In the late 1990’s, my cousin, Jody Fisher took my research on the Goins family and started a detailed search into finding her ancestors. In 1997, Jody’s information about our Goins family was “sandwiched” into Section 107 of the Gowen Manuscript. At that time, the Gowen Foundation regarded Obadiah Goins as the father of Edmond and Hugh Goins of Rutherford County, North Carolina.
The Gowen Foundation had Obadiah, Hugh and probably Edmond living in Rutherford County, North Carolina prior to the move of all three to Tennessee. Obadiah was enumerated in Monroe County, Tennessee in the 1830 and 1840 census, while Edmond was recorded in nearby Blount County.
Obadiah was described as “free colored” in the 1840 census, suggesting that he was a Melungeon. Obadiah Goings also appeared in the 1850 census of Monroe County as the head of a household, age 73, born in Virginia. The Gowen Foundation list only six Obadiahs in over 10,000 pages of the manuscript. Only one of them was born about 1777 in Virginia.
That Obadiah Goins is the son of Shadrach Goins of Hanover, Halifax and Patrick Counties, Virginia. Shadrach Goins wrote his will in Patrick County in 1805 and named Obadiah Goins, his ninth and youngest son as his executor. Obadiah sold out his inherited land in Patrick County in 1808 and probably moved to Rutherford County, North Carolina.
The Gowen Foundation said that Obadiah Gowen wrote his will in nearby Roane County, Tennessee in 1858 and that it might hold clues that would help tie Edmond and Obadiah together.
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