I have discovered that not only did our great-grandfather, Felix Goodwin, produce a large family, he actually came from a similarly large brood. In this, my last post of this month, I will be charting his parents and his siblings (these would be our Great-great grandparents and our great-aunts and uncles). Are you ready for this? So many names, sometimes it is easy to get lost!
Felix Grundy Goodwin's parents were Thomas Henry Goodwin, born September 19,1823, and Louisa (Eliza) Jane McElyea born sometime between 1831-1833. At this point, we can only make an educated guess on her birth date because there are some conflicting numbers on census reports and birth records are pretty non-existent during this time period.
There were married in 1846 and would start their large family in the spring of 1847. Depending on which census report is most accurate, Louisa would have been between 13-15 years old when they married and 14-16 when their first child arrives. I would be shocked with the age of only 13, but I can't totally discount it.
It is interesting to note, that in the mid 1800's (during the Civil War era) marriages were not just about joining a man and a woman. It was more about joining two families, businesses, jobs and wealth. A man was typically looking for an agreeable woman who could take care of his house and provide him with children. A woman was looking for a breadwinner. Many people married, not because of love, but rather for convenience or favorable situations.
Marriages were not necessarily "arranged", but general opinion of the time was that young ladies should not be subjected to making a quick decision or hurting a gentleman's feelings by rejecting him in person, therefore in many cases the young man would approach the young lady's family for permission.
Now, onto the family life that Thomas and Louisa built together.
Henry Hartwell Goodwin born April 1847
Robert Carroll Goodwin born March 1849
Christopher Columbus Goodwin born October 1850
Lindsey Ewing Goodwin born February 1853
Francis Victoria Goodwin born 1857
Mary A. Goodwin born 1859
Mildred Margaret Goodwin born November 1861
Emanda Ida Goodwin born 1864
Felix Grundy Goodwin born October 1866
William Bradley Goodwin born February 1872
Thomas Henry Goodwin, was listed as a farmer in early census reports and it is noted that he could not write and that he was born in South Carolina. However, in the 1870 census report he is now a blacksmith (my next post will be more information on the job of a blacksmith in the 1800's).
While I have more extensive research to do on Thomas Goodwin's military record, I do have a listing for a Thomas Goodwin that served in the 2nd Regiment of the South Carolina State Troops. He is listed as a private in the Confederate army for six months between 1863-1864 (remember that South Carolina is where Thomas was born). This information is listed in the National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (I am hoping to eventually to actually get a copy of this record) and I am only guessing that this might be our Thomas Goodwin. I can't be sure though, since he was already 40 years old at the time....but then again, his age might be why he served only six months. At this point, the best I can do is speculate.
Thomas Henry Goodwin dies in Hustburg, Tennessee on November 18, 1874 at the age of fifty-one. Our great-grandfather, Felix, is only eight years old when he loses his father, leaving behind Louisa and five small children still at home. Only six years later, the widowed mother and her children are found in the 1880 census for Dukeom, Kentucky in Graves County where her family is from. Felix is twelve or thirteen years old at that time and the next document that I find for him is when he marries Amanda Warren on June 21, 1884 back in Humphrey's County, Tennessee.
As a side note, I also discovered a Tennessee Tax List record that shows that in 1894, Felix Goodwin had paid some back taxes owed....in the whopping amount of two dollars and thirty-five cents!!!!
My last comment here is for my little brother Mark Thomas....thank goodness your name was handed down from our great-grandfather, rather than our grandfather? Think about it~ Mark Felix Goodwin....has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
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