THE GOAD FAMILY

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One of the oldest families in this county is that of the Goads. They are to be found at this time over nearly all the county and in many surrounding counties. The family is supposed to be of English origin. Tradition says that the name of the family had its origin with a man named Wade, which is still a familiar name in the family. The man Wade was reported to have been an expert in the driving of cattle in the long ago, when goads were used to make the oxen step forward. The goad was a stick or rod tipped with iron or steel which was kept very sharp. The driver of work oxen walked behind them. When this draft animal was not going forward as he should the driver would reach out with the goad and give him a “prick” in the skin somewhere on the body. Sometimes the unruly ox would kick back at the goad and would sink it much deeper into his skin and flesh than the driver would have done of himself. Such, we believe, to have been the meaning of the Lord’s statement to Paul or Saul; “It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks,” when Saul was determined to take into custody all the followers of the Lord he could find or arrest. So Wade, the “goad” expert, became Wade Goad.

From Wade’s expertness with the goad, the Goad family is said to have derived its name. We have no direct proof of this, but this is a tradition in the family handed down from one generation to another. If any reader has something better to offer, send it in.

Some years ago an old Bible was found at Red Boiling Springs, formerly owned by Reuben Goad, who is believed to have been the ancestor of the Goad family of Tennessee and Kentucky, and in other places. Reuben Goad was born in Pittsylvinia County, Virginia, May twenty fifth, 1770. He married Mary Witcher, supposedly from the same county, on Oct. 3, 1789. He and his wife are thought to have come to what is now Macon County in the early part of the 19^th century, between 1800 and 1810. They came at about the same time the Witchers, Wilkerson and Jenkins families came, although the Jenkins family was from North Carolina. The Goads settled on the Highland Rim in what is now the east part of Macon County, then north Smith County. The old or first home of the family in Tennessee is unknown to the writer.

We are glad to record from the old Bible the names and dates of birth of the children of Reuben and Mary Witcher Goad. However, before giving this, we would like to mention that Tandy Witcher, sometimes called Wither, lived at Red Boiling Springs, as far back as 1799. Whether he was related to Mary Witcher is not know. The children born to the couple that married on Oct. 3, 1789 and the dates of their births are as follows: Nancy Goad, born Nov. 4, 1790; Susanna Goad, born Dec. 13, 1792; George Goad, born April 15, 1794; Sabra Goad, born Oct. 31, 1796; Sallie Goad, born June 11, 1799; Daniel Goad, born Dec. 2, 1801; Coleman Goad, born Jan. 1804; Polly Goad, born Feb. 7, 1808; Reuben Goad, born July 21, 1810; and Rachel Goad, born April 2, 1814. We are sorry that the old Bible did not give the names of the parties each of these married. However, Sabra Goad married Samuel Jenkins, son of Roderick Jenkins, son of William and Nancy Jenkins. William died as an old man in 1807. Roderick Jenkins married twice, but the name of his first wife isn’t known. His second wife was a Miss Pack, an Indian woman, so we are told.

Samuel Jenkins and his wife, the former Miss Sabra Goad, were the parents of: George Jenkins, married a Hesson and moved to Illinois; Dutch Jenkins, supposed to have married a Hesson; Coleman Jenkins, married a Davis, a McClard and two other women whose names are not known; Henry Jenkins, married Lucinda Gregory, daughter of Joel Gregory son of Jeremiah Gregory, the editor’s great-great-grandfather; Reuben Jenkins, named for his grandfather, Reuben Goad, and son Hargis, and later married Maria Williams; Buck Jenkins, married Polly Boston, daughter of George Boston, whose sister, Kate, was the editor’s great-grandmother.

Sabra Goad Jenkins died on Sept. 17, 1847, being 51 years old. The youngest of her sons was Reuben H. Jenkins, who was the father of Alexander W. Jenkins, president of the local bank, and a leading citizen of Lafayette. He is well preserved for his years and has an excellent memory of the long ago.

The Daniel Goad, born Dec. 2, 1801, is believed by the writer to have been the ancestor of the late Daniel D. Goad, who died a few years ago at his home at Hillsdale. We are sorry that we have no details on the offspring of Nancy, Susannah, George, Sallie, Coleman, Polly and Rachel Goad.

We have a fairly complete line of the descendants of Reuben Goad, Jr., born July 21, 1810. He married Betsy, daughter of Edword and Polly (?) Ellis. Later he married a McKinnis. By the Ellis woman he had the following children: Charles Edward Goad, born March 24, 1839, married Susan Burris; Mary, married Elisha Sloan, son of Jason and Patsy Brockett Sloan; Ann, never married; Betsy Goad, became the second wife of the Elisha Sloan just mentioned; Ellis Goad, married Ophelia Younger; and Tabitha Goad, died an old maid. By his second wife, Reuben Goad, Jr., became the father of: Timmie, Maggie, Reuben, Thomas, Evelyn and Nannie Goad, all of whom moved to Texas.

Mary Goad, daughter of Reuben Jr., married Elisha Sloan, as set out above, and became the mother of: Nola, died young; and Mary, died an old maid.

Charles Edward Sloan and his wife, the former Miss Susan Burris, were the parents of: Billie Goad, born July 17, 1857, married a Younger; Pochahontas Goad, born Feb. 16, 1857, and married W. Templeton Oldham; Elizabeth (Betty) Goad, born Sept. 13, 1863, and married Ezekiel Rose; and we may say here that she gave us most of the information about the family and is well in spite of her more than 88 years; George W. Goad, the writer’s teacher for many years and one of the best Macon County ever produced, born Feb. 6, 1867, and married Mary Patterson, daughter of Neal W. Patterson; Molly (Mary) Tabitha, born July 28, 1867, and married Collie Thomas; Isadore Goad, born March 6, 1871, and married Ira Sloan, son of John Sloan, son of Jason Sloan; Kittie Ellis Goad, born Dec. 23, 1872, and died unmarried on July 23, 1894; James Howard Goad, born Dec. 19, 1876, and married Dicy Russell. It may be added that Betty and Howard are all the children that still live.

But to return to the children of Reuben and Betsy Ellis Goad, we resume with the name of Ann Goad. She died unmarried. Next on our list is the name of Betty Goad, who married Elisha Sloan, who had first married her sister, Mary Goad. Betty and Elisha were the parents of: Billie Sloan, who married Maggie Gregory, daughter of Will Gregory, son of Smith Gregory, son of Squire Bill Gregory, son of Thomas Gregory, the writer’s great-great-great-grandfather; Annie Sloan, married Clayton Hesson; Betty Sloan, married Campbell Grissom; Elisha E. (Mann) Sloan, married Bettie Smith, daughter of Elder Luther Smith; Sallie, married Jim Ballard; Archie F. Sloan, married a Beasley; and Charlie C. Sloan, who married a Price.

Daniel D. Goad, who died a few years ago at Hillsdale, was the son of Richards Goad, who married Elizabeth Roark. Daniel had one brother, John, who died as a boy; and three sisters, Betty, Joyce, and Emma. We hope to have more on this line inside the next few weeks.

Another son of Samuel Jenkins and Sabra Goad Jenkins is thought to have been Arthur Jenkins, commonly known as Arter. He is reported to have fallen into a pool of water and to have drowned as a youth.

We have mentioned Susanna Goad and stated that we have no information about her. We find we do have the record of one Susan Goad, who married James Jenkins, son of Roderick, and a brother of Samuel Jenkins. A. W. (Alex) Jenkins, our fellow townsman, says that Susan was a sister of his grandmother, Sabra Goad. So we do have her line of descendants, Susan and Susanna being one and the same. She and her husband, James Jenkins, were the parents of: Dick Jenkins, married his first cousin, Nancy Goad; James Jenkins, Jr., married Oma Dycus; Arch Jenkins, married a McDuffee, and was later killed by Buck Smith and other guerrillas; Raulston Jenkins, married Barbara Hesson; Mahulda Jenkins, married Henry Hunter; Maria, married Chesley Thomas; Miranda, married Tom Thomas, a brother of Chesley; Jefferson Jenkins, married Martha Parkhurst; and Mirada, married Josh Smith.

Coleman Jenkins, above mentioned as marrying four times, was the father of: Margaret Jenkins, married George “Red” Jenkins, her second cousin; Elizabeth Jenkins, married first to Jim Jenkins and later to Lon Jenkins, both relatives of hers; Cis Jenkins, no further record; Bud Jenkins, married Matilda, daughter of the George Boston above referred to; and later a Driver, and still later a Whittemore; Calvin Jenkins went to Texas; Jim Jenkins, married a Gregory; Grant Jenkins, married Fannie, daughter of Robert Hawkins Gregory, a brother of the writer’s grandmother, Sina Gregory; Garfield Jenkins, went to California, Bertha Jenkins, married a Russell; Sabra Jenkins, married Ben Wilburn; Coleman, Jr., and Elder Willie Jenkins, a Baptist minister now residing on R. 1, Donelson, Tenn.

Henry, son of Samuel and Sabra Jenkins, married Lucinda, daughter of Joel Gregory, as set out above. They were the parents of: Mary Jenkins, married Ben Coley; William Chesley Jenkins, known as Bill Sam and by others as “Dooby,” married Jane, daughter of George Boston; and later a Mrs. Lyons; John W. Jenkins, married Nancy Boston, a sister of Jane Boston; Matilda Jenkins, married her cousin, Bill Nick Jenkins; Betty, died young; Henry L. Jenkins, also died young; and Martha, about whom we have no record.

The Jefferson Jenkins above mentioned as being the son of James and Susan Goad Jenkins, and having married Martha Packhurst, was the father of: Lon, married the Elizabeth Jenkins above referred to; Susan Jenkins, married a Reed; Raulston Jenkins, married a Dickens; Pete Jenkins, married a Greanead; Ezekiel Jenkins, no further record; Rebecca Jenkins, married a Knight; Elizabeth Jenkins, married an Evans; and John Jenkins, married a Hall.

Arch Jenkins, son of James and Susan, married a McDuffee, and became the father of Betsy, George, Calloway, Gilbert and Norman Jenkins. Gilbert died only a few years ago on upper Defeated Creek, where his son, Lester Jenkins, still lives.

Dick Jenkins, son of James and Susan, married his first cousin, Nancy Goad, and became the father of Brother, Pos and Dixon Jenkins. Dixon was the father of the late Esley Jenkins.

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