The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia: A New Perspective on their Lives.

At the My Ancestors Found Family History Library Research Retreat, Nov 2007, a genealogist attending the event, brought a copy of The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia researched and written in 2003 by Phillip G. Goff and Roy L. Lockhart. She shared it with me and I took class time to read the book and examine the sources upon which it was based–newly used sources to unveil migration patterns, first settlement, accompanying family members, surprising kinship networks, and locations of records not yet searched.

My notes are scribbled on the pages of the syllabus–wherever I could find a white spot. So I am glad to have the chance to summarize what excited me about this book in a more orderly way.

Here are the research sources and records I noted:

Charles E. Hoye, “Early Land History of Garrett County [MD],” 10 Feb 1938, The Republican, Oakland Maryland newspaper.

________. The Hoyes of Maryland (Oakland MD: The Sincell Printing Company, 1942). Online at http://www.familytreemaker.com/glc/index.html, 20 May 2000.

John Turton Goff land grants, Augusta County VA on the Maryland Border, 1776-1818, Washington County MD and Allegany County MD, 1776-1789.

Thomas Theodore Goff Collection, New England Historic Genealogical Society. Includes a photograph of Salathiel Goff tombstone in West Virginia.

Commissioners for Adjusting Claims to Unpatented Lands in Monogalia, Yohogania, Ohio Counties, Scharf Collection, Maryland State Archives S-1005-2.

Deakin’s List of Settlers West of Fort Cumberland, Nov 1788, Maryland State Archives. Francis and William Deakins of Georgetown Maryland, surveyed these lots for Revolutionary War Service, The Deakins were born in Bladensburg, Prince George County Maryland, sons of William Deakins Sr., and Tabitha Marbury Hoye.

Allegany Regional Ancestors, Volume 6 (1997): James Parsons, Captain of Militia Company, Lord Dunmore’s War.

Hu Maxwell’s History of Tucker County West Virginia, 1884.

Willis DeHaas, History of Early Settlement and Indian Wars of West Virginia, Embracing an Account of the Various Expeditions in the West…

Migration patterns:

Moorefield, Hampshire County, Virginia about 1769 to Loudon County Virginia, 1770-1774 to Cheat River, Augusta County Virginia [Old West Augusta].

Christ Church Parish, Calvert County Maryland to Cheat River, Augusta County VA

Romney and Winchester Payrolls, 1775, Accession 39, Misc Reel 78, State Government Records Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond VA 23219.

“Dunmore’s Expedition,” http://www.lva.lib.va.us/ 10 Feb 2001.

State Government Collection, Accession 34894, misc reel 1263, Library of Virginia: 1782 tax lists for Monogalia, Hampshire, and Randolph Counties.

I plan to order The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia: A New Perspective on Their Lives. 2003. Available from Phillip G. Goff, 310 Cotton Field Way, Alpharetta GA 30022-8282 or Roy L. Lockhart, 4215 18th Ave., Parkersburg WV 26101-6908. Printed by Masthof Press, 219 Mill Road, Morgantown PA 19543-9516.

Because I do a lot of research in this triangle, and I am trying to trace a very hard-to-find ancestor who lived in these very locales at the same time period, this research sources and records list is invaluable to me. I’ve already checked an unbelievable number of references on two research trips to that area for that purpose.

And if you have research in this crossroads area, you might benefit from the list too! Your favorite genealogist, Arlene Eakle http://www.arleneeakle.com

PS This issue is important enough that I am posting it on both of my blogs today. Seeing all these sources gave me a new perspective on the genealogy research I do. You already know that there are more sources than we will live long enough to search. And this a good example of it: the collections and accessions referenced by Goff and Lockhart require deep searching in archive inventories. And careful checking of each document the folders. Some of the records are microfilmed, so they can be examined at your leisure. Most of them, however, must be searched on site at the archives or library where they are deposited. This is a time-consuming and often costly process.

PPS If you have research of this type and you can’t take the time to visit the archives and libraries across the country–sign-up for our annual genealogy research trips and let me do it for you. I go to Maryland and Virginia and West Virginia and Pennsylvania and North Carolina and South Carolina on a regular basis to search stuff that is not conveniently available in Salt Lake City, as vast as the FHL holdings are.

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