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Last Updated
October 24, 2007
From Reminisces of Worcester
by Caleb Wall (Worcester MA; Tyler & Seagrave, 1877)
Page 48, et. seq.
THE GOULDING FAMILY
Capt. Palmer Goulding came here from Boston, about 1718, and settled in the north precinct, afterwards Holden, where he died Feb. 11, 1770, aged 75, and was buried on the old Worcester Common burial ground. He was prominently engaged in the French and Indian Wars, and commanded a company at the reduction of Louisburg, June 17, 1745. Among their children were: 1st, Palmer, Jr., born about 1723, also captain, and father of Daniel Goulding; 2d, Ignatius, who married Elizabeth, daughter of Zebadiah Rice, (son of James Rice ;) 3d, Peter, father of Clark Goulding, among the children of the latter, who resided near Tatnuck, being Henry, Eli, Peter, and Frederick Goulding of Worcester, the four last named being born between 1800 and 1823; 4th, Abel Goulding, born in 1738, who married Keziah Johnson of Southborough, resided on Millstone Hill in Worcester, and died in Shrewsbury in 1817. Among the children of the latter, is the venerable John Goulding, mechanical inventor, of this city, now in his 87th year, whose sister Martha married William Rice, brother of the wife of Clark Goulding above mentioned. John Goulding's sister Lucy, married John Miller, father of Henry W. Miller. William Rice's cousin, Esther Rice, daughter of Lemuel Rice, keeper of the old stone jail and jail tavern at Lincoln Square, from 1790 to 1798, married in 1783, the celebrated Benjamin Russell afterwards of the Boston "Columbian Centinel," who previous to 1783 worked as a printer for Isaiah Thomas in Worcester, in the office of the Massachusetts Spy, where he learned his trade.
Clark Goulding, (mentioned above,) married Prudence, daughter of Luke Rice of Shrewsbury, and of their daughters, abigail, born in 1799, married Elisha Chaffin; Harriet, born 1801, married Ebenezer Dana; Lucy, born in 1807, married Jason Chapin; and Fanny, born in 1816, married Gardner Childs; all residents of Worcester.
Capt. Palmer Goulding, Jr., who married Abigail, daughter of Dea. Daniel Heywood, resided est of the Common, on Front street, between Salem Square and Trumbull street. He built for his son Daniel, nearly one hundred years ago, the old Bigelow mansion on the opposite side of the street, but pecuniary embarassments obliged the son to lose possession of it, and it was afterwards owned and occupied, among others, by George Merriam, fahter of George and Charles Merriam of Springfield, who had a bookstore in Worcester for many years in the old "Compound," so called. The late Hon. Abijah Bigelow, formerly member of Congress, and for a long time Clerk of the Courts for this County purchased the estate in 1817, and resided there until his death in 1860, aged 85; and his family lived there for many years afterwards, the old house being now occupied as a free dispensary by the city.
After Capt. Goulding's death in 1792, his son Daniel occupied the father's homestead until it was converted into a hotel about 1820, by Nathaniel Eaton, who kept it until his death in 1833, after which time the hotel there was continued by Aaron Howe, John Bradley, and Hiram Billings. The old building was removed previous to the erection of the Salem st. Church in 1848, and the old structure, built probably nearly a century and a half sgo, now stands in a remarkably good state of preservation on the westerly side of Tremont street.
Page 51
Capt. Palmer Goulding, Jr., had eight children, born between 1751 and 1781, most of whom died young. Daniel, the oldest, was born Sept. 20, 1752, and died Jan. 12, 1834, aged 81. Among other positions he held was that of Selectman four years, and Town Clerk twelve years, between 1781 adn 1798. He commanded a troop of cavalry under Gen. Lincoln, and put down the Shays Rebellion, in 1787.
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