Family Tree Maker's Genealogy Site: Genealogy Report: Descendants of Richard Golden

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Descendants of Richard Golden

Generation No. 1

1. RICHARD¹ GOLDEN was born Unknown in County Tyrone,Ulster,Ireland, and died October 15, 1796 in Scott County,TN. He married MARY FRANCIS(FRANKY) LOWE Bet. 1764 - 1767 in Ireland ?. She was born Unknown in Ireland, and died Aft. 1812 in Kentucky.

Notes for RICHARD GOLDEN:
The History of The Golden Family - (unpublished) being compiled by Rollin G Golden

The earliest ancestor of our branch of the Golden family that can be determined at this time is Richard Golden, who was from County Tyrone, Ireland.
Richard Golden was born around the year 1746 ( possibly earlier ) probably in or near the Parish of Ardstraw in the northwest portion of County Tyrone.
Recent info uncovered shows that a Solomon Golden was living in this area during the year of 1796. Although nothing is known of Richard's siblings or parents, there is a strong suspicion that this Solomon Golden was perhaps a brother ( or elderly father ).
At present, no other supporting evidence, such as land or will search, have been found to indicate the type of relationship between Richard and Solomon Golden.
During the 1760's many Irish tenants were being forced out of their homesteads due to high rents being asked by their landlords. It is felt that this situation and the articles that appeared in the newspapers offering land in the " Colonies " may have helped stear Richard towards America.
Ireland was a nation divided by politics and religion, a country that had suffered invasion after invasion>>>> the Celts, the Vikings, the Normans, and finally the English. Many attempts throughout the centuries to throw off the yoke of oppression by England have resulted in failure.
It has been determined that Richard Golden left Ireland and came to the American Colonies at least by the year 1767. Colonies like South Carolina and Georgia offered " free land " to the adventurers who were willing to make the 9-10 week voyage from England or Ireland. They would be granted so many acres of land depending on their marital status, number of children and willingness to clear the land and farm it for several years.
Several vessels sailed for America durind the period of 1764-1767. As reported by the " Belfast News Letter " the following ships sailed between belfast and Charleston, South Carolina; Prince of Wales - Belfast Pacquet - Nancy - Britannia - James & Mary - Admiral Hawke - Chichester.
Passengers had their food rationed in amounts that were not unequal to the amounts that prisoners in the jails were given. Lack of water & medical supplies combined with poor & non - existant sanitary conditions led to many immigrants dying before their voyage was completed.
According to family tradition, Richard first came to South Carolina, & after settling there for awhile went further south to Georgia.
Richard married a woman named " Franky Lowe ", perhaps a nickname for Mary Francis. It is undetermined at this time if thery were married in Ireland or if they married in the colonies.
Due to many other Golden families living in the Wilkes / Lincoln Co.,GA area, it is not possible to determine just where our Richard lived while there. Although census records indicate his children'
s birthplace as Georgia for the span of years 1767 to 1792, a possibility of South Carolina is also quite probable.
It should be pointed out by this author, that there are several characteristics that " seem " to be in relationship with the Golden/Golding families that I have tracked down. Most of the Goldens possess a head of black hair and blue or grey eyes. A most curious phenomenon that would link the members together of other branches of Goldens.
From info gathered over the past 20 yrs., it appeared that Richard and Franky Golden were the parents of at least 7 children,, 3 sons & 4 daughters. These children were born between the yrs. of 1767 & 1795.28 yrs. This would certainly indicate the distinct possibility of other unknown members of the family being born of whom we have no knowledge.
Information gleaned from the census records indicate that our Richard may have moved to the backwoods of the TN / NC border about 1792 / 93. The territory suspected of being their residence was once Washington Co.,NC and later at a brief time as the State of Franklin between 1788 and 1796.
According to family tradition, one of the last children born to Richard & Franky Golden, was born in Greene Co.,TN. It should be explained that at one time Greene Co.,TN took in the entire border North to South of Tn.
A letter was left for a Richard Golden at the Frankfort,KY Post Office and was reported in the Kentucky Gazette for Oct.15,1796. It refers to Richard Golden of Scott County.
The discovery of an unrelated lawsuit in Knox Co.,KY for the yr. of 1855 takes us back to TN with the following statement by a daughter of Richard's, " I ( Sarah Mackey ) was between 12 to 13 yrs. of age ( 1806-07) when I left Tennessee with my step-father and came to Knox County,KY.'
It is assumed that R ichard Golden had already died by this time. An old letter written by Dr. John J Golden, a great-grandson of Richard's, in 1895 states that Richard died many years ago in North Carolina. Could this have been the border of Washington Co.,NC?
Stephen Golden is listed on Sarah Mackey's marrieage licence as her father and Stephen was her brother.
Another connection in TN takes place in Knox County where a marriage of a Nancy Golden to a George McFarlabnd in 1801. This is another daughter of Richard & Franky.
Three yrs. before a Nancy Golding is married to a James Davis on 10-2-1798. Was this the widow or the daughter?
it appears this Nancy Golding and James Davis moved to Hopkins/Henderson Co's.,KY.

Children of RICHARD GOLDEN and MARY LOWE are:

2.	i.	STEPHEN² GOLDEN, b. Bet. 1766 - 1767, Wilkes County,Georgia; d. May 17, 1855, Knox County,KY.
	ii.	NANCY GOLDEN, b. 1771.
	iii.	EDMOND GOLDEN, b. February 02, 1778.
	iv.	THOMAS LOWE GOLDEN, b. 1789.
3.	v.	WINNIE GOLDEN, b. Abt. 1795, Greene County, TN; d. Aft. 1870, Knox County,KY.
	vi.	SARAH GOLDEN, b. April 14, 1794.
	vii.	BETSEY GOLDEN, b. 1792.

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