Samuel Godard

Samuel Godard

of

Marshall Co., VA and Red Willow Co., NE

PARENTS: Jared Nelson Goddard and Martha Garner

BIRTH-DEATH-BURIAL: Born on 13 Jan 1830 in Fish Creek, Marshall Co., VA. Died on 30 Jul 1901 in Red Willow Co., NE [probably in, or near, McCook]. Buried at McCook, Red Willow Co., NE in Memorial Park Cemetery.
(Furnished by Richard E. Henthorn)

NAME: He explains in his genealogy letter, below, that from a young man, he dropped one "d" from his surname, while his six sons choose to use the Goddard surname.
(Furnished by Richard E. Henthorn)

NAME-CONFLICT: Judge Samuel Goddard [Spelled with the double "dd." Note also, that his first name wasn't "Judge," that's a title.]
(Source: FindAGrave)

CENSUS: #223 Marshall Co 1850
Goddard, Samuel 20 VA, Martha 42 VA, Joshua 18 VA, Mary 13 VA, Rachel 7 VA, Patterson 5 VA
[Note: Martha Goddard was living with her son.  REH]

SPOUSE: Eliza A. Fair, Married in 1852.

RESEARCHER: Denver C. Yoho writes:  Samuel Goddard of California submitted a large history of the Goddard and related families on 13 Nov 1899 when he was 69 years of age. His history has been a great help in researching these families. He probably made these records long after he left Virginia and errors have been found in them.

HISTORY:  THE SAMUEL GODARD LETTER
The following brief history is the memories and relationship of myself, Samuel Godard with the Yoho, Garner, Baker, Goddard, Fair, and many other families.

I was born January 13, 1830 on Fish Creek, three miles above its mouth, in Marshall County, Virginia, now West Virginia.

I wish to state that I was personally acquainted with Henry Yoho, herein mentioned, as I boarded at his home three months while going to school when I was about 10 years old.

The old gentleman would tell me Indian stories, till I was afraid to look out of the window.  One story in particular I wish to relate here.

When he was an especial associate of Louis Wetzel, Adam Poe, Simon Gerty [probably spelled, Girty], and other Indian fighters, and had their headquarters at Fort Wheeling, where the city of Wheeling now stands.

He and five other Indian scouts or hunters started from the fort one morning and rode down to Grave Creek, or Moundsville as it is now called, on a hunt for Indians.  They hunted all day and on their return in the evening about 3 or 4 miles above Moundsville, they were attacked by about a dozen Indians.

The man that was riding in front was shot down, and Henry Yoho was next riding a black mare which was shot through the neck and fell with its rider and falling on his foot, held him fast till the Indians got within ten steps of him, the other four men having fled.

All at once, his horse rallied and sprang to her feet and saved her rider.  As the mare rose, several tomahawks flew past Yoho's head, but he escaped unhurt. The old gentleman told many other Indian stories too numerous to mention.

Henry Yoho --- my great-grandfather on my mother's side, was born about 1765.  Raised one son and six daughters, namely---
George Yoho who married Jane Hartley
Polly Yoho who married Joshua Garner (he being my grandfather, on my mother's side.) (and of English descent)
Rachel Yoho who married James Buchanan
Elizabeth Yoho who married James Brown
Rebecca Yoho who married Nicholas Gatts
Nancy Yoho who married Frank Wykert
Margaret Yoho who married David Twible.

Said Henry Yoho had a brother named Peter Yoho and the two brothers married sisters by the name of Baker---
Henry Yoho married Catherine Baker
Peter Yoho married Margaret Baker.

Peter and Margaret Yoho raised six sons, namely---
John Yoho who married don't know
Henry Yoho who married Miss Buchanan
Louis Yoho who married Miss Cooper
Isaac Yoho who married Miss Mason
William Yoho who married don't know
Jacob Yoho who married don't know.

[The above is from page one. Old Samuel Godard then relates the names of many families in the area and then ends with the following words about the Yohos. Written by Richard E. Henthorn.]

[Note: The following is from Page 8, the last page of the letter.  Written by Richard E. Henthorn]
Now whereas my name appears in this history and all of my other business Godard and all the others Goddard except my brother Joshua is this.

When we were young men, there were three Joshua Goddards that spelled their names all alike and so to make a distinction between them and us, we dropped one of the middle d's out and have so signed our names ever since. Nevertheless, my six sons have adopted the old style of spelling the name, but I shall continue to sign my name short one d the balance of my days.

Now as regards the nationality of the Goddard family---would say--from the best information I can gather from all sources, the name Goddard originated in France and the Goddard people emigrated to England and from there to America and settled, I think, in Eastern PA until the days of John Goddard, my great grandfather, who settled in Western, PA, Greene County, as before stated.

In conclusion, I wish to say with reference to the Yoho family, that I have never heard, in all my life - reading or otherwise, the name of Yoho applied to anyone, except in the person of Henry and Peter Yoho, as before mentioned or their descendants.  I think they were of PA German descent.

They settled in an early day on the Ohio River or Fish Creek near the mouth, in Marshall Co., VA, now WV. and most of their posterity have stayed in the same county ever since.

As a rule the Yoho family was industrious good people and rather inclined to be non-migratory.

From the facts that I have understood, there were seventy-two (72) Yoho voters [who] voted in one precinct, twelve miles square, on the same day, in said county.

Respectfully submitted to whom it may concern.

This 13th day of November, 1899.
                                signed    Samuel Godard
(Source: The Samuel Goddard piece was furnished to Richard E. Henthorn by Hugh L. Yoho.  There is also a typed copy of the letter by Linda Goddard Stout, dated December 27, 1982, where she stated, "Typed word for word from copy of original letter." A copy of that extraction was shared by Bev Baker on the Wetzel County, WV page of Facebook on 6 Feb 2016.)

BURIAL-NAME: Judge Samuel Goddard
(Source: FindAGrave)

FINDAGRAVE: Memorial# 81535074
7 February 2016