Welsh Goldens come from the Gwaltney family of Llanycefn, Dungleddy, Pembrokeshire, Wales

Golding/Golden/Goulding Family History on Facebook


UPDATED 2013.07.25 | Changes described at end of page

This is a short story of how Welsh Goldens in America came into being from the Gualmay/Gwaltney family.

The name Gualmay is Welsh in origin and means “Field Hawk” or “Hawk of May”. Gualmay is a derivative of the Welsh Gwalchmai, which is a place name (in Anglesey, Wales) and is traced back to the Knight Gawain (King Arthur Legend).

Today the Gualmay name has largely passed into history and the descendents of the Gualmay family often go by Gwaltney, Gaultney, Galtney … and a few go by Golden.

A Brief History

1613 – Thomas Gualmay, Sr., (b.1590) had a son, Thomas Jr., born at Llanycefn, Dungleddy, Pembrokeshire, Wales in 1613. Some family histories claim that Thomas was born in Ireland. I have never seen any documentation of the Irish connection and the Gualmay family appear to be found only in the Pembrokeshire, Wales area.

>>> 1630/1631 – Some family histories claim that Thomas married  Martha Mary Liburne (also known as Leyborn, a Swedish name) at Surrey, Virginia. No sources are provided for this marriage — AND Thomas had not even left Wales yet so …

1635 – Thomas Gualmay (b.1613) emigrated to Barbados at age 22 and was the first of the Gwaltney, Gaultney, and Galtney families in America.

c.1645 – Thomas marries Mary Atkinson; the marriage record indicates that Gualmay is now Gwaltney. His children were Ann, James, John, Katherine, Mary, Susannah, Ruth, Thomas, and William Gwaltney.

1659/1662 – In Thomas’ 1659 Will, filed in Isle of Wight County, Virginia he is again listed as Gwaltney. When the Will is proven in 1662 his name remains Gwaltney. // Note: Reference is made within his Will to a land patent called “White Marsh”. This land would later pass into my mother’s family, the Norfleets, almost 100 years later.

Gwaltney becomes Golden

William Gwaltney (1675–1728), son of Thomas Gwaltney (b.1613), had a son: John Gwaltney (1703–1752).

John Gwaltney (b.1703) had 10 children — but only 9 are named Gwaltney (whose descendents are named Gwaltney, Gaultney, or Galtney).

The children of John Gwaltney: Benjamin, Elender Eli, Elizabeth, James, John, Joseph, Martha, Robert, Steven, and William.

For whatever reason Elender Eli is given or later chooses the name Golden.

Elender Eli Golden goes on to marry an unknown bride of supposed Cherokee birth and has two sons: Mark Golden 1762-1844  and  John Golden 1775-?. All of his siblings remained Gwaltney, and their children are Gwaltney.

So that is how some Goldens came to have Welsh bloodlines and how it came to be that their ancestors are named Gualmay and Gwaltney, and not Golden.

Relationship Confirmation

In an age of Y-DNA testing that can confirm relationships, it would be nice to know of any Y-DNA testing by male members of the Gwaltney family.

The descendents of Mark Golden test as haplogroup ‘G2′.

If you have any information I would appreciate getting it. Send to Norfolk1956@gmail.com

Descendents of Mark Golden have taken Y-DNA tests with the result of being DNA halogroup G-M201 / G2a

Testing Kits:

  • 80596 and labeled ‘Golden | Mark Golden Sr., b. 1762 in South Carolina | G | G-M201
  • N20439 | Golden | Mark Golden, Sr b. 1762 SC, d. 1844 AL | G2a | G-P15 M201+, M285-, M286-, M342-, P15+, P16-, P18-, P20-
  • 80674 | Golden | Mark Golden, 1790 – 1833 | G2a | G-P15 P15+
  • H2016 | Jackson | Mark Golden Sr., b. 1762 | G2a3b1a1a | G-L13 L13+, M253-, M26-

CHANGES

2013.07.25 – Added a note asking for Y-DNA information from any Gwaltney.

Print Friendly

Leave a Reply