JOHN GOODRICH [#314], b. prob. Suffolk, England after 1611, d. Wethersfield, CT Apr 1680, m(1) abt. 1644 ELIZABETH ____, d. Wethersfield 5 Jul 1670, m(2) Mary (Foote) Stoddard, b. abt. 1623, d. before 1685. She m(3) Thomas Tracy, d. Norwich, CT 7 Nov 1685.
John Goodrich was the son of John Goodrich of Bury St. Edmunds in the county of Suffolk, England. John was left an orphan in 1632 as his father died in April of that year, his mother very shortly thereafter. His grand parents had died little more than a year earlier. The father's will was dated "fowerteenth daie of Aprill 1632" and mentions sons "William Gooderiche the elder William Gooderiche the younger John Gooderiche and Jeremie Gooderich". His wife Margerie was made executrix. John was obviously the eldest son as he received his father's house in Hessett. English law had it that the eldest son was to receive a double share of the estate. John was a minor at the time, therefore he was born after April 1611. The will was proved at Bury St. Edmunds May 16, 1632. "Thomas Chaplyn and Clement Chaplyn, two executors named in the said will, the Executrix named in the will, having died before taking up the burden of the execution of the said will".[1/1836]
The children were thus left to the guardianship of the Chaplins. It seems probable that Jeremy died soon after, and William the elder was admitted to Caius College, Cambridge in 1634. Clement Chaplin came alone to New England as on Nov. 23, 1635 he was one of nine men who were to rule the town affairs of Cambridge, MA. He last appears in Cambridge records April 4, 1636 so he probably followed Reverend Thomas Hooker, who went to Hartford, CT in 1636. Sometime before 1637 Clement was joined by his wife and two wards, John and William Goodrich. Clement Chaplin was always given the title of dignity, "Mr.", in the early records. He was a deputy and treasurer of the colony and was in Wethersfield, CT in 1642 and 1646. However, he and his wife returned to England shortly after 1646. He was Ruling Elder of the church in Wethersfield, and as he returned to England about the time of Cromwell, he may have been a non-conformist clergyman. Such is the story of how John Goodrich arrived at Wethersfield.[1/1867]
John married firstly about 1644 to Elizabeth, who died in childbed July 5, 1670 in Wethersfield. He married secondly, as her second husband, Mary (Foote) Stoddard. She married again after John's death to Lt. Thomas Tracy, who died in Norwich, CT Nov. 7, 1685, apparently after his wife's decease. After the death of Elizabeth, the children were taken to Sudbury, MA, which is indicative of a possible Sudbury connection with the mother's family.[1/1878]
John Goodrich recorded in Wethersfield March 16, 1644 a house and three acres of land. He later acquired more land there by purchases and grants from the town. At the time of his daughter's marriage (i.e. Mary) to Thomas Read, he conveyed some of this land to his son-in-law. In 1643 John Goodrich and Clement Chaplin were fined 40 shillings and five pounds respectively for signing a letter against the minister of Wethersfield.[1/186]
John's will was dated June 9, 1672 in which he mentioned his children: Elizabeth Rose, John, Mary, Hannah, Joseph, and Jonathan. The will was probated in Weathersfield April 23, 1680.[2/1:31011] In the division of the estate are mentioned Joseph Goodrich, Jonathan Goodrich, Daniel Rose, Thomas Reed, and Zachariah Maynard.[1/18990] Inventory of the estate was taken April 6, 1680 by Samuel Steele, John Wolcott, and Nathaniel Boreman and amounted to 651.10.0.[2/1:310]
For the English ancestry of John Goodrich, refer to the overseas ancestor section.
REF: [1] The Stevens-Miller Ancestry - Mary Holman, 1948
[2] Early Connecticut Probate Records - Charles Manwaring, 1906
Children:
1. Elizabeth, b. Wethersfield, CT 2 Nov 1645, m. abt. 1664 Daniel Rose 2. John, b. Wethersfield 8 Sep 1647, d. Wethersfield, CT May 1676, m. 25 Mar 1674 Mary Gibbs 3. Mary, b. Wethersfield, CT 15 Dec 1650, d. Sudbury, MA 2 Oct 1724, m. Sudbury 30 May 1677 Thomas Read, b. abt. 1653, d. after 1726 4. Joseph, b. Wethersfield 10 Jan 1653, d. 1680 5. Jonathan, b. Wethersfield 23 Oct 1657, d. young 6. Hannah, b. Wethersfield 3 Feb 1659, d. Sudbury 30 Jul 1719, m. 15 Jul 1678 Zachariah Maynard, b. Sudbury, MA 7 Jun 1647, d. Sudbury 11 Feb 1723-4 7. Jonathan, b. Wethersfield abt. 1665, m. 3 Dec 1691 Abigail Craft 8. A child, prob. died at birth with its mother 5 Jul 1670
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