Richard Goodale "1st settlers of Salisbury Mass 1639"

Richard Goodale was the fourth child and second son of John Goodale and Bridget (Portler) Goodale. He was baptized on 29 July 1594 at Downham, Norfolk, England. About 1615, he married Dorothy Whitrends, also called Whitends, at Great Yarmouth, Norfolk. Dorothy was born about 1590, probably at Downham, and died at Salisbury, Massachusetts, on 29 January 1665.

When Richard's father made his will in 1625, Richard's whereabouts were unknown, as were the names of Richard's two children; consequently, those children were not named in John Goodale's will. Walter Goodwin Davis suggested that Richard may have been in Ireland. This remains a suggestion rather than a documented conclusion, although Richard later had an Irish servant, Cornelius Conner. Richard was in Yarmouth, Norfolk, in 1637, when he and his stepmother, Elizabeth Parlett Taylor Goodale, were defendants in a chancery suit.

By 1638, Richard had settled at Newbury, Massachusetts, with his wife Dorothy; their children, Richard and Ann; his stepmother Elizabeth; and Elizabeth's daughter, his half-sister Elizabeth. The exact date of the family's migration and the name of their ship are not known. Soon after arriving in Newbury, Richard moved across the Merrimac River to the new town first called Colchester and later known as Salisbury. He was an original grantee there and received additional grants of land in 1639, 1643, and 1654.

Richard was described as a planter and a turner, or lathe operator. He served on the Norfolk County grand jury in 1652 and 1654. Family tradition states that he was an outstanding hunter. Cornelius Conner, identified as an Irish servant, was associated with his household.

Richard made his will on 7 June 1666. He died at Salisbury on 16 September 1666. His estate, including goods, housing, lands, orchards, pastures, meadows, plow lands, other lands, and cattle, was to be divided equally between his son Richard and his daughter Ann and her husband, William Allen. He made two stated exceptions: he left a cow named Primerose to his granddaughter Hubbard and left his wearing apparel, both woolen and linen, to Cornelius Conner, formerly his servant.

The inventory suggests that Richard had rented his house to Joseph Lancaster and spent his final months living with his daughter Ann. William Allen was owed payment for Richard's “diet and attendance” at ten shillings per week from 3 May 1666 to 16 September 1666. The property was divided equally between Richard Goodale and William Allen, Ann's husband.

Richard and Dorothy had two known children. Their son Richard Goodale was born about 1616 at Yarmouth, Norfolk, married Mary, surname not given, about 1640 at Salisbury, and died in 1676 at Middleton, Connecticut. Their daughter Ann Goodale was born about 1618 at Yarmouth, married William Allen about 1638 or 1639 at Salisbury, and died there on 31 May 1678. William Allen was born about 1610 at Sandwich, Kent, England, was the son of George Allen, died on 18 June 1686, and later married, as his second wife, the widow Alice Roper Dickenson.