709 Yancey Street
Durham, N. C.
Aug. 14, 1939
To Wayne W. Smith, H. V. Godbey, Ephra S. Godbey, Miss
Elizabeth Rule, Mrs. Margaret Godbey Smith, H. Perry
Godbey:
This circular statement will put together what has been
gathered during 40 years concerning the migration of
William end John Godbey, brothers and Revolutionary
soldiers, from Caroline Co., Va., in 1783; their settlement
on New River, Montgomery Co., Virginia;: and the migration
of three descendants to Pulaski County, Ky. Two family
Bible records fix dates beyond dispute, as will appear.
This statement will show that no branch of the family has
preserved more than a fragment of the family history. It
will correct mistakes in memory of some, and the great
mistakes of others who have assumed that some John, or
William, or Thomas of no known date, was the person they
were particularly interested in: when in point of time the
person claimed was sometimes as much as 100 years away from
the date of the one known. In fifty years of work I have
never met two old people who agreed about some family event
100 years before. This should hurt no one's feelings. Age
brings notable losses to all of us. As for mistaken
identifications, I have several cases where a claimed
devolutionary soldier was really the grandson of e
Revolutionary soldier of the same name. Rigid attention to
indisputable dates will eliminate such mistakes as were
pointed out in the recent circular concerning the legends
of a Timothy Godbey.
Next, all should remember that certain important facts may
be well preserved in one branch of a family, and entirely
lost in another, for good reasons. That brings us at once
to the story of the migration from Carolina Co Va. It has
been minutely preserved in Missouri: no trace of it has
come in all the forty years from any other source. The
Missouri branch was founded by my grandfather Rev. Josiah
Godbey, in 1~52, and by his oldest brother Rev. John
Godbey, in 1868. Both were preachers; each had four sons
that were preachers; each had grandsons that were
preachers. Then each had married a Kelly. Now the Kelly
family came from Montgomery Co., Va. (several times in the
published Annals of Southwestern Virginia 1769 to 1800) and
settled both in Northern Pulaski Co., Ky. and in Wayne Co.,
Ky., and Fentress Co., Tenn. The marriages of my
grandfather Josiah and his brother John were made in
Pulaski Co., Ky. Now it should be remembered that women are
much more tenacious of family history and tradition than
men are -- as Wayne Smith knows by this time! Elizabeth
Rule is another proof. So when John and Josiah got into the
same Missouri neighborhood with their Kelly wives, those
two women were not going to let the religious preeminence
of the two families be lost. For there is another factor in
the situation. My grandmother Sena Kelly, had five brothers
that were Methodist Preachers, and members of the Kentucky
Conference. Two of them followed the early push into
Oregon: and in Portland Oregon today the Clinton Kelly High
School perpetuates the memory of a Methodist preacher
pioneer: my grandmother's oldest brother. The Kelly family
has produced other eminent preachers to this day. But
everyone can now see why this fervid Godbey-Kelly group,
cut off from their Kentucky contacts, cherished their
ancestral religious past.
Some one will ask of my personal knowledge of the story.
Rev. John Godbey's oldest son Rev. William B. Godbey, the
famous "Sanctification” champion, told the story sometimes
in his preaching. He printed it partially in newspaper
articles. More of it he told in his autobiography. But his
brothers Rev. Josiah P. Godbey who did not follow him in
his Sanctification theories, was educated at Central
College, Fayette, Mo. Joined the Missouri Conference, and
lived and died a member of it. He was my circuit neighbor
between 1888 end 1894, and next door neighbor for three
years, 1899-1902, when he was educating his children in
Fayette, where I was teaching. So I had intimate first-hand
talks with him of his family past. Josiah P. himself had
known and talked with his grandfather William, the Kentucky
pioneer up to the latters 87th year, when Josiah P. came to
Missouri.
The story then is that our Revolutionary ancestor John
Godbey was converted under the preaching of Francis Asbury,
and immediately took two radical steps. He had received his
share of 8 considerable estate in slaves. He immediately
manumitted his slaves. Under the laws of Virginia, he had
to make some provision for the maintained of those
manumitted. W. B. Godbey in his auto-biography says the
total cost to his great grandfather was about 30,000. John
established a fervid household worship. An immediate
consequence was that no descendant of his ever held slaves,
tho living in slave-holding estates. John further announced
that for any house-raising or log rolling no whiskey would
be furnished. His Kentucky descendants stuck to that
policy.
Now there is important corroboration. The records of
Caroline Co., Va. were nearly all destroyed in the burning
of Richmond, 1865. But a personal property tax list for the
year 1763 escaped, and was published in the William and
Mary Quarterly Vol. 27, Pg. 16lff. John Godbey is the only
one in that list. And the list report 1 white tythable
(--Poll-Tax payer, John himself). No negroes over 16: one
under 16; 2 horses, 2 head cattle; no "Wheels”: No licenses
to keep an Ordinary. Which mea that John had no son 8S much
as 16 years old (taxable): No negroes except one under 16
who could not be manumitted under Virginia law: did not
hold a license to keep a dram shop. A widowed cousin or
Aunt? Judith Cheadle, h seven negroes over 16 and seven
under, 3 horses, 25 cattle. I mention this merely to show
that Godbeys in Caroline Co. had been holding slaves.
John's brother William does no appear in this list: his
land then lay in one of the counties cut off the west side
of the original huge Caroline Co.
But this shows how little Revolutionary John had to face
the frontier with. If he reaches Montgomery Co., Va. he has
no money to buy lane with. And his older children will have
none. This will clear for everybody the long puzzle over
the fact that no trace of any of them appears in Montgomery
County land records.
Now continuing the story of migration: it is that the two
brothers John and William, with some neighbors, decided to
follow Daniel Boone into Kentucky. A chief factor in this
was the fact that Virginia was unable to pay her soldiers
in cash; and offered instead liberal grants of lend in her
"Kentucky County" - But the emigrant train from Caroline
County ran into an Indian ambush, somewhere near the
Kentucky frontier. Some of the party were killed. The
Indians got some cattle. The party turned back for a time.
John and William stopped on New River, Montgomery Co.,
Virginia.
Here is the place to introduce the Family Bible record of
William and Zennah Godbey of Godbeys Cliffs or Godbey's
Window Glasses, on New River. It was copied by a Grandson,
Russell Godbey 1-20-1860: as follows.
William Godbey of Montgomery Co., State of Virginia was
born 9-29-1750 d. 1833. Zannah his wife was born
11-10-1751. Children: John born 3-30-1769, Polly
12-15-1773, William 6-6-1775., Gabriel 11-15-1778, Lucy
3-13-1782, Francis 6-24-1786, Sarah 2-9-1789, George
2-28-1791, Susannah 6-1-1793, Benjamin 6-7-1798.
Now all of these with one exception, appear again and again
in the Montgomery records. For the present objective these
details must be omitted. The one exception is Gabriel. He
appears in no record of any kind. He left the county early
and married either in Fentress Co., Tenn. or in Kentucky,
as shown in the previous circular statement concerning
Timothy Godbey. His father William died in 1833 and Gabriel
soon after deeds away his share in his fathers estate. He
did not have to return to Virginia to do that. Gabriel's
marriage to Sarah Crockett recorded at Christianburg, Va.
Next, observe the oldest son John. He married Naomi Bain,
12-10-1785, when not yet 17 yrs. old; emulating the example
of his parents. He raised a family; appears in various
transactions.
Then who is the John Godbey whose little estate is
appraised Aug. 11, 1803 at $1330.00? Six horses, three cows
or oxen, seems a major part of it. William Trigg, Charles
Brown, & Michael Brown are the appraisers. None of the
William--Zannah family seem connected with the settlement.
On the face of the published records, this must be
Revolutionary John. There is no other John in the County
records. The next spring 1804 his son William appears in
Pulaski Co., Ky. with a wagon and team and one dollar.
Probably part of John's estate is represented by that team.
Since I have used the term "Godbey's Cliffs" and "Godbey's.
Window Glasses" above, this needs explanation. In 1904 an
aunt of mine living at the time in Nashville Tenn., called
the attention of my Uncle John Emory Godbey to an article
in Harpers Magazine that mentioned "Godbey's Window
Glasses". The article is in Harpers Magazine 9-1857 one of
a series of “A Winter in the South". On page 444 the artist
of the party, Larkin, leaves the train and walks from
Newbern to see the famous "Godbey's Cliffs". Take a
Rand-McNally map and drew a line from Newbern in Pulaski
Co. a little south of east to Snowville. Where that line
crosses New River, is the still famous "Godbey's Cliffs".
Somewhere around there Revolutionary John lived and died.
In the article the artist Larkin says "Grandfather, father
and son" lived there in succession. This was perplexing.
But a cue from Mrs. Margaret Godbey Smith, of Rich Creek,
Va. identifies the three. "The grandfather" was William
with wife Zanna: "The father" was William's 6th son,
Francis Marion, then past 71 years old. "The son", who is
the host in the story, was Reason Vermilion Godbey, then
living with Francis Marion, and some years later sole
legatee of the old homestead. All will be better pleased to
get the old fact clear on the map.
Now we want the story of William and John Godbey coming
into Kentucky. To know who is talking, it is best to give
first the Family Bible Record of William Godbey.
William Godbey was born in Caroline Co., Va. 1-18¬1781. His
first wife, and mother of all his children, Sarah Smith,
was born 3-10-1783. His second wife, Martha Curl, was born
3-22-1793.
William Godbey and Sarah Smith were married in January
1801. Their children were John b. l2-23-1801 married Orpha
Kelly, Jacob b. 3-1-1803 m. Tavis Jones 2nd?, Fanny b.
7-18-1804 m. James Reese, Nancy b. 1-23-1806. Edmund
Debored, Ibby b. 3-29-1807 m. Eli Haynes, Matilda b.
12-20-1808 m. William Gastineau, Sally b. 8-12-18l0 m. 1st
Samuel Reagan, 2nd John Cundiff, William b. 2~10-18i2 never
married, Henry Harrison b. 10-28-1813 m. 1st Sarah Jones,
2nd Eliza Richardson 3rd Catherine Barber, 4th Martha A.
Randolph, Joshua b. 6-30-1817 m. Sena Kelly, Josephus b.
6-30-1817 died 9-29-1817, Melissa b. 1-27-1820 m. Miles
Wesley.
This copy was made by Henderson Valentine Godbey of
Cynthiana, Indiana, from his Grandfather's bible. It agrees
with a copy made much later in 1907 by John Monroe Godbey,
oldest half brother of Henderson Valentine. It appears that
John Monroe Godbey owned the bible at that time, since it
is now in the possession of his youngest son Ephra Slavins
Godbey.
We may now compare the foregoing Missouri tradition of the
migration of Revolutionists William and John to get from
Caroline Co., Va. into Kentucky with the Kentucky story of
the final success of two sons of John, the Kentucky
pioneers William and John. I have no reports from any
descendants of Gabriel. Of the descendants of John, Dr.
Wayne Smith's wife, (University Idaho) is my only contact.
Of above children of William, I have four independent
reports at different times, from descendants of Jacob, two
descendants of Henry Harrison, and one descendant of Josbua
L. That these all agree on certain starting points will
probably satisfy everybody.
Now the above mentioned article in harpers Magazine, 1857
resulted in my Uncle John Emory Godbey getting in
communication with Francis Marion Farmer of Newbern, Va.
about the old Godbey homestead on Godbeys Cliffs: and then
into communication with John Monroe Godbey, son of Henry
Harrison Godbey, about our forebears arrival in Kentucky.
It is necessary for everybody to know that I have worked in
office with my Uncle for years. I have typed copies of two
letters he wrote to John Monroe in 1907. A word from
Henderson Valentine caused me to write last April to Ephra
Slavine Godbey, youngest son of John Monroe. he answered at
once that he had a copy of the letter and later sent a
typed copy of it as follows.
Bethelridge, Kentucky
May 1907
John Emory Godbey
Prescott Arkansas
Dear Cousin:
A few days ago cousin John Godbey, of Bethelridge showed me
a letter from you asking information as to the Godbey
family. After we talked the matter over cousin John
requested I write and give all the information I could. To
begin I tell you who I am.
My name is John Monroe Godby, son of Henry Harrison Godby,
who was brother of Josiah Godby, your father. My mother
died when I was in my 8th year, then I went to our
grandmother and remained in the home until 1860. I have
heard him give his history so often that I have recollected
a portion of it. There were two Godby brothers, William and
John, that lived on New River Va. William, I think, the
elder, John who was our great¬grandfather was in the
Revolutionary War, when our grand father William Godby was
born. Great grandfather was twice married, by the first
marriage there were three or more children, William, our
grandfather, the oldest one named John, one daughter named
Fanny. This I can name great grandfather started for
Kentucky, when be got to Green Briar County, Va., great
grandmother took sick and died, after a time great
grandfather married his second wife and there was born to
them three or more children, two sons and one daughter -
Joseph, George and Sally. Joseph lived for a time in the
state of Tennessee. George I think, came to Kentucky, and
was never married, I think he died a young man. Sally came
to Kentucky and lived with our grandfather, William up to
her death, 2-6-1856.
Grandfather William married Sarah Smith in Green County Va.
about the first of the year 1801. About the year 1804-5
grandfather moved to Kentucky and settled on Cumberland
River, Pulaski Co. in what was called Pumpkin Holler. I
have often heard him say that when he got to Pumpkin Holler
he bad a wagon, team, a wife, three children and one dollar
in money. He then lived in Pumpkin holler for some years.
He purchased a farm some three or four miles east of
Somerset, Pulaski, Co., Ky. and remained at that place
until about the year 1831-2. He then moved to Casey County
and remained there until his death, which was on the 28th
day of April 1816. To Grandfather and Grandmother was born
13 children, seven sons and six daughters, all except one
lived to maturity. Grandmother died on the 15th day of
Sept. 1836. Grandfather then married Martha Curl, who
survived him about 8 years. As I have the family record of
grandfather I will give record as I have it, beginning with
Grandfather. William was born 1-18-1181. First wife Sarah
born 3-10-1783. Second wife, Martha born 3-22-1793.
Children John born 12-23-1803 married Orpha Kelley, Jacob
born 3-1803 married Travia Jones. Fanny born 7-18-1804
married James Reece. Nancy born 1-23-1806 married Edmond
Debord, Ibba born 3-29-1801 married Eli Haynes. Matilda,
born 12-20-1808, married William Gastineau. Sally born
8-21-1810 first married Samuel Rexgon, second married John
Cundiff. William born 2-10-1812 never married. Henry
Harrison, 10-28-1813 married Polly Jones. Joshua born
11-5-1815 married Sally Randolph. Josiah your father born
6-30-1817 married Senia Kelley. Josephus born 6-3-1811 died
9-29-1817. Malissa born 1-21-1820 married Miles Wesley.
Grandfathers’ brother John emigrated to Kentucky but I do
not have the date. He too settled in Pumpkin Hollow and
several of his descendants are living in the county now.
Joseph who was a half brother to grandfather lived some
years in Tennessee and then moved to Missouri. Fanny, I
never knew anything about her. Well that takes our line of
family as far as I can go.
We will now go back to New River, Va. William Godby,
brother to our Great grandfather, John, I think was the
elder, I can give but little description of his family. He
had one son named Gabriel, whose family moved to Kentucky.
Of Gabriels family there was Timothy, Annie married Joab
Rigney, Zener married Robert Ellison, the other daughter
married Thomas Edwards. There is several of Gabriel's
descendants living in Kentucky in Casey County. One of
Timothy's sons is a Baptist preacher. There is a great many
preachers in the Godby family. Wishing to hear from you
soon.
From your Cousin
John Monroe Godby
********************
Prescott, Ark.
June 1907
Dear Cousin Monroe:
It was a great pleasure to get your letter end the
information it contained, I remember you. Saw you at
grandfathers about 1845. I think there was also a young man
there named Dan Barnes. Is that right? I remember Aunt
Sally also. You have given me a good deal of information.
But it showed me I had an incorrect record at some points.
I think with the help of your letter I can get it straight.
I will give you what I have, Study it and correct as far as
you can.
The original name is Godobey and it originated in the time
of Cromwell. There was in Cromwell's army one of our
descendants Col. John Godobey. The "O" is now dropped.
Two sons of Colonel John Godobey, Jonothan and Charles,
with their cousin Ezra came from Whitehorn England, to
America in the Ship Providence in 1651.
The family is there lost sight of for a time. There are
many of the name in Central New York but I do not know
their history.
An article in Scribners magazine, found in Carnagie
Library, Nashville, dated 10-1857 gave a description of
Godbey's Bluff on New River, Pulaski Co., Va. and states
that at the time the Godbys, grandfather, father and son
had lived there" for the best end of a century, this set me
on the right tract.
I wrote to the P. M. at Newburn, Va. and he put me in
communication with Frances Marion Farmer, grandson of
Frances Marion Godby, on his mothers side. It seems that
his great grandfather was William, the brother of John,
your great grandfather. He owned several farms On New River
on the Bluff in Pulaski Co. On these his sons lived for a
time, one on the Horse Shoe farm, one on the Pickett Farm,
one Frances Marion on the old place. So we have Frances
Marion on the farm when the Scribners article was written,
in 1857, and his father William before him and now we like
but the name of the grandfather mentioned in the article,
who is our great great grand-father, the father of William
and John. If you can get the name of your great great
grandfather, put him down as the first settler of Godby's
Bluff, New River, Pulaski Co., Va. And we shall also
conclude that William and John were born there. William
remained and John went to Green Briar, and thence his son
William our grandfather went to Kentucky.
The sons of William Godby, at the bluff were Frances
Marion, who stayed on the place, Benjamin who settled on an
adjoining farm, William, who went to Montgomery Co., Va.,
Gabriel whose descendants you know, George a Methodist
preacher, who went to Alabama and was the father of
Crockett Godby, also a preacher of North Alabama
Conference. I saw the widow of Crockett last May in
Alabama. She told me her husband’s father was George, born
2-2-1791, died 8-1673, 82 years old.
I thought that George was your grandfather's brother until
I got your letter. I am now clear that he was William's
son.
William's family, I find went largely to the Baptist and
Campbellite Church. Frances Marion was a Campbellite. He
has a son W. V. in West Virginia, 84 years old, a
Campbellite preacher.
It seems that our ancestors were long lived. Frances Marion
died at the Bluff, 86 years old. He had 8 children all
passed 80, two yet living.
I and my brother very much desire to come up to your
neighborhood. I go to Louisville every April or the 1st of
May to our Church extension Board Meeting. I may get around
to visit you.
Your Cousin,
John Emery
One corrective comment is necessary. John Monroe is
emphatic about William and John both living on New River.
Then how does Green Brier Co. get into the story? Godbey's
Cliffs on New River are not in Green Brier Co., and never
were, as anyone may see by looking at the map. Further, at
the time of the migration from Caroline Co. there was no
Greenbrier Co. The whole west half of Virginia was
unsurveyed: subdivision was just beginning.
The explanation is that in that early time the whole
undivided Virginia between the Greenbrier River and Ky. was
popularly spoken of as "the Greenbrier Country." Methodist
pioneers wrote in Advocates as late as 1840 of the
Greenbrier Country including Green River, in Ky. John
Monroe's story is a corroboration of the Missouri legend
that the emigrants got into an Indian ambush in the
Greenbrier Country, somewhere near the Kentucky Co. line
and had to turn back. He suggests that Revolutionary John's
wife died of the hardships before they could get back to
New River. Later generations, forgetting what Greenbrier
Country once meant have turned it into Greenbrier County.
Next John Monroe's statement of the two wives and six
children of Revolutionary John is exactly the same That was
told me forty years ago by Josiah P. Godbey, 0f John Godbey
and Orpha Kelly. In both accounts Dames of the two wives
are missing: and neither knows what became of Fanny. Some
one may be found who can tell more.
A letter written by Dr. Lemuel Jones Godbey of Beres, Ky.
12-30-1917 came into my hands some years ago. He was
grandson of Jacob Godbey (3-1-1803) who married Tevis
Jones. In explaining his family relationship, be said that
be had approved and kept the statement made by John Monroe
Godbey.
On 1-23-1939, Melvin Godbey wrote that he was a grandson of
the same Jacob Godbey, who was born in Va. 3-1-1803 and
brought into Ky. when he was a baby. That reduces John
Monroe's time of arrival by a year. He did not mention John
Monroe's narrative, but notified me that Ephra S. Godbey
had Great-grandfather William's family Bible, 150 years
old, with all family records.
Next John Monroe's mention of Pumpkin Hollow is of first
importance. In fifty years of correspondence I had never
heard of it, till Wayne Smith wrote me that his wife's
Godbey forbearers, who settled in Northern Indiana about a
hundred years ago, had come from a place in Pulaski Co.
called Pumpkin Hollow. No correspondent then could tell me
where it was. No postmaster or official explained. On my
reporting this to Wayne Smith, he turned up in the
University Library an old official survey locating Pumpkin
Hollow. Any one can see it. Take a Rand-McNally map of
Pulaski Co. In the south center, just north of the
Cumberland River, is the little village of Northfield, in
the upper end of a little valley spreading south into the
Cumberland River. That is Pumpkin Hollow: and immediately
south of Northfield was the old Pumpkin Hollow School
House, near which Wayne Smith lived for a year or so when a
very small boy: when Godbeys were there, living later a
mile northeast of the Cedar Grove R. R. Station, where his
father died.
So John Monroe's approved account is a historical document
of the first importance: particularly in the detail that
John Godbey also settled there, and that some of his
descendants were still in Pumpkin Hollow 16 years after
Wayne Smith's family moved to Missouri. John Monroe does
not know when John Godbey came there. But he gives us a
direct challenge. Why did William leave the
well-established community on New River, where he had been
renter or employee only, and strike out for Pumpkin Hollow
knowing that he would be penniless and without farm tools
when he got there? There seems only one answer. John was
already settled there and offered him better terms than be
could get on New River. The two worked together till
William could buy a little land near Somerset.
And we have another cue as to date. The published Annals of
Southwest Virginia show that John Godbey was married to
Elizabeth walker 5-8-1793 by Rev. Richard Whitt. Anyone can
see that this John was not one of the Godbey's Cliffs
family. And it is improbable that Revolutionary John waited
ten years ere taking a second wife to care for his young
children. William was only two years old in 1783. This can
only be Williams older brother John, setting up, for
himself 11 years before William started for Pumpkin Hollow.
Henderson Valentine unconsciously adds a little to John
Monroe's letter, which he has never seen. He has insisted
from the first that his grandfather William's brother John
came into Pulaski Co. from the south, but did not stay
long: went back south. Of Wayne Smith's, John and Gabriel
of Boone Co., Indiana 100 years ago, he has insisted from
the first that they could not be of William's family, nor
of Gabriels from New River. They were children of an older
man: certainly of John who went back south. On 4-24-1939 he
wrote specifically that "John brother of William settled
somewhere between Bethelridge and Somerset, on the east
side of Fishing Creek, southwest of Science Hill: but only
stayed there 8 few days and went back". The entirely
independence of this testimony enhances its value. But H.
V. not knowing Pumpkin Hollow, could not know that when
John "went back", he did not go outside of Pulaski Co. It
must have been when John moved up on the east side of
Fishing Creek that his sons John and Gabriel went on to
Boone Co., Indiana.
Data in hand do not warrant further historical
reconstruction. Descendants of John Godbey who may see this
should be able to add information concerning the earliest
times. Henderson Valentine has the old wooden clock of his
grandfather William: and it is still keeping good time.
There may be mementoes of John in existence. And since John
was much older than William, some of his descendants may
know a little more about their father Revolutionary John,
than is shown here.
Allen H. Godbey
709 Yancey Street
Durham, N. C.