General Notes

BIOGRAPHY
William and Elizabeth Goodell, the grandparents of Robert were probably members of the Godelle or Goodelle family, French Huguenots
who emigrated to London in the 1530's.  Huguenots were Protestant followers of John Calvin during the 1500's and 1600's.  It's members
were persecuted in France and suffered greatly.  In all, eight wars were fought between the Huguenots an d French Catholics between 1562
and 1598 in their struggle for survival.  Although the protestants had the support of many French leaders and nobility, the queen mother,
Catherine de Mâedicis made a compact with the Duke of Guise which resulted in the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day on August 24,
1572, whe n thousands of Huguenots were slaughtered.  During this period of per-secution more than two million of the Huguenots left
France to seek a more friendly at mosphere.  The Goodells were among that number who emigrated to England.  The name appears as Goodell, Goodale, Goodall, or according to the late Rev. Isaac Goodell, as "some other of the 18 variations".  We find the historian Bowen and other genealogists call him Goodell, while the historian Perly calls him Goodale.

Although his birth year was given as 1604 in his oath of allegiance when sailing for America, one of Robert's descendants has verified the
church baptisimal record as 1601.  The "Elizabeth" left Ipswich, England on April 30, 1634 and landed at Boston in July.  At that time,
Robert Goodell was 30, his wife Katherine was 28, their daughter Mary 4 years old, their son Abraham was 2 and their baby, Isaac was 6
months old.  The first record of the Goodells in America indicated that they settled just north of Salem at Great Cove in the North Fields.
The Spring, so often mentioned in the early records, in what was later called Liberty Hill Park, was on Robert Goodell's farm and was
known for the first half century of  Salem's history as Goodell's Spring.  It is not recorded how he acquired this first farm.  However,
in 1636 and in 1638 he received grants of twenty acres each in that portion of the town which became known as Salem Village, and he
gradually acquired by purchase similar grants ma de to other early settlers, until by 1651, he was the owner of a tract of land at Bald
Hill comprising four hundred and eighty acres, which was con-firmed to him by a town grant on November 7, 1651.  He probably moved to this new property at about that time, and as opportunity offered, disposed of his Great Cove farm, deeding the house and a portion of the land to his son-in-law, John Smith in 1658.  Another lot was conveyed to Nicholas Manning in 1667, and a third conveyance was probably made to John Orne, who owned a part of the property , hitherto unconveyed in 1684.

Robert Goodell seems to have devoted his life to the developement of his large grant for the benefit of his sons and daughters.  As they
married, he gave them a generous acreage as a wedding gift, thus creating a family settlement about his own homestead.  Although his
clear fi rm handwriting would seem to indicate a good education, he took no part in loc al or broader governmental affairs and his name
seldom appears in the records in any active capacity except as plaintiff or defendant in suits based on the ownership of his stock or
land.

His will reads as follows, "I, Robert Goodell being now aged & weake in body, as alsoe my wife and my daughter Elizabeth Bennett, hath
taken care of me and therefore my will & desire is & I doe will & bequeath unto my daughter Elizabeth Bennett & my grand child, John
Smith, m y house & the orchard & all the meadowes that I now possess with the pasture which is about eight acres of upland be it more or
lesse, all which house, land & meadows my daughter Elizabeth Bennett, and my Grand child John Smith, shall enjoy after the lease, or terme, that it is now let for, is expired, they or either of them paying as much rent, yearly as the wife of the abovesaid Robert Goodell hath let it for which is to the value of twenty shillings in currant pay, dated the twelfth of October one thousand six hundred eighty two; & after my daughter Elizabeth's decease, the whole lands shall be my grand child's John Smith.
In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand & seal
      Francis Scerry
                                                             Robert Goodell
      John. Massey
                                                             his marke & seale


     The sd Francis Scerry & John Massey, whoe are entered as witnesses to the above written, made oath in court at Salem that in their presence the sd Robert did signe & seale to the above written as his act & deed & last will & testament: In Court at Salem; 27 June 1683

Attesr Hilliard Verne Cler.

     We whose names are under written being desired by the widdow Margaret Goodell, wife of the late deceased Robert Goodell, do appr'se the estate of the deceased Robert Goodell, aprizes as followeth,
£   s     d
      the house uplands orchard & meadow 71  00   00
      2 cowes £ 5, wearing apparell bedding & other lumber          £ 3 1s
08  16   00
--    --     --
79  16   00

     Salem the 10 day of March 1682/3 Nathaniel Putnam Job Swinerton

Whether the house in question satisfied the "prenuptual" arrangement that Robert had with Margaret remains to be investigated. At the time of their marriage, he had agreed to "settle on her twelve acres of land, a new dwelling house which I doe intend, God welling, shortly to build and two cowes & a horse or mare fitt for her to ride on." This property was to have gone to Robert's son Jacob at the death of his step - mother, though Jacob died without issue prior to the date of the will.

Sources: A Genealogy of the Descendants of Robert Goodale / Goodell of Salem Mass by Williams, Geo E. - 1984; Pioneers of Massachusetts by Pope, Charles Henry -1900; LDS Ancestral file (Goodale); History of Salem MA by Perly; Wason Research; Vital Records of Salem MA; Batchelder, Batcheller Genealogy by Pierce,
Frederick Clifton - 1898