Spinsters & Bachelors

In my many interviews I have noticed that most people had stories about unmarried people in their families. As these interviews progressed over the years, it stuck me that the roll of these people were often extremely important to the family group, sometimes as important as the roll of a parent or grandparent. The choice not to marry in a society that is geared towards marriage, raises many interesting questions about their matrimonial choices and the consequences of their choices. We can usually document if these individuals lived alone or within some type of a family group; however, it is more difficult to document the possible choice of a "non-White" or same-sex relationship in which their stories have been purposely hidden out of fear, shame, or misunderstanding. Often as difficult as tracing and understanding the history of enslaved people or of women, both who left few personal records, the stories of these people catagorized as bachelors and spinster is also a challenge to uncover.

The two Amos Gooches

From the record of the Gooch family of Granville County, NC there are two bachelor men who stand out in family stories and in the public records. These men have two things in common, one that they never married and two they acquired a great deal of wealth that placed them as central characters in the Gooch family life. However, beyond these similarities the stories of the two men are quite different.

Amos Gooch, the elder ()

Amos Gooch is the son of Joseph Gooch, probably by his wife Rachel. Deeds show that a great deal of Amos' land was acquired from his father. Tax records show him as a wealthy planter in the region. There are two records that give us detailed informtation on Amos and his life. One of these is a detailed record in which Amos claims Elizabeth Harris to be his bastard child and makes her his heir. These records, as well as, later probate establish that Amos father this child from his first cousin Mary "Polly" Gooch, the daughter of Rowland & Lively (Thweat) Gooch. Mary Gooch had married a man named Tyree Harris, who appears to have deserted his wife and family; however, not enough records survive to clarify what actaully happened. Since Amos' younger brother married a first cousin and first cousin marriages were quite common among the Gooch family, it is not clear why Amos never married Mary unless of course the child was born after Mary's marriage to Tyree. The second record concerning Amos involves the probate of his estate. Amos' brother, Daniel Gooch, contested Amos' will, in which Amos had left his two sibling only $10. Daniel's claim against the estate is that changes made to Amos' will were made at a time when Amos was not mentally competent. Daniel cites that Amos had a drinking problem and relates an incident when he fell into a fish trap. Daniel's claims were not sufficient and the estate was divided as stated in the will. Other depositions indicate that Amos had felt burdened by his kinfolk who were always borrowing money.

Amos Gooch, the younger ()

Unlike his uncle, Amos Gooch appears to have been greatly loved by his family and avoided scandle. A large collection of letters survive in the NC State Archives indicating that his nieces and nephews wrote constantly to Amos, often for help. Many of these letters show genuine affection for Amos. Looking at Granville's records we find that Amos lived in his father's home with his unmarried sisters Hannah and Nancy. Hannah, who owned the house and home farm kept house, while Amos appears to have taken care of the various family businesses. Census records and probate indicate it was not unusual to find various children in the Gooch household, since many orphaned children found a home with Amos and Hannah.

Thomas Gooch()

It is interesting to find that many of the children of Daniel & Nancey (Sneed) Gooch did not choose to marry and if they did, it was ususally late in life. Thomas Gooch was one of the family who never married. Thomas left Granville County, NC for Mississippi when his eldest sibling, Samuel Gooch, died leaving a wife a several children. Thomas Gooch came to manage Samuel's estate in Mississippi. There is a Mississippi record indicate that Thomas may have taken out a bond of marriage to Harriet Talbert; however, no record of the marriage survives and family oral history and letter indicate he never married. It may be that Harriet died and Thomas never thought of marriage afterwards. With Thomas we also find record that he may have had a family out of wedlock. Upon his death, Thomas nephew bitterly writes that Thomas had left one of his Negroes property. Among the WPA interviews, we find that Henrietta Gooch Williamson who was born into slavery in Thomas' household gave her account of life on the Gooch farm and recalls Thomas having a "son" Doc Williamson who fought in the Civil War. The way the interview was recorded is confusing, but suggests that this man was Thomas' son; however, there were also enslaved people in Thomas' household that took the Williamson name.