5:3 - The Golding Family of Bermuda
Percival Golding, the Schoolmaster of Bermuda
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For the continued story of what happened to the children of Arthur Golding we must go to the ultimate authority about the Translator, Louis Thorne Golding who wrote a scholarly book about his famous ancestor called An Elizabethan Puritan. On page 145 of that book is recorded:
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To prove that PERCIVAL "The schoolmaster" was the son of Percival, son of Arthur the Translator, the following passage from ARTHUR GOLDING, An Elizabethan Puritan, p. 147-148 by Louis Thorn Golding:
""Of the two emigrant sons, Percival went to the colony of Bermuda about 1637 and was 'schoolmaster and reader' for more than forty years; the other, Gideon, had some years before gone to Barbadoes, where he became a wealthy sugar planter, but died leaving no children. Ephraim, the son of Bermuda Percival married Rebecca Gibbs in Barbadoes in 1687. The following year he went to America and settled in the town of Hempstead, Long Island in the Province of New York. he died in 1707, leaving a numerous family, whose descendants are now scattered throughout the United States and Canada."
The Golding family connection to the de Vere's is through Arthur "the translator" Golding:
HENRY and PERCIVAL GOLDING, sons of record for ARTHUR GOLDING, the Translator
This information is from ARTHUR GOLDING, An Elizabethan Puritan pp 145-148:
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"Henry and Percival are the only two of Arthur Golding's children of whom we have any record. Henry, as we have seen, remained in the country, but Percival went to London. No trace is to be had of the use of his father's works or name, except in the cases above mentioned. Percival, however, has gained a modest place by a performance of his own, which, on its face, is rather creditable. There is in the British Museum Harl. SS 4189 a handsome, illuminated manuscript account of the Vere family, written and signed by him. It is entitled The Arms, Honours, Matches and Issues of the Ancient and Illustrious Family of Vere, and so forth, gathered out of history records and other monuments of antiquity by Persivall Goulding'. This is apparently a somewhat syncopantic attempt to curry favor with a new head of the Vere family and possible successor to the title. In his dedication he goes on to say that this is not offered as 'a publicke worke to patronize, but as a testimony of particular affection, unto which boldness y cheife inducements were theis, ffirst the love and duty wch not I alone but many of my auncestors, as humble wellwishere have long borne to the most eminent branch I presume but rather my present would not prove ungrateful. Next myne owne ernest desire by some acceptable means to make myself knowne unto you, being a neare neighbour and though a stranger to yourself, yet heretofore well knowne and not a little beholding to your brother Mr. John Vere.'
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The recipient is merely addresses as "Sir". There is no further identification, but, by examining dates,, it is very clearly indicated that it was addressed to Sir Horace Vere. With the death of Edward Vere, the seventeenth Earl, in 1604, the title passed to his son Henry who died at the Siege of Breda in the spring of 1625. he had been wounded and sunstruck in an attempt to relieve the city. The English army, which took part in this operation, was then commanded by Sir Horace Vere, one of "The Fighting Veres". With the death of Henry, who left no children, his distant cousin Robert Vere succeeded to the title. As he was also childless, Sir Horace became the heir presumptive to the earldom. Partly for this reason, but principally because of his great military skill and the fact that he was the leading English general of his day, he was created Baron Vere of Tilbury, in July 1625. The Mr. John Vere referred to was the elder brother of Sir Horace Vere, who had spent his life at Kirby, about six miles from Belchamp St. Paul's. He had died in the spring of 1624 and had apparently been a friend and patron of Percival. When John died, Percival was left without any hold upon the Vere family, as Henry the eighteenth Earl, his second cousin had been brought up by his mother in London, out of touch with the Veres of Essex, because his father had sold the ancestral Castle of Hendingham. He was, at that time, with the English Army in the Netherlands. Therefore, when Herny also died without children, and Sir Horace Vere seemed likely to become possessor of the title and head of the family, Percival took this means, as he says, 'to make myself knowne unto you, being a neare neighbor.' Percival lived in the parish of St. Bartholomew the Great in London, in which parish Sir Horace had a house which he occupied when he was in the city. The fact that Percival uses the simple address "Sir" which was applicable to a knight but not to a baron, shows that this work was written before Sir Horace was created Baron, and probably after the death of Henry, that is between May 15 and July 25, 1625.
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Percival Golding's birth is recorded in England, Select Births and Christenings, 1538-1975 at Allhallows London Wall on 9 October 1579, father Arthur. Persival Golding also took over the task of managing his father's manuscripts and on page 138-139 of the same book the King's proclamation that gave Percival the son the right to publish his father's works is recorded:
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"Knowe yee that wee of our gratious favor towards such good and vertuous actions of our special grace meere mocion and certain knowledg have givin and graunted by their presentes for us our heires and Successors doe give and graunt full and free libertie licence privilege and authority to the said Thomas Wilson and PERCIVALL GOLDINGE sonne to the said AUTHURE GOLDINGE there and either of their executors administrators and Assignees. ..during the space of Seaven years nest ensueing the date hereof shall and may imprint and cuasue to be imprinted all and singular the aforesaid books mentioned, and the same soe imprinted shall and may from time to time utter, sell and putt to sale within this Realme or any other our dominions and full and free libertie and authority unto the said Percivall Goldinge..." (Golding, 1937)
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Thomas Wilson is given an equal share in this endeavor because as Keeper of the Records he apparently helped Arthur Golding with his work.
Louis Thorn Golding also said that William “the Clergyman” Golding and Percival Golding, a Schoolmaster in Bermuda were probably related but that each were of different lines of the Golding Family of England, Percival being the grandson of Arthur Golding and William being related to the Suffolk branch of the family. He only said “probably”, meaning the authoritative scholar on Arthur Golding closed the book on the subject on what happened to the line of William the Clergyman, he said it continued through William’s son John and flourished in New York. (Golding, 1937)
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Louis Thorn Golding also proved that Percival Golding of Bermuda was the son of the Percival Golding of London who was given permission by the King to publish his father Arthur’s translations. The most important conclusion that he made is who the only son named John was of William Golding the Clergyman who attended the Boston lecture. He was John Golding, who was born in Bermuda and later in life went to Huntington, New York where he left descendants. The direct family line of Arthur Golding, the Translator also continued in New York through the family of Ephraim Golding, son of Percival the Schoolmaster.
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To prove that PERCIVAL "The schoolmaster" was the son of Percival, son of Arthur the Translator, the following passage from ARTHUR GOLDING, An Elizabethan Puritan, p. 147-148 by Louis Thorn Golding:
“These references to HENRY and PERCIVAL Golding are the only records that have come down to us of ARTHUR'S CHILDREN. The family seems to have passed from the position of country gentlemen into that of tradesmen. Two of Percival's sons EMIGRATED TO THE NEW WORLD, and his GRANDSON, ALSO PERCIVAL, was a button seller in London who died in 1690 and was buried in the parish of St. Bartholomew the Great. OF THE TWO EMIGRANT SONS, PERCIVAL went to the colony of Bermuda about 1637 and was 'schoolmaster and reader' for more than forty years; the other, GIDEON, had some years before gone to Barbadoes, where he became a wealthy sugar planter, but died leaving no children. EPHRAIM, the son of BERMUDA PERCIVAL married REBECCA GIBBS in Barbadoes in 1687. The following year he went to America and settled in the town of Hempstead, Long Island in the Province of New York. He died in 1707 leaving a numerous family now scattered throughout the United States and Canada."
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Provided there were only two brothers, Percival and Gideon, and Gideon died childless, that leaves only Percival who left descendants who settled in New York. Gideon left a will that named some of his family, but there are several names that are left blank. (Golding, 1937, p. 147-148)
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Percival Golding the Schoolmaster
To begin with the Schoolmaster, Percival Golding was baptized August 31, 1608 at Holborn, St. Andrew's, London, England and he was a schoolmaster in Bermuda. He is mentioned in the will of his brother Gideon. William the Clergyman Golding actually predated him in Bermuda and his story is outlined in another section.
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Lefroy Vol 2 page 51 in a letter that confirms Percival Goulding was a pious teacher for school in the Devonshire Tribe. This extract is from a Proclamation by the Governor dated March 3, 1659.
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"Mr. Percival Goulding is now an Usher under Mr. Jonothan Burr, Teacher, and whoever will send their children unto him he will teach them English & Latin and write & cast accounts for nothing. Thus desiring every person in the Islands that desires their children to be trained up in knowledge and fear of the Lord to send their children unto them to be educated that we may leave a Generation behind us to praise and glorify the Lord when we are in the dust. In 1661 NORWOOD whom GOULDING had succeeded, was reinstated and the latter was given notice to provide another habitation for himself. About the same time Goulding's wife was presented at the Assizes on suspicion of adultery She was censured by the Counsellor, FRANCIS WATLINGTON of Devon. Tribe. In 1681 GOULDING is described as very old and unable to to execute his place as formerly so JAMES HILL is appointed assistant schoolmaster (Mercer, p. 78-79) () He was named co-executor of the will of Christopher Smith of Smiths Parish. Will dated 11 July 1667. Proved 19 Nov. 1668. Other executors were George Ball & son Thomas .(Mercer, p. 183) He witnesses 6 Jan. 1674 in Bermuda, the deed of Richard Apowen on his marriage to his second wife, Bridget Londsay (?). (Mercer, p. 3) He or his nephew applied for a ticket on the ship WHITE FOX for London, John Lee, Comm., March 20, 1678 (Hotten, 1874, p. 371) (Also a ticket in the ship CONCORD for London, James Strutt, May 6, 1679. (Hotten, p. 371)
Eight children were mentioned in his brother Gideon Golding’s will of 1686. Of this group, only Ephraim is known to have left descendants in New York.
i. Ephraim Golding - He died in Hempstead, Queen’s County, Long Island, New York, USA and sometime before July 12, 1707 he married Rebecca Gibbs at St. Michael’s, Bridgetown, Barbados.
ii. Dorothy Golding
iii. Eliza Golding
iv. Abraham Golding
v. William Golding - He died unmarried.
vi. ___ Golding
vii. ___ Golding
viii. ___ Golding
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The Golding family of Barbardos is familiar through the lineage of Percival Golding and his brother Ephraim.
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References
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Golding, L. T. (1937). An Elizabethan Puritan. New York, New York, USA: Richard R. Smith, publishers. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/elizabethanpurit00gold
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Hotten, J. C.-1. (1874). The original lists of persons of quality, emigrants, religious exiles, political rebels, serving men sold for a term of years, apprentices, children stolen, maidens pressed, and others, who went from Great Britain to the American plantations, 1600-1700. London, New York, Empire State Book Co. Retrieved from https://archive.org/details/originallistspe00hottgoog
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Mercer, J. E. (n.d.). Bermuda Settlers of the 17th Century. http://books.google.com/books?id=y_MRB6Ze1FUC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=captain+william+waylett&source=bl&ots=cG-pihbrLO&sig=DxP-oP7DBwo5_Iui_YEZxoqxrWM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=DzfHUdiEHO610QHxjYD4Aw&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=Golding&f=false.