The Goodwins in America

The Goodwins were among the earliest European settlers of this country. There were no Goodwins on the Mayflower (although there was a John Goodman, a "single man" according to the records), but we came here shortly afterward. We know of two Goodwins, William and Ozias, who came to Boston in 1632.

James Savage, in his A Genealogical Dictionary of the First Settlers of New England, lists many Goodwins who were here before 1700. He also lists the arrival dates of several Goodwins. Some of the Goodwins who are mentioned:

According to Savage, "Of this name (Goodwin) five had, by 1834, been graduated at Harvard, six at Yale, and nine at other New England colleges."

Daniel (the immigrant) Goodwin's great-grandson, Nathan Goodwin, settled in Argyle, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, probably about the time of the Revolutionary War (it was at this time that a lot of Loyalists moved to Nova Scotia). It is from this line that our branch of the Nova Scotia Goodwins descended.

Dr. Crowell's History of Barrington, Nova Scotia, has Goodwins dating back to 1824.

Another reference is The Goodwin Family of Southwestern Nova Scotia, by Don Goodwin.

Dr. Crowell's book probably is out of print by now. To inquire about either of the above books, contact:

The Barrington Historical Society
Barrington, Nova Scotia, Canada BOW 1EO

You can also contact the Shelburne County Genealogical Society (in Shelburne, Nova Scotia), or the Nova Scotia Genealogical Society for information on these and other books.

Goodwins listed in Dr. Crowell's book are:

The first Goodwin in our line to come to the New World was a Daniel Goodwin, born in Yoxford, Suffolk County, England. We are not sure when he came to the colonies, but there is a record of him running an inn in Kittery, Maine, in 1652. He died in Kittery, circa 1712. See Daniel.

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