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Samuel Goff was born about 1797, in South Carolina according to the 1860 census. We believe Samuel Goff had a brother, William Goff, who was born about 1791-1795.
Samuel Goff married Mary A. "Polly" Ritch, who was born about 1801, in Tennessee. Age brackets in census records indicate that Samuel Goff may have been married twice and that Mary was his second wife. Some researchers believe Samuel and Mary married about 1830-1834. Some researchers also believe Mary had been married prior to her marriage to Samuel Goff. We have absolutely nothing to back up any of these ideas.
We first located Samuel in 1830 Calloway County, Kentucky. There were only 2 Goff families in Calloway County on the 1830 census. The census shows Samuel Goff, a male 30-40 (b. 1791-1800); one male 10-15 (b. 1816-1820); one male under 5 (b. 1826-1830); one female 30-40 (b. 1791-1800) and two females 5-10 (b. 1821-1825).
Also living in Calloway County was William Goff, who we believe was a brother to Samuel. The census shows William Goff, a male 30-30 (b. 1791-1800); two males under 5 (b. 1826-1830): one female 30-40 (b. 1791-1800); one female 10-15 (b. 1816-1820) and one female under 5 (b. 1826-1830).
The Goff family moved to Van Buren County, Arkansas about 1838-1839. The 1840 Van Buren County census shows Samuel Goff, a male 40-50 (b. 1791-1800); one male 20-30 (b. 1811-1820); one male 10-15 (b. 1826-1830); one male 5-10 (b. 1831-1835); one male under 5 (b. 1836-1840); one female 30-40 (b. 1801-1810); one female 15-20 (b. 1821-1825); one female 10-15 (b. 1826-1830); one female 5-10 (b. 1831-1835) and one female under 5 (b. 1836-1840).
Living next door was Jesse Goff, a male 20-30 (b. 1811-1820); one female 20-30 (b. 1811-1820) and one female under 5 (b. 1836-1840).
The 1850 Van Buren County census shows Samuel Goff, 55, a farmer, $100 real property; Mary, 49; John, 17, laborer; Jane, 15; Samuel, 13 and Mary, 9 years old. Living with the family was Hezekiah Sparkman, 23, a farmer, born in KY; James Goff, 12, born in AR (probably a nephew) and William Goff, 20, a laborer, born in KY (probably a nephew). Living near Samuel was the family of Jesse Goff.
The 1860 Van Buren County census shows Samuel Goff, 63, a farmer, $4000 real property, $300 personal property and Polly A., 46 years old. Several members of the Goff family lived nearby.
Samuel Goff died about 1865, in Van Buren County. We believe Mary died between 1861-1868, probably in Van Buren County.
If indeed Samuel was married prior to his marriage to Mary Ritch, then at least the first four of Samuel's children would have been born to his first wife. As we have nothing beyond census records (which are very often inaccurate), we are listing all the children as belonging to wife Mary Ritch. We believe the following were children of Samuel Goff.
Children of Samuel Goff and Mary Ritch
1. Jesse Goff, b. abt 1816, KY
2. Isabella Goff, b. March 7, 1821, KY; d. 1886, Van Buren Co, AR; m. Elijah Bean on July 20, 1837, in Calloway Co, KY. Elijah Bean was b. Nov 24, 1815, in NC; d. Nov 10, 1876, Van Buren Co, AR. (The family appears on the 1840, 1850, 1860 and 1870 Van Buren Co, AR census and Isabella appears on the 1880 Van Buren County census.) Children included: (1) Samuel H. Bean, b. July 12, 1838, Calloway Co, KY; d. Feb 8, 1864, in the Civil War; (2) Jesse Bean, b. Nov 19, 1840, Van Buren Co, AR; d. Apr 26, 1899, Cleburne Co, AR; (3) Mary Elizabeth Bean, b. Nov 15, 1842, Van Buren Co; (4) Belzada Bean, b. Dec 14, 1844, Van Buren Co; d. Oct 20, 1865, Van Buren Co; m. C. P. Freeman; (5) Emily Ann Bean, b. Mar 27, 1848, Van Buren Co; d. 1921-1929, Cleburne Co, AR ; m. George Andrew Jackson Smith; (6) Rebecca Bean, b. Sept 26, 1850, Van Buren Co; d. Apr 1888, White Co, AR; (7) William E. Bean, b. Nov 18, 1853, Van Buren Co; d. Feb 20, 1863, Van Buren Co; (8) John B. Bean, b. Apr 1, 1856, Van Buren Co; m. Sara Addie Sparkman and (9) George W. Bean, b. abt 1857, Van Buren Co; d. 1861-1868, Van Buren Co.
3. Rebecca Goff, b. abt 1825, KY
4. William Francis Goff, b. Dec 1827, KY; m. Sarah M. Edwards abt 1848. Sarah, b. abt 1848, SC; d. abt 1866, Van Buren Co, AR. William m. (2nd) Caroline F. Edwards aft 1866. Caroline, b. abt 1835; d. abt 1877, Van Buren Co. William m. (3rd) Amanda Chandler on Dec 6, 1888, in Cleburne Co, AR. Amanda, b. abt 1821, KY; d. abt 1889. Children by Sarah Edwards included: (1) Samuel E. Goff, b. abt 1849, Van Buren Co, AR; (2) Thomas E. Goff, b. Apr 1853, Van Buren Co; m. Cintha J. Smith; (3) John H. Goff, b. Jan 1854, Van Buren Co; m. Elizabeth Bostwin; (4) George W. Goff, b. Mar 1857, Van Buren Co; m. Almeda "Alma" McClure and (5) Mary Ann P. Goff, b. 1859, Van Buren Co; d. bef 1870, Van Buren Co.
5. John Henry Goff, abt 1833, Calloway Co, KY; d. Apr 7, 1862 at Shiloh, in TN, in the Civil War; m. Rebecca A. Duncan, who was b. abt 1838, KY. Children: (1) Thomas J. Goff, b. abt 1856, AR and (2) William Elijah Goff, b. Oct 1859, AR; m. Martha Ann Griffin
6. Sarah Jane Goff, b. abt 1835, Calloway Co, KY; m. Hezekiah Sparkman. Hezekiah, b. abt 1827, KY; d. Jan 24, 1862, Van Buren Co, AR, son of William Sparkman (b. 1785, NC; d. 1860, Van Buren Co, AR) and Rebecca Elizabeth Mitchell (b. 1796, SC; d. 1853). Children included: (1) Lee B. Sparkman, b. abt 1852, AR; m. Cassie Catherine Edwards; (2) W. Daniel Sparkman, b. abt 1855, AR and (3) Mary Perline Sparkman, b. abt 1857, AR
7. Unknown Daughter Goff, b. abt 1836-1840; d. bef 1849, AR
8. Samuel V. Goff, b. abt 1837, Calloway Co, KY
9. Mary Goff, b. abt 1841, Van Buren Co, AR