Deacon Richard Goodman, Hartford Founder

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Compiled by Timothy Lester Jacobs, SDFH Genealogist

RICHARD1 GOODMAN, DEACON, HARTFORD FOUNDER was born abt. 1609 in England, and died 01 Apr 1676 in Hadley, MA killed by Indians. He married MARY TERRY 08 Dec 1659 in Windsor, CT, daughter of STEPHEN TERRY and JANE HARDEY. She was born 31 Dec 1633 in Dorchester, MA, and died bef. 29 Mar 1693 in Deerfield, MA (probate).

Richard Goodman, whose origin is unknown, emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay colony about 1633 and resided in Cambridge, where he was made Freeman 14 May 1634, and where he held five parcels of property. He was among the so-called “Adventurers Party” of twenty-five men who set out to explore the area that would become Hartford, led by John Steele in October 1635, prior to the departure from Cambridge of the Rev. Hooker’s party in May 1636, and was one of sixteen founders living in Hartford in 1635 prior to the arrival of Hooker’s party.

He served in the Pequot War of 1637. He had nine parcels of property granted to him by the time of the Hartford land inventory of February 1639/40: two acres with a dwelling house and other outhouses located on the main street to the north side of the Meeting-House yard; two roods and three perches in the Little Meadow; one acre, one Rood and twelve perches on the east side of the Great River; two acres and twenty-nine perches of meadow and swamp the North Meadow; twelve acres and eighteen perches of meadow and swamp the North Meadow; four acres, three roods and ten perches in the Cow Pasture; ten acres in the Little Oxpasture; two acres, three roots and eight perches in the Venturers Field; and one rood in the Soldier’s Field. He held in addition twenty-six other parcels of land which he had purchased.

He served on the Connecticut jury 1643 to 1648, 1652 1652, 1654 to 1656, and 1658. He was Hartford Constable in 1656.

He was a deacon of the church, and in the conflict over who would succeed Thomas Hooker after died, he sided with Founder Elder William Goodwin and signed the 18 April 1659 agreement to remove from Hartford and establish Hadley, Massachusetts. This move was ultimately his undoing, as he was killed in Hadley by Indians on 1 April 1676 during the ongoing conflicts between the Indians and the colonists at that time.

Genealogy: none known

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