Our
Roots
William "Bill" Goff
Bill Goff was born in 1828 to Abby Goff (b. 1808). He and his mother were owned as slaves by Elisha Goff in Clark County Kentucky. After Elisha's death in 1831, Bill's ownership passed into the hands of Elisha's brother, Strauder Goff, a major landowner north of Winchester. In 1854, Bill was once again inherited as property--this time by one of Strauder's daughters, Margaret Goff Prewitt.
Sources: Before Abolition by Lyndon Comstock,
will records in the Bluegrass Heritage Museum (Winchester, KY)
It is very uncommon to find early 1800s records with names of enslaved people; most slave owners recorded minimal information, such as "male" or "female." It is important to note that the only reason we have Abby's name is because she was listed as property in a slave owner’s will. Alongside blankets and other household items, we find:
"Abby a negro woman - 23"
"William a negro boy - 3".
On another page of this will, it is clarified that William is Abby's son. Unfortunately, we do not have any information about Abby's life, her parents, or her origins to this date. We can deduce that she was 20 years old when her son William was born.
At the age of 37, William "Bill" Goff was legally married to Emma Brandenburgh (b. around 1834). As with most enslaved men and women, their union existed before the end of the Civil War; but it was officially recognized by the courts on October 13, 1868.
Bill and Emma had three children together: James Thomas “Tom” (b. between 1856 and 1860), Nancy Jennie (b. 1862), and Martha (b. 1870). By the 1880 census, Emma was not listed in the household. A death certificate has not yet been located.
(pictured below: Bill and Emma's declaration of marriage, 1870 census, 1880 census. Click to enlarge.)
A rare photograph of William shows him playing a guitar in front of his cabin in Indian Fields, KY. According to the former slave owner’s great-grandson, “Uncle Bill helped ‘raise’ the boys of the family.”
Complete text written on the back of the following photograph:
“Uncle Bill & His cabin - Indian Fields. In the Orchard, near the main house at Indian Fields. The cabin dated back to slave days. White building to the right was a ‘fowl house.’ ‘Uncle Bill,’ a former slave seated by the tree, in front of the cabin. He helped ‘raise’ the boys of the family and remained all of his life at Indian Fields. John H. Goff, 1966. Note position of the door to the cabin; and the spinning wheel in the yard”
Bill and Emma's eldest daughter, Nancy married Robert Cooper in 1882. There is no record that they had children.
Their son, Tom married Amanda Cunningham at her father’s home in 1884. It has been said that Amanda bore 18 babies in total, though several of them did not survive past infancy.
The Goff’s youngest daughter, Martha married Henry Easley and bore 13 children, nine of whom survived past infancy.
This is just the beginning. Help us preserve our legacy by submitting more names and stories!
Goff-Easley Stories
Here we share a few stories that have shaped our lineage. Each and every individual in our family has made an impact in meaningful ways, their stories woven into our own.
Our Branches
The Goffs Meet the Easleys
Stories by Stanleo Patton, Jenesa Oden,
Ida Carole Nicholas Bunts, Don Hampton,
and Claudette Russell Casey
Out of Amanda's 18 children, three of her daughters were thick as thieves. Though 8 children died in their young adulthood, Bettie, Ida, and Julia Goff were blessed to live into their older years. As such, they had a direct impact on the generations that carry on their legacy today.
It is widely attested to by their grandchildren, nephews, and nieces that the Goff sisters were an iconic trio. In the late 1950’s, they traveled to Marion, Indiana--their children and grandchildren in tow--hoping to meet their cousins, the Easleys.
Martha Easley’s daughter, Bertha married Robert Frazier and had four children: Madaline, Robert, Martha J, and Mayetta. Her children and her siblings welcomed their Goff relatives warmly and hosted them in multiple homes across town. Together, they formed the tradition that became the Goff-Easley reunion.
As the descendants of William Goff continue to come together biannually, their children and children’s children reconnect, reminisce on family traditions and values, and seek to maintain the family bond that was formed over 150 years ago in William and Emma’s family.
Ida Mae Goff Tribble
Stories by Ida Carole Nicholas Bunts
Listen HERE