Holbrook line: Richard Godfrey, Immigrant

Richard Godfrey is one of our ancestors who followed a slightly different path to New England, or at least a later path.  Many of the English ancestors I write about were here by the end of the Great Migration in 1635, but Richard didn't come until possibly 1650 or so.  I'm getting the cart ahead of the horse here, I guess, so let's backtrack.

Unfortunately, if we start at the beginning we don't know where we are, because Richard's parentage is very much a matter of question.  So is his birth location.  He may be the son of a Richard Godfrey born in Wales about 1600, and he may be the Richard Godfrey born in Lancashire, England in 1631, but there is no real proof for either "may be".  So we really know nothing of his life until he shows up in Taunton, Plymouth Colony, in 1652. We don't know whether he landed first at Boston, or landed at Plymouth, and we don't know what he did for a living in England.

 One slightly unusual aspect of his arrival was the timing of it.  He apparently arrived at the end of three Civil Wars in England (one right after another).  Did he come to America to escape military service, or had he already been a soldier?  Was it for purely economic reasons that he came?  What were his religious beliefs?  Plymouth was not generally a good place to live unless one could live in harmony with Separatists.  There was one exception:  If one had a skill that was needed at Plymouth, one would be welcome there.  And there is a possibility that Richard had skills that were needed in the iron making industry.  His wife was (unknown first name but many say Jane) Turner, daughter of John Turner and Jane, and they seem to have been married about 1650.  The location of the marriage is unknown at this time, but if they married in England they may well have come to America to work in the iron works that John Turner co-owned.  Richard's name hasn't been found in company records, but he did own land that was part of the forge

Richard and his wife had six children, but birth dates are lacking.  They were born from "circa 1651" to "say 1660".   Jane died before March of 1669/1670. Richard apparently stayed a bachelor for about 15 years, and then married Mary possibly Hoskins, widow of Mr. Palmer.

We see a few glimpses of Richard's life in that we know he was sentenced to spend two hours in the stocks on training day, for speaking "opprobriously" of some place in the town of Taunton, and 14 years later, was fined five pounds for actions unknown, but apparently they were to the detriment of William Wetherell, who was to receive the money.  His name is found in the records of King Philip's War, as having served but it seems more likely that this was his son, also named Richard.  He was still part of the military company in 1682, however, along with sons Richard Jr. and Robert.   

Richard's will is dated October 4, 1691 and was proved on November 17 of the same year.  His three daughters and son Robert were each given five pounds, and sons Richard and John were to pay the debts and share the remainder of the estate.  His second wife, Mary, was given 20 bushels of corn, one hog and one good cow  Perhaps he expected that she would go to live with one of her children, or his.  His inventory has been lost so we don't know the weapons he owned, or whether he owned books, or whether there was evidence of a religious belief in his home.  But we do know a few things about Richard Godfrey, and with luck, work, and money, perhaps more can be found.

The line of descent is

Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Mary Holbrook-Joseph Thompson
Alice Thompson-Joseph Rockwood
Levi Rockwood-Deborah Lazell
Susannah Rockwood-Nahum Hollbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Elizabeth Whittemore
Fremont Holbrook-Phoebe Brown
Loren Holbrook-Etta Stanard
Gladys Holbrook-Richard Allen
Their descendants

There is also a second line:

Richard Godfrey-(Jane?) Turner
Alice Godfrey-Peter Holbrook
Joseph Holbrook-Mary Cook
Jesse Holbrook-Abigail Thayer
Amariah Holbrook-Molly Wright
Nahum Holbrook-Susannah Rockwood
etc.

So I think anyone from Nahum Holbrook on down is their own cousin, somehow!