Weston-super-Mare & District Family History Society

GOULD


Surname:	GOULD
Parish:	Weston-super-Mare
Place/Region:	SOM Somerset
Period	1700-1799
	1800-1899

Comments ..

Submitted by Pat Hase on Fri, 12/07/2019 - 9:08

Are you connected with William & Hannah GOULD who lived in the High Street in the early 19th C? Their portraits are included in the "Weston Worthies" collection - as is that of Ann or Nancy BURGE nee GOULD.

Submitted by Pat Hase on Fri, 12/07/2019 - 21:14

My error - William GOULD is not included in the Weston Worthies - he died before they were painted - but he is mentioned in Ernest Baker's Historical Notes about the Village of Weston published in 1928. Ernest interviewed elderly residents in the late 19th c and recorded their memories. Apparently, William GOULD had a wooden leg and kept geese which he plucked alive to sell the feathers. The original Weston Worthies (40 paintings) belong to Weston Museum but are currently at the Somerset Archives in Taunton. His wife Hannah GOULD is a Weston Worthy.

Submitted by Pat Hase on Sun, 14/07/2019 - 11:16

During the Free Help Session at Weston Library yesterday one of the volunteers found a family tree for William GOULD 1757-1822 amongst Brian Austin's Family Trees. It suggests that because William GOULD was the occupier of land between 1800-1813 which had previously been occupied by Joseph GOULD that there might be a relationship there. Brian also suggests that this might have been a Joseph GOULD of Kewstoke who died abt 1796.

Submitted by on Tue, 16/07/2019 - 11:34

Many thanks, Pat, and also Brian. This is very interesting. I have approached Honey L-J on Ancestry.co.uk, as you suggested, and await a reply from her about why, in the apparent absence of a baptism record for this William Gould, she believes (according to her public tree) that Joseph Gould (1732-96) and Susannah Gould (née Light) were his parents. The logic may be that because the population of W-s-M in the mid-18th century was fewer than 100 people and as Joseph and William were the named parents of various Gould boys and girls who were baptised in W-s-M at that time, then they must surely also have been the parents of William Gould! I have also sought a copy of William's will (proven in 1822) which may give some details about his siblings.I saw my friend, John Gould, yesterday to present my research so far and he was overjoyed. He and his sister will be coming to meet me next week so I can answer any questions they have as they know nothing about the fantastic hobby of genealogy. I haven't told them that I will have more information to give them - thanks to you! - including a photo of the picture of William's wife, Hannah.Peter

Submitted by Robin Iles on Tue, 16/07/2019 - 23:17

I am a descendent of William and Hannah Gould, through their son William and grand-daughter Ellen. I have a photocopy of William's Will of 1822 in which he leaves his fishing rights at Bearn Back [sic], along with'all my Nets, Rods and Fishing Materials thereto belonging' to his son William. John Gould of Milton, brother of the elder William is named a trustee in the Will. John himself died in 1826. I have seen Brian Austen's index of WSM land tax assessment, and it does seem from this that land passes from Joseph Gould to William Gould in 1796 at Joseph's death. John Gould also had land in Weston from 1792, from his new wife Hannah Light. So it seems likely that William and John are sons of Joseph, but it would be great to find their baptisms! There is another John Gould, who like Joseph marries in Worle just four years later than Joseph, and lives in Kewstoke, dying there in 1762, possibly a brother of Joseph?

Submitted by on Tue, 16/07/2019 - 23:55

Thank you very much indeed for all that information, Robin. I have sent off for a copy of William's Will from 1822 and should receive it in the next few weeks but it is good to know in advance what it says and I will look more carefully at this tomorrow although it certainly does seem, based on your information that (as I was hoping to "prove") the elder William Gould's parents were Joseph Gould and Susannah Gould (née Light). I also note that the John Gould you mention (i.e. brother of the elder William Gould) also married a woman with the maiden name of Light, possibly a cousin?? I am actually undertaking research for a man called John Gould who was born in Cardiff in 1955 and whose paternal great-great-grandfather was Edward/Edwin Gould (he seemed to switch between these two first names over time for some unknown reason). Edward/Edwin (born 1816) was an older brother of Ellen Gould. I suspect this means that you and John are 4th cousins. Thank you again for your help and advice which I still need to take in!Peter

Submitted by on Fri, 19/07/2019 - 20:16

Hello again, Robin - apologies for getting back to you later than I had intended. As you say, it would be great to find the baptism records for both William Gould (c1757) and his brother John (17??). I have seen a few public family trees on the Ancestry website which showed the parents of these men to be Joseph Gould (c1732-1796) and Susannah Gould (née Light) plus extra siblings of which a couple have been given full birth/baptism dates. The details are Fanny (1752), 'our' William (c1757), Susannah (27 August 1762), Hannah (1763), John (21 March 1765), Joseph (1768), George (1771), Hester (1772), Nancy (1778) and Ann (1780). However, the only baptism record I have found for any of those children is for Hester - baptised at WSM on 2 July 1772 with the parents clearly stated to be Joseph and Susannah Gould. I have been unable to trace any other baptisms in WSM or adjacent parishes for children of Joseph and Susannah Gould which is rather odd. I forgot to ask earlier - how, please, can I access Brian Austen's index of WSM land tax assessment?By the way, I bought the other day on eBay a book called Weston-super-Mare written in 2001 by Philip Beisly who is/was Chairman of the WSM Civic Society. I am not sure if I will read it before passing it to my friend, John Gould.Peter

Submitted by Robin Iles on Fri, 19/07/2019 - 23:34

I found the indexes to Land Tax Assessments in the Weston Library a few years ago. I have not seen the original docunents, which are held at Somerset Heritage Centre Archives in Taunton.I wonder where those family trees got their information. I have not found all online trees to be reliable, often making assumptions not backed up by evidence. I do have Joseph Gold married Susanah Light in Worle 10 July 1758, which would presumably rule out Fanny.There is a Joseph Gould baptised 30 May 1732 in Huntspill to William and Jane, with lots of other Goulds in that parish, so perhaps they have assumed this is the Weston Joseph, but I have no evidence of this. I too found Hester baptism 1772, she probably married in Worle in 1798. Also I found Nancy Gold baptism WSM 10 Jul 1778 d of Joseph and Sarah. Nancy (Ann) d of Joseph and Susannah was buried 2 Feb 1798. See transcriptions on this website for info.A Shusanna Gould is known to have married Hugh Haymans in Wick St Lawrence 28 Mar 1787, but otherwise not known, also see transcription on this website. Hannah would seem to be the daughter of John and Sarah of Kewstoke mentioned in my previous email as she was baptised in 1763. There are a Joseph aged at 70 in the 1841 census Kewstoke and buried 12 Jan 1842 aged 74 WSM and a George died aged 82 in 1852, of Kewstoke. Again no evidence that these two are definitely children of Joseph but could perhaps well be, given their age and location.Let me know if you find any accurate sources for the info in the family trees you have been looking at. Best wishes.

Submitted by Robin Iles on Fri, 19/07/2019 - 23:39

Sorry should read Nancy (Ann) d of Joseph and Susannah buried 2 Feb 1784, not 1798!

Submitted by Pat Hase on Mon, 22/07/2019 - 15:58

There are some more transcriptions on our site - mainly births not baptisms http://www.wsmfhs.org.uk/files/publications/westonsupermare-stjohns-births-1761-1770.pdf which I had compiled myself so do need checking but I found the original at the Somerset Archives some years ago when it had been wrongly filed under Weston Bath. It does include birth dates for John, Joseph and Susannah GOULD. Hope it helps but a visit to Taunton is required to gain positive evidence.

Submitted by on Mon, 22/07/2019 - 23:14

Hello Robin - Many thanks for yet more information! I, too, have doubts about the information in some of those online family trees but it is odd that a researcher has set down what seem to be actual baptism dates (which implies that the appropriate records were seen) but such records do not seem to exist (at least not online).I will definitely keep you informed of any progress I might make!

Submitted by on Mon, 22/07/2019 - 23:19

Pat - that is INCREDIBLY helpful! Thank you so much and, yes, it looks likely that I will be re-visiting Taunton fairly soon!

Submitted by on Wed, 24/07/2019 - 11:29

Hello Robin - I have seen that transcripts of the Weston (St John) baptism and land tax assessment records are held by the Society of Genealogists of which I'm a member. I should be travelling to London three times next month and should therefore be able to visit the SoG to look at these transcripts. I will then report back!Peter

Submitted by on Wed, 24/07/2019 - 15:35

Hello Pat - On the Gould research, I have discovered that the Library of the Society of Genealogists contains transcriptions of the Weston records I am looking for. I will be visiting the Library some time next month.

Peter

Submitted by on Tue, 02/06/2020 - 14:04

Hello all, so sorry, somehow I missed this whole discussion, and I didn't get a message on Ancestry either Peter. Apologies. I go through phases of researching (largely when I can find the time) and I must have not been online or something for a period. I have just read the above thread with interest! To answer the question of where I got the dates from, I have actually been passed most of the details on my tree from my father's cousin who, now in her 80s, did a great deal of the family history research by hand, going round record offices and archives etc and well before the days of the internet. She gave me a GEDCOM file with lots of dates and names but I didn't have all the records or documents for them. I've been focusing on building on that initial research and adding documentation where I can. I have my own blog at https://www.meetmyancestor.com but I haven't focused on the GOULD history yet. I've been focusing on JAMES and FRY history from the early Town commissioners and first hotel developments. I'm very interested in all that you've found out though as I do believe my 5 X Great Grandparents were William and Hannah GOULD (nee BEACHAM). I would love to see a copy of the will mentioned above? And I'm guessing we're somehow related Robin? Have you done your DNA on Ancestry?? Best wishes, Honey

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