Joseph Godfrey

Joseph Godfrey^1,2,3

• Marriage*: 25 January 1747/48; South Hampton, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire; Spouse=Susanna Morrill¹
• Death*: between 22 June 1780 and 7 January 1782; Dates will written and proved.
• Residence*: Poplin (now Fremont), Rockingham Co., New Hampshire
• Note*: Joseph Godfrey's origins and parentage are unknown, or at least not widely published. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
  
  From the deeds listed below we see that in 1746 he was of the town of South Hampton, where he was married a year and a half later.
  
  Joseph Dow in his history of Hampton has a large section on Godfreys, but Joseph is not listed.
  
  James Fitts in the Lane book included a footnote on John Lane and Hannah Godfrey. The footnote could be construed as saying that Hannah was the daughter of Joseph Godfrey Esquire, son of the Honorable Ezekiel Godfrey. That would be a misreading, as Hannah's brother Ezekiel was a judge and provincial official for many years, and had a son Joseph who used the appellation 'Esquire'.
  
  James Lyford in his history of Canterbury, stated "...Sarah Godfrey, whose ancestors came from Eng. about 1756...". Presumably Lyford's informants were later generations of the Harper family.^4,5,6
• Note: Townships: In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, "Old" Norfolk County encompassed the area from the Merrimack River north to the Piscataqua River. With the separation of New Hampshire province from Massachusetts in 1741, this area became Rockingham County, N.H.. Within the county, Brentwood was set off from the town of Exeter and constituted a parish June 26, 1742. Poplin was set off from Brentwood June 22, 1764. Poplin was renamed Fremont in 1854.
• Note: On 1 July 1746 John Moulton Jr of Hampton yeoman granted to Joseph Godfree of town of South Hampton New Hampshire, in consideration of £327, a piece of land in township of Exeter in parish of Brintwood containing 42 acres, adjoining land of John Moulton, which piece of land is part of Capt. James Leavits hundred acres which was originally laid out to Jeremiah Folsom. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 87, p. 102.⁷
• Note: On 15 Apr 1754 Joseph Godfrey of Brentwood was granted administration of the estate of Ezekiel Hoyt of Brentwood.⁸
• Note: On 28 Dec 1757 Joseph Godfrey of Brentwood was authorized to appraise the estate of Ebenezer Towle of Brentwood.⁹
• Note: On 27 Sept 1758 Joseph Godfrey of Brentwood was authorized to appraise the estate of Samuel Flanders of Brentwood; and on 25 Mar 1761 he and others were authorized to divide the real estate.¹⁰
• Note: On 5 Oct 1762 Orlando Weed of Gilmantown granted to Joseph Godfrey of Brintwood yeoman, in consideration of £1470, a tract in Brintwood in the third division, three quarters of said lot. Witnessed Abraham Sanborn & Ephrail Morrill. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 87, p. 92.⁷
• Note: On 12 Sept 1764 Edward Scribner of Raymond granted to Joseph Godfrey of Poplin yeoman, in consideration of £400 old tenor money, the whole five eighths part and the whole three fifths part of three eighths part of both the forty acre lots in Gilman Town, laid out to the original right of Richard Hilton. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 79, p. 260.⁷
• Note: On 26 Oct 1768 Joseph Godfrey of Poplin was authorized to appraise the estate of Ebenezer Sleeper of Brentwood.¹¹
• Note: On 7 March 1771 Joseph Godfrey of Poplin yeoman granted to Ezekiel Hoyt of Poplin, in consideration of £57.17, a 100 acre lot in Gilmantown, the seventh lot in the upper gore. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 102, p. 134.⁷
• Note: On 25 Mar 1772 David Sanborn of Brintwood granted to Joseph Godfrey of Poplin yeoman, in consideration of £70, a twenty acre lot in Poplin, adjoining lands of Sanborn and of Ezekiel Goodridge. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 106, p. 51.⁷
• Note: Will of Joseph Godfrey of Poplin, Rocklin county, N.H., husbandman, written 22 June 1780, proved 7 Jan 1782, inventory 12 Feb 1782. To wife Susannah, one third of estate both real and personal during her lifetime, and all the livestock and household goods, with a few exceptions. To daughters Sarah Harper, Hannah Lane and Abigail Godfrey, one cow apiece, and two tracts in Strafford county (now Belknap) equally divided - all my "wild" land in Meredith, and a forty acre lot in Gilmanton. Also daughter Abigail to be fitted out as well as my other daughters were. To grandchildren Jacob Graves and Susannah Graves, a forty acre lot in Gilmanton originally in right of Richard Hilton, equally divided. Also a cow to Jacob when he becomes twenty one; and to Susannah all the household goods that were her mother's. To son Joseph, who is not of sound mind, two tracts of land in Poplin, the income from which is to be used for his care. To son Ezekiel all remaining estate, both real and personal. Executor son Ezekiel. Witnesses: Joshua Lane, Jeremah Burley, Saml. Shepard. Signed, not marked. Recorded Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Case #4773.³
• Note: On 21 June 1784 Ezekiel Godfrey of Poplin gentleman in consideration of £3 granted to Abraham Gorden of Brintwood blacksmith a nine rod tract in Poplin, with a corner on the 3 acres of land Ezekiel Godfrey purchased of Ezekiel Goodridge, and another corner of the 20 acres of land Joseph Godfrey deceased purchased of David Sanborn. Recorded Rockingham Co. Deeds, Book 122, p. 362.⁷
• Note: On 9 Dec 1818 Anna Godfrey of Poplin widow of Ezekiel Godfrey late of Poplin deceased granted to her son Joseph Godfrey of Poplin Esquire, in consideration of $160, a tract in Poplin in the third range of lots containing twenty acres and twelve rods. Recorded Rockingham Co., NH. Book 233, p. 104.⁷
• Note: On 15 Feb 1806 John Lane of Candia joiner and Hannah Lane his wife and Ezekiel Godfrey of Poplin Esquire, in consideration of $24, granted to Daniel Smith of Strafford County one half part and eight fortieths of the other half of one common right so called or piece of land in Meredith, Strafford County, which fell or belonged to the right of our honored father joseph Godfrey deceased of which right John Morgan was the original proprietor it being part of the land that belonged to the said right over and more than the three lots that were first laid out to the said right and for the proprietary[?] boundaries reference be had to the records of the division of the common land in Meredith. Witnessed by Nanny Norris, Joseph Godfrey, John Lane junr. and Levi Dow. Recorded 7 Feb 1807 Strafford County, New Hampshire, Vol. 54, p. 141-2. Abstracted by Jeff Moore. Viewed on FHL microfilm 16397.¹²
• Note: On 29 Dec 1809 Samuel Harper of Limbrick, York County, Massachusetts [Limerick ME], husbandman and Ezekiel Godfrey of Poplin, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, Esquire and John Lane of Candia, Rockingham County, New Hampshire, joiner and Hannah Lane his wife granted to Judy Hoit wife of Samuel Hoit of Gilmantown, Strafford County, New Hampshire, yeoman, in consideration of $120, two thirds part of one forty acre lot in Gilmantown, it being lot No. 2 in the eighth range of forty acre lots in the upper division of Gilmantown. Witnessed by Moses Norris, Joseph Godfrey, Hannah Lane Jun., and Ezekiel Lane. Recorded Strafford Co., New Hampshire Deeds, Vol. 73, p. 146-7. Viewed on FHL microfilm 16407.¹³

Family:

Susanna Morrill b. 10 Jan 1722/23, d. a 22 Jun 1780

• Marriage*: 25 January 1747/48; South Hampton, Rockingham Co., New Hampshire; Spouse=Susanna Morrill¹

Children:

Sarah Godfrey¹⁴ b. 17 Sep 1748, d. 1840
Ezekiel Godfrey+¹⁴ b. 23 Dec 1750
Susanna Godfrey+¹⁴ b. 26 Feb 1753, d. 24 Mar 1776
Hannah Godfrey+ ¹⁴ b. 19 Nov 1755, d. 7 Oct 1845
Abigail Godfrey¹⁴ b. 10 Oct 1758
Joseph Godfrey¹⁴ b. 6 Apr 1761, d. 15 Dec 1764
Richard Godfrey¹⁴ b. 24 Oct 1763, d. 3 Nov 1764
Joseph Godfrey¹⁴ b. 23 Jan 1766