved wife Tabitha and Thomas Moore to be my Executor.

(signed)Bartholomew Goodman