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The residence of my paternal grandfather (Joshua McGeough)
is supposed to have been in or near the city of Dublin, since,
in his letters is named some locality "Summer Hill"
and "Drumsill". (Whether these were Postoffices, Villages
or Estates is not known) [Summer Hill and Drumsill are the names
of estates in County Armagh]. He was among those who in Ireland
was called "great men". That is possessed of real Estate
&c.
.jpg)
Rear of Drumsill House, County Armagh, Ireland (Courtesy of Sean Barden)
[other views of Drumsill]
His first wifes name was Susan Pierce, their son John (my
father) was born June 7th 1769--after they were divorced, he
married again--who he married is not known--their children were
one son Walter & two daughters, the younger of these was
named Ann--the name of the other not known. It is not known whether
there were more than these three of the second marriage. He died
(my Grandfather [Joshua McGeough]) about the year 1817 or 1818.
My father dropped the "Mac" and omitted the "e"
and always spelled his name "Goffe" as is usual in
America (except the "e") while in the old country it
is spelled "Gough".
My Grandmother [Susan Pierce] married a second time a Mr.
English (his first name not known) by whom she had four sons
Michal, Thomas, Pierce, & William--and it is thought--one
daughter Mary; who married a Mr. Deane & had two children
(see middle of old ac't. book). Perhaps there were other children
besides Mary, of that I do not know.
I suppose Mr. English died in Ireland before their emigration
to America, in the year 1801--as we hear nothing more of him--and
these four sons above named, became seafaring men, & their
history is not known
March 24th 1885{ }Joshua G. Goff
2) History continued
My maternal Grandfather was a farmer living at the South end
of the Lough Neagh at the east side of the river Bann; where
it flows into [the] Lough (Lake)--County Armagh Ireland--His
wife was a McKinney (first name not known). His name was John
Gregston. They had four children, Jane, Frances, William &
Anthony (not so certain about the last name it may have been
Johnson) which was oldest or youngest is not known, there being
no record of birth or death. These sons both died while young--Frances
became the wife of Thomas Wethereal. The family came to America
in the year 1819. She (my Aunt Frances) died while crossing the
ocean. The family were scattered & their history is not known
further than that. Jacob (son of Thomas & Frances Wethereal)
lived with his Uncle & Aunt, Hugh Turkington & Mary Ann
his wife (formerly Mary Ann Gregston) & one daughter (Margret)
who became the wife of Stephen Wright in Allegheny County, Pa.
The above named Jane Gregston became the wife of John Goffe
(my father) possibly in the year 1796, he being then 27 years
of age, & she 26 (No date of marriage among all these relations).
Their children were William born Nov 9th 1797, Mercy (2) &
Mary Ann (3), both died in infancy (date of birth or death not
known) Frances (4)--July 23rd 1802--John Eustace (5)--March 29th
1804, Joshua Gregston (6) (the present writer) April 7th 1806--Alexander
Lucious (7)--Jan 8th 1809--Kinney Herbert (8), Feb 16th 1811--and
Philo (9), June 8th 1813.
Grandfather (John Gregston) after Grandmothers [? McKinney]
death married again (name not known) and they had seven children--Ellen--Henry--Mary
Ann-- Solomon--Francis--Thomas & Hannah in the order of age
here given. It is said that Ellen married & went to Scotland--Mary
Ann, wife of Hugh Turkington (above mentioned) came with her
husband & her single brother Francis to Canada where I saw
them in 1826. The further history of Grandfathers second family
is not known. John Gregston died March 25th 1804.
(3) History continued
June 1st 1801 Father & Mother [John and Jane Goffe] embarked
for America on board the good ship Albicore. Captain Courtney
accompanied by his Mother & his half brother & sister.
Brother William (being then in his fourth year) & sister
Mercy, was all the children then (my sister Mary Ann having died
in Ireland some time previous). John & Mariah Wilkinson (cousins
to Mother) were on board. Mariah afterward married Ebenezer Mayo
[*](a seafaring man) who lived on the western bank of the Penobscot
River--town of Frankfort, Hancock Co.-- Dist of Maine [Maine
was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state in 1820, and so was
not a state when John and Jane Goffe arrived there]. The
port whence they sailed not known but suppose Belfast or Newry.
There were 466 souls on board. Set sail June 1st--landed near
the City of Boston Mass. July 28th 1801, a voyage of 58 days.
A great deal of sickness on board. My infant sister Mercy died
& was laid in a chest with empty bottles corked so that it
would float, & committed to the ocean. An item in a newspaper
informed them some fishermen took up the chest & learning
by the name, date etc inscribed on the lid
4) History continued
they had it decently interred in a grave yard.
The whole family in short time went Northward, and settled
in the aforesaid locality of Frankfort etc, where they lived
for the next 16 years. (Father paid 65 guineas for passage for
himself & family on the Albicore & found their own provisions.)---
Father bought a farm in said locality one mile North of the village
of Frankfort, and six miles South of the village of Hampden.
The sellers name not recollected {Samuel Bartlett (see abstract
of deed on record)}. The title was thought to be deficient or
defective on account of some former claimant, so that the place
was not saleable. We started to move an overland route--himself,
wife & family on the 1st day of Oct & arrived in Pittsburg
Dec 4th 1817, 65 days on the way.
In Feb, 1819 Father went to Ireland to look after a Legacy
of one thousand pounds deposited in Bank to be drawn by Father
[John Goffe] after Grandfathers [Joshua McGeough] death. After
good deal of delay & litigation he got the said Legacy and
arrived in Pittsburg in Sep. after an absence of seven months.
My father John Goffe died in Sewickly Alleg. Co. Pa. May 11th
1837, aged 68 yrs. Jane his wife (nee Gregston) died in Sewickly
Jan 13th 1850 aged 80 yrs.
(5) History continued
Children of John & Jane Goffe (nee Gregston) continued
William Goff born in Ireland Nov.
9th 1797. William Goff married May 24th 1823, to Nancy
Swindles of Pittsburg. William Goff died Aug 7th 1842. Nancy
his wife died Nov. 14th 1824. He [William Goff] married second
time to Miss Sarah Ann Brandon who died
Apr. 18th 1882.
Mary Ann & Mercy
Goff, both died in infancy, Mary Ann in Ireland & Mercy
while on the ocean.
Frances Goff born July 23rd 1802
married to John R. Garrison March 25th
1825, died Feb 5th 1879.
John E[ustace]. Goff born Mar. 29th
1804 married Miss Sarah Jane Wright
July 31st 1828 died Jan 7th 1890.
Joshua Gregston Goff, born April
7th 1806 married Miss Deborah Wilkinson
near Blairsville Pa Nov. 22nd 1832 died Jan 10th 1890 aged 83
y's & 9 months. Deborah born July 23rd 1812 died Mar. 16th
1885.
Alexander L[ucius]. Goff born Jan
8th 1809 married Miss Mary Rodenbaugh
Apr. 1st 1830 who died Sep 14th 1833. Alexander L. Goff married
second time Miss Mary Swier Nov 17th
1842. Alexander L. Goff died July 5th 1879 aged 70 yrs 6 months.
Mary his widow died July 11th 1902.
(6) Their children continued
Kinney H[erbert]. Goff born Feb
16th 1811 married Miss Sophia Hugo
Oct. 8th 1835 who died July 25th 1843. He married again Miss
Margret Keepers Mar. 7th 1844. Kinney
H. Goff, died Aug. 29th 1876 aged over 65 yrs. His widow Margret
died Jan. 24th 1879.
Philo Goff born June 9th 1813 married
Prudence Marie Brown of Pittsburg Nov.
2nd 1830. Philo Goff died Apr. 15th 1859 [1853] aged 39 ys 10
mon. [and 6 days]. His widow Prudence died Apr. 17th 1876 aged
63 ys & 7 months.
(The original of this record goes down to the third &
fourth generation; but I suppose the above will be all that is
necessary for your purpose)
Mrs. Lucy T. Bayard
NOTES:
* Ebenezer Mayo apparently lived the rest of his life at Frankfort,
Maine, dying there 8 October 1873 at the age of 85 years, 9 months.
His wife Maria(h) Wilkinson died at Frankfort, Maine on 19 June
1871, aged 92 years. Ebenezer and Mariah are buried in Lowe Cemetery,
Frankfort, Waldo County, Maine.
1. Numbers in parentheses ( ) indicate page numbers of the
original handwritten document.
2. Comments in parentheses ( ) come directly from the original.
3. Comments in square brackets [ ] were added by Timothy D.
Evans.
4. Comment in curly braces {} on original page 4 (transcript
page 2) was taken from penciled notes to an old transcription.
5. This transcript was made by Timothy D. Evans in 1991 from
the original handwritten copy by Lucy T. Bayard and from a previous
transcript made and corrected in pencil by someone unknown (possibly
Emma Goff). The handwritten copy
by Lucy T. Bayard and the original transcript are now (1997)
in the possession of Timothy D. Evans.
6. My thanks to Sean Barden for the picture of Drumsill House,
and to Willard Carroll, who passed on the picture to me.
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