At present, our ancestral line can only be traced back, with certainty, to a RICHARD GOODHIND who would have been born in the late 1600's and lived in Cullompton. His place of birth and the names of his parents are unknown, preventing further research back in time.
He married a woman named "ANN", whose maiden name is unknown; also unknown is the place of their marriage, which could have been in her own parish, if different from Cullompton.
They worshipped in the Presbyterian Chapel in Cullompton, where their sons were all baptised:
A. RICHARD GOODHIND was baptised on April 2, 1713. He married MARY GOULD on February 11, 1734. [This is our descendant line.]
B. SAMUEL GOODHIND was baptised on October 4, 1715 who possibly married JANE CARNALL on December 29, 1740.
They are believed to have had two further sons, who are thought to have pre-deceased their father:
C. JOHN GOODHIND was baptised on October 22, 1717 and possibly buried in August of 1730
D. JOSEPH GOODHIND was baptised on January 18, 1721 and possibly buried in March of 1738
Richard was a "Sergemaker" [Serge: a cheap hardwearing woollen cloth, later replaced by Kersey] who lived in Cullompton, one of several very wealthy "Woollen Towns" in Devonshire, which had become the most important branch of national woollen manufacture. Several Goodhinds in Cullompton had already worked in other trades in that industry in the latter part of the 1600's.
A brief description of Richard's property on February 16, 1764 may be found in the insurance Registers of the Sun Fire Office in London:
"Richard Goodhind of Cullompton in the County of Devon Sergemaker, on his Household Goods and Stock in his now dwelling house Combshops Warehouses Stables & Offices only adjoining in Cullompton aforesaid Stone Cob and Thatched not Exceeding Two hundred pounds."
Richard was buried in St. Andrew's Parish Church in Cullompton on October 21, 1768 and his Will provides sufficiently detailed information about his family and grandchildren to enable our line of descent to be traced. Samuel, his son, was named in the Will as Executor and sole beneficiary, after the payment of certain bequests.
Other Goodhind families lived in Cullompton at the same time, although any connections between them have not been established.
There are also several records of Goodhinds in the town in the 1600's some of whom may have been relatives or direct ancestors of Richard. This would require further research.
