Goddard news

Goddard Gathering 2013
June 27-29, Seattle, WA, USA

Seattle summers are among the most beautiful in the country and attract visitors from far and wide who come to see the famous Space Needle, Pike Place Market, and the area's natural beauties.

Seattle lies on a narrow strip of land between the salt waters of Puget Sound and the fresh waters of Lake Washington. It is a city built on hills and around water, in a mild marine climate that encourages prolific vegetation and abundant natural resources. Ferries ply the Sound, each year carrying 11 million commuters and visitors between the metropolis and the region's many islands. Beyond the waters lie two rugged mountain ranges, the Olympics to the west and the Cascades to the east. 

Settlers came to the Seattle area in 1851, and soon thereafter built a town in what is now the historic Pioneer Square district, where a protected deep-water harbor was available. Seattle today boasts a thriving arts scene, many diverse fine dining experiences, an active historic preservation community, and a variety of world-class museums.

For more information:
Visit the Gathering 2013 page.

Barbados Goddards

Barbados is a small nation in the Caribbean, an independent member of the British Commonwealth since 1966. The island was visited by the Spanish and  Portuguese from time to time after the voyages of Columbus; through enslavement and disease, the Spanish effectively decimated the indigenous population. 
 
In 1624 the first English ship arrived, claiming the island for King James I. Permanent English settlement began in 1627. Mariner and bondsman Capt. Nicholas Goddard, his brothers Anthony, Arthur, and William, and sister, Elizabeth, were among the early immigrants. Their birthplace is believed to be Staple Fitzpaine, Somerset, UK; if so, they likely represent a branch of the North Wiltshire Goddards.
 
In the colony's early years, most labor was provided by indentured men from the British Isles and Europe. As was true all over the New World, some entered voluntarily into indenture in search of opportunity, or to escape from war-torn homelands. Others (notably from Scotland and Ireland) were transported involuntarily by Oliver Cromwell's government. Contracting and supplying such indentured labor may have formed part of the business conducted by Capt. Goddard, who was established in Barbados by the 1640s.
 
During this period sugar cane was introduced to the island. Barbados become the foremost plantation economy in the world, and slaves began to replace comparatively expensive indentured workers.
 
By 1679, Nicolas Goddard owned 74 acres and 38 slaves, and was able to endow his daughter Elizabeth upon her marriage with 850 acres in the colony of Virginia. Many of his European contemporaries were less fortunate, including some members of the Goddard family. As economic opportunities shrank many left Barbados altogether. This exodus has continued over intervening centuries; many Barbadian Goddards have since dispersed around the world and lost touch with their colorful past.
 
Family research for these descendants presents significant challenges. Working with Richard Goddard, lead family researcher in Barbados, the Goddard DNA project hopes to identify ancestral patterns for this family. For more information, contact Richard Goddardrichgod@sunbeach.net or the Goddard DNA projectgozzardry@gmail.com