Note: Not all of the following information has been documented. Much of the information on the early generations was obtained from The Gowen Research Foundation.
Re: the spelling variations of the surname GOINS. It is important to keep in mind that often the early generations of our ancestors were unable to read and write, and therefore did not know how to spell their names. The spelling of their names was left to others who spelled the names in whatever manner seemed best to them.
For consistency, I have spelled the surname of all of the members of each generation the same see below) but have put in parentheses the spelling that seemed to follow each family member, and then have used that spelling for that generation. If this leads to confusion, just keep the above information in mind. Eventually, we reach the generations of our own family that have consistently spelled the surname as we know it - GOINS.
GENERATION ONE
WILLIAM GOWAN
William Gowan and his wife Anastasia are thought to be the parents of the following children, most (if not all) of whom were born in Goochland County, Virginia in the mid to late 1700s:
Anastasia Gowan - b. 17 Sep. 1756
William Gowan Jr. (Gowen) - b. abt. 1757
James Gowan (Gouven) - b. 28 nov. 1758
Joseph Gowan (Going) - b. abt. 1760
Isham Gowan (Gowen) - b. abt. 1762
Jeremiah Gowan (Goin) - b. abt. 1767
Manoah Gowan (Gowen) - b. abt. 1768
Nancy Gowan (Goin) - b. 4 Mar. 1770
Elizabeth ("Betsy") Gowan (Gowing) - b. abt. 1775
Micajah Gowan (Going) - b. abt. 1782
Sally Gowan (Goan) - b. abt. 1792
GENERATION TWO
JOSEPH GOING
Joseph Going was born about 1760 in Goochland County, Virginia. He married Judith Pollard on 20 Sept. 1780 in Bedford County, Virginia. Judith was the daughter of Francis Pollard and Betty Phelps.
A "Joseph Going" was listed in the Revolutionary War records of Virginia, section 2, document #44, "Non-comms who did not receive bounty land." He was a corporal in the infantry.
The children of Joseph and Judith Going are as follows:
Elizabeth Going
John Going
William Going (Gowen)- b. 1788
Samuel H. Going - b. abt. 1790
Pollard Going - b. abt. 1791
Polly Going - b. abt. 1799
Jane Going - b. 1802
Jenny Going - b. 1807
GENERATION THREE
WILLIAM GOWEN
b. 1788 in Bedford County, Virginia.
William Gowen, son of Joseph Going and Judith Pollard Going, was born in Bedford County, Virginia. He was married twice and had children by both wives as listed below:
Wife #1: Rebecca Gowing married William Gowen on 9 March 1806 in Madison County, Kentucky by Charles Fennel, as per copy of marriage record obtained from Madison Co. KY courthouse.
The children born to William and Rebecca Gowen were:
Ann Gowen
Rebecca Gowen - b. abt. 1809 - m. 15 Feb. 1837 to John Ross.
Wife #2: Elizabeth Tatum married William Gowen on 27 Aug. 1811 in Madison County, Kentucky by Joseph R. Pond, per copy of marriage record obtained from Madison Co. KY courthouse.
The children of William and Elizabeth Gowen were:
Thomas Gowen (Goin) - b. abt. 1812
William Gowen - b. abt. 1815
William Gowen (Gowin) - b. abt. 1823
GENERATION FOUR
THOMAS GOIN
b. abt. 1812 - Madison Co. KY
Thomas Goin was born about 1812 in Madison Co. KY, one of the sons of William Gowen and Elizabeth Tatum Gowen. On 25 March 1835, Thomas was married to Lucy Ann Long Whitlock, a widow with several children, in Madison County, Kentucky by Thomas Woolverton, as per copy of marriage record obtained from Madison Co. KY courthouse in Richmond, Kentucky.
In 1842, according to a document obtained from the Madison Co. KY courthouse in Richmond, Kentucky, Thomas Goin became indebted to Turner, McClanahan & Turner for the sum of $17.23. The document reads as follows:
- Whereas, I am indebted to Turner, McClanahan & Turner, seventeen dollars, twenty three cents, due in twelve months from this day, for which I have this day executed my note. Now to secure therin in the above note, I hereby mortgage to them the lease of land I now live on, which I own for three years after this year, also my sorrel mare, one year old horse colt, and one this spring's colt, also all my cows and calves, all my hogs, also my crop of corn now on the place I now live on. Now should I pay off the above note, then this obligation is void, else to be and remain in full force. Given under my hand and seal this 1st Oct. 1842. Signed Thomas Goin (seal)
The children of Thomas and Lucy Goin were:
Jackson Alexander Goin (Goins) - b. 1836
William Harrison Goin (Goins) - b. 2 Feb. 1838
Beverly Franklin Goin (Goins) - b. 5 May 1840
John Goin (Goins) - b. 1842
Mary Jane Goin (Goins) - b. abt. 1845
Cyrus Miller Goin (Goins) - b. 26 Oct. 1847
Robert B. Goin (Goins) - b. 29 Mar. 1851
GENERATION FIVE
WILLIAM HARRISON GOINS
William Harrison Goins, second child of Thomas and Lucy Goin, was born on 2 Feb. 1838 in Madison County, Kentucky.
William and Frances "Fanny" Ann Whitaker were married on 25 Sep. 1864 in Madison Co. KY. Fanny was the daughter of Marcus Aurelius Whitaker and Mourning Ham Whitaker. According to a copy of their marriage record obtained from the Madison Co. KY courthouse in Richmond, Kentucky, William H. Goins was a 26 year old farmer and Fanny Ann Whitaker was 17 years of age. The father of Fanny Ann Whitaker was present and gave consent for the license to be issued. They were to be married at Mark Whitaker's in Madison Co. The $100 marriage bond was taken out with Jackson Goins (William's brother) as surety.
William and Fanny Goins had eight children:
Lucy Ellen Goins - b. 11 Feb. 1867
Relus Marcus Goins - b. 4 Nov. 1869
Cyrus Goins - b. abt. 1873
Middleton "Mid" Goins - b. 11 Jan. 1874
Edaline "Dollie" Goins - b. 7 Feb. 1876
Benjamin Franklin Goins - b. 25 Dec. 1878
Elizabeth "Lizzy" Goins - b. 7 Jan. 1880
Georgia Ann (or Georgeanne) Goins - b. 26 Feb. 1888
GENERATION SIX
RELUS MARCUS GOINS
"Relus Marcus" Goins was born on 4 Nov. 1869 in Madison Co. KY to William Harrison Goins and Frances "Fanny" Ann Whitaker Goins. He married Eliza Jane Ball on 5 Nov. 1891 in Garrard County at the county clerk's office.
Five sons were born to Mark and Eliza:
Robert Lee Goins - b. 6 Oct. 1892
Martin Louis Goins - b. 25 Feb. 1894
William Goble (Arbuckle) Goins - b. 2 May 1899
James Goins - b. 5 May 1901
Harry Morgan Goins - b. 22 June 1913
The Mark and Eliza Goins family (about 1906)
****RELUS STORY TO BE INSERTED HERE.
Eliza Jane and R. Mark Goins
GENERATION SEVEN
JAMES GOINS
James Goins, born 5 May 1901 at Marksbury, Kentucky in Madison County, was the fourth child born to Mark and Eliza Goins.
James Goins as a young man
He married Nancy Jane Jones on 30 Oct. 1920 in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Nancy was the daughter of Lilburn Jones and Loretta Gaines Jones.
Nancy Jane Jones as a young woman
Jim and Nancy Goins had the following children:
Raymond Lee Goins - b. 5 Sep. 1921
Agnes Loretta Goins - b. 26 June 1923
Arvina Goins - b. 12 June 1925
Baby Boy Goins - stillborn 28 July 1926
James Goins Jr. - b. 11 March 1929
Baby Boy Goins - stillborn 12 Nov. 1930
Harry Edwin Goins - b. 29 Jan. 1932
Nancy Jane Goins - b. 4 July 1936
John Edward Goins - b. 12 Oct. 1937
William Kenneth Goins - b. 18 April 1946
Jim and Nancy Goins - 1925 - with Raymond, Aggie and Arvina
GENERATION EIGHT
WILLIAM KENNETH GOINS
Kenny Goins - born 18 April 1946.
He married Kathy Anderson on 21 May 1965 at First Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Franklin, Indiana.
Kenny and Kathy Goins - 1965
Their children are:
William Kenneth Goins (Jr.)
Paulina Jane Goins
James David Goins
John Jerel Goins
The William K. Goins family - 1987
GENERATION NINE
WILLIAM KENNETH GOINS (JR.)
Billy Goins as a newborn baby.
Bill Goins married Melissa Ann Smith at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Bill and Missy Goins
Bill and Missy had the following children:
Jennifer Dawn Goins
James Benjamin Goins
GENERATION TEN
JENNY AND BEN GOINS
Jenny and Ben - Christmas 1997