Reuben Goffe is the 8 year old son of Solomon Goffe & Mary Doolittle. Solomon Goffe must have suffered a series of financial reverses, as he had bought his brothers' interest in a property in Wethersfield in 1711.
He lived there ten years. In 1721, he sold the place to Thomas Andrews, of Wallingford.
Solomon and his wife were passing through Willington as transients at the time of Reuben's birth. They were very poor and unable to care for the disabled child, and through the years he was cared for by various residents of Willington.
The fate of Solomon and Mary is unclear. They may have settled in Willington, or died about this time.
May 3, 1738- Aaron Leaming is born to Jeremiah Leaming & Abigail Turner in Middletown, Middlesex,
Connecticut.
May 20, 1738- My eighth great grandfather, Nathaniel Hubbard, dies at the age of 85 in Middletown, Middlesex, Connecticut.
Born in Middletown, Nathaniel was the son of George Hubbard & Elizabeth Watts, sister of Captain Thomas Watts. Nathaniel's father, George Hubbard, had come from England to Concord, Massachusetts in 1633.
In 1682, Nathaniel married Mary Earle, who preceded him in death. They lived at Long Hill, on the cross roads some two miles west of the Connecticut river, on property purchased by his father. Mary Earle's grandfather was Henry De Earl, Lord of Newton of England, who came to America on the ship "Speedwell" in 1656.
Nathaniel contributed 15 shillings toward the first church bell used in Middletown; which supplanted the drum for calling the people together.
He is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Middletown.
Inscription: Here lyes the body of Mr. Nathaniel Hubbard who deceased May 20, 1738 in ye 86th year of his age.
His Will is recorded in Digest of Early Connecticut Wills. Inventoried 2 June 1738 (341pounds, 9s, 3p.)Recorded 5 June 1738. All ten children mentioned as living.
A DIGEST OF THE EARLY CONNECTICUT PROBATE RECORDS. 1737 to 1742.
Page 80-81 Name: Nathaniel Hubbard, Sen. Location: Middletown
Invt. £341-09-03. Taken 2 June, 1738, by Solomon Adkins, Ephraim Adkins and Wm. Rockwell. Will dated 6 March, 1734-5.
I, Nathaniel Hubbard, Sen., of Middletown, in the County of Hartford, being sensible by my great age and weakness through it that my departure is at hand, do make and ordain this my last will and testament: I give to my son Nathaniel Hubbard what I have given him by deed of gift and £10 in money more, and 1-2 of my land on the west side the mountain, belonging to the lott my son Ebenezer liveth on. I give to my son John Hubbard what I have given him by deed of gift and £5 in money more, and the 1-2 of my land on the west side of the mountain, belonging to the lott my son Ebenezer liveth on. I give to my son Ebenezer Hubbard what I have given him by deed of gift and 10 shillings more. I give to my daughter Mary what I have given her by deed of gift and a share in the remainder of the homelott, so much as with the 1-2 acre already given her to make her part equal in value with her sisters' part in the homelott, except Sarah; and also a pewter platter which her mother designed for her. I give to my daughter Abigail £10-15-00 in money, which is to make her equal with the rest of them, and an iron kettle and an old brass kettle which her mother designed for her. I give to my daughter Elizabeth £10-15 in money, which is to make her equal with Esther, and my feather bed and blankets. I give to my daughter Sarah 1-2 of an acre of land at the southeast corner of my homelott, to lye square, and my new brass kettle, and my iron pott, and a pewter platter, which her mother designed for her. I give to my daughter Thankfull £7-15-00 in money to make her equal with Esther, and my hetchell between her and her sister Hannah. I give to my daughter Hannah £7-15-00 in money to make her equal with Esther, and 1-2 of my hetchell and my chest. I give to my daughter Esther my warming pan. My will is that my debts, funeral charges and ye legacies above mentioned to be paid to my children be paid out of my household stuff not here disposed of, and out of my stock so far as they will go, and the rest to be made up out of my homelott. And what remains of my homelott and buildings upon it I give to my 7 daughters, to Abigail, Elizabeth, Sarah, Thankfull, Hannah and Esther equal parts in it, and to Mary such a part as with the half acre I have already given her to make her part equal in value with her sisters' parts except Sarah, who is to have the half acre above mentioned besides her equal part in the rest. I appoint my sons Nathaniel and John Hubbard executors. Witness: William Rockwell, Benjamin Hand, Jr., Ebenezer Rockwell. Nathaniel X Hubbard, Sen., ls. Court Record, Page 30--5 June, 1738: Will proven.
(Reuben Goffe is my first cousin 8 times removed. Our common ancestors are Samuel Doolittle & Mary Cornwall.
Aaron Leaming is my second cousin 8 times removed. Our common ancestors are Edward Turner & Mary Sanford.)
