Surname Saturday ~ GODFREY of Hampton, New Hampshire

The Godfrey Memorial at Founder's Park
in Hampton, New Hampshire

GODFREY

William Godfrey is my 10^th great grandfather.  He was married twice and I descend from his second wife, Margery UNKNOWN.  She was previously married to Thomas Webster (1570 – 1634) and had a son, Thomas Webster (1632 – 1715).   William Godfrey came to New England with his stepson, Thomas Webster, who is also my 9^th great grandfather in a different line.  I descend from William’s daughter, Deborah Godfrey (1645 – 1699) who married John Taylor.  After William died Margery remarried to John Marrian, who was my 10th great grandfather through his marriage with his first wife Sarah.  

In other words, Margery UNKNOWN, my 10^th great grandmother, was married to THREE different men who were all my 10^th great grandfathers!  Believe it or not!

William Godfrey first settled in Dedham, Massachusetts, and also in Watertown.  He was made a freeman in Watertown in 1640. In 1649 he bought land in Hampton, New Hampshire and sold his Watertown land in 1653.   He was a selectman in Hampton in 1654, and he became a Deacon of the church in 1660. 

The will of William Godfrey of Hampton, 1667

In the Name of God Amen

I William Godfrey of Hampton in the County of Norfolke in New England being very sick & weak of Body butt sound of mind & understanding: Doe make this my last will as followeth

Conserning such Estate as God hath Given mee in this world I Doe will & bequeth as followeth

Imp I Give and bequeth unto Margery My Loveing wife all my stock of Cattle Duering the terme of her naturall life and whatt stock of Cattle shall Ramane att her Decease to Return to my sonn Isaac Godfrey: Itt I Give unto Margery Godfrey my wife my Dwelling House Duering the terme of Her naturall life

Itt I Give unto Margery Godfrey my wife all my Houshold Goods . . . her & her heires for Ever

Ittem I Give unto Margery my wife and Isaack Godfrey my sonn all my land both of upland medow & marsh pastors orchyard or Gardens or other Inclosure (Excepting whatt shall be hereafter mentioned ) to bee and Remain to them Duering yeterme of my wives naturall life & att my wives Decease to bee & Remaine to sole [pro]priety & possetion of my son Isaac Godfrey to him hes Heires for Ever, Item my will & pleasure is thatt my sone in law [step son] webester shall have & Injoy that peece [of]1 the land last purchesed of Nath Boulter yt Remaines in [ye] Hands of my son Isaac or else thatt my son [Isaac] pay him the some of five pound & keep the sd [land] Himselfe

Itt I Give and Bequeth unto my son John Godfrey so much [of] my planting lott as will make up yt pl whearon hes House standeth fower trees which so to bee layd outt to him as yt itt may take in all the unbrok up land to the [Swamp]

Ittem I Give & bequeth unto my Daughter sarah Godfrey the some of Six pounds to bee payd by my son Isaac ye year after my wives Decease:

Itt I Doe Give unto my Daughter Deborah Godfrey the some of Six pound to bee payd to her the second year after my wives Decease: & my wife & my son Isack to have & Injoy all my Comonedg & other towne privledg which is to Remain to my son Isaac after my wives Decease And I Doe make my loveing wife & my sone Isaack my law full Executor to this my last will & testiment to see the same [per]formed & I appointt my loving friends Robertt Page &Samuell Dalton to bee as over seeres to all Intents & Constructions herin Contained wittness my hand & seale ye 2d 8th mo 1667

William Godfrey

X

His mark [seal] & Seale

Wittnes

Abraham Perkins

Samuell Dalton

Proved April 11, 1671.  [Essex County, Mass., Probate Files, and Norfolk County, Mass., Deeds, vol. 2, p. 212.]   Please note that at the time this will was proved and recorded the town of Hampton was in Norfolk County, Massachusetts- not in Rockingham County, New Hampshire.  The inventory of the estate of Deacon William Godfrey was taken April 10, 1671, by Samuel Dalton and Abraham Perkins; amount, £267.7.0.   [Essex County, Mass., Probate Files, and Norfolk County, Mass., Deeds, vol. 2, p. 213.]

Some GODFREY resources:

The History of Hampton, New Hampshire, by Joseph Dow, 1893, pages 727 – 728.

The Genealogical Dictionary of Maine and New Hampshire, Noyes, Libby and Davis, page 269.

The New England Historic Genealogical Society Register, Volume 63, pages 32 -33 and also Volume 142, page 267.

The American Genealogist, Volume 46, pages 150 – 154.

My GODFREY genealogy:

Generation 1:  William Godfrey, died 25 march 1671 in Hampton, New Hampshire; married first to Sarah UNKNOWN;  married second about 1638 in Ormsby, Norfolk, England to Margery UNKOWN, widow of Thomas Webster .  She died remarried to John Marrion on 14 September 1671 and died in Hampton on 2 May 1687.  William and Margery had three children.

Generation 2: Deborah Godfrey, born about 1645 in Hampton, died 10 July 1699 in Hampton; married on 5 December 1667 in Hampton to John Taylor, son of Anthony Taylor and Phillipa UNKNOWN as his first wife.  He died on 15 December 1712 in Hampton.

Generation 3: Sarah Taylor m. Peter Garland

Generation 4: John Garland m. Elizabeth Dearborn

Generation 5: Elizabeth Garland m. Richard Locke

Generation 6: Simon Locke m. Abigail Mace

Generation 7: Richard Locke m. Margaret Welch

Generation 8: Abigail M. Locke m. George E. Batchelder

Generation 9: George E. Batchelder m. Mary Katharine Emerson

Generation 10: Carrie Maude Batchelder m. Joseph Elmer Allen

Generation 11: Stanley Elmer Allen m. Gertrude Matilda Hitchings (my grandparents)

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Heather Wilkinson Rojo, "Surname Saturday ~ GODFREY of Hampton, New Hampshire", Nutfield Genealogy, posted March 19, 2016, ( http://nutfieldgenealogy.blogspot.com/2016/03/surname-saturday-godfrey-of-hampton-new.html: accessed [access date]).