by Phillip G. Goff, GGFA Director of Genetic Genealogy
A GGFA member posted a query on the GGFA Facebook site about how Isham Goff (b. c1810 SC) fits into the genetic family called 1658 GOFFE/GOUGH/GOFF (US-VA-KQN) R-FT367367. The earliest known record of Isham Goff is his marriage to Sarena McBride (b. c1813 GA) on 21 January 1831 in Rhea Co., TN. “Isam Goff” was still in Rhea County in 1834 on a tax list. By 1840, Isham and family were living in Bradley Co., TN. In 1850, the family lived in Barry Co., MO and then migrated by 1860 to Madison Co., AR, where he made his final appearance in the 1870 Federal census. There are significant clues in the records in Rhea County, TN in the 1820s and 1830s.
Strategies for the family to consider to solve the mystery of Isham Goff’s parentage include:
• Form Genealogical Interest Group (“GIG): The 1658 genetic family has 18 known members in the GGFA. Other genetic families hold GIG meetings, hosted by the GGFA, and have made significant progress in knocking down their brick walls.
• Study Early Rhea County, TN Goff/Gough families: researchers, such as a members of a GIG should consider studying the known Goff/Gough entries in the early Rhea County, TN records. It seems likely they are all closely related.
• Recruit Big Y 700 Participants: a proven technique to reconstruct a deep family tree is strategic Big Y 700 testing across all lineages. It is typically more fruitful to recruit Big Y 700 candidates from those outside of our own Goff/Gough lineages.
The 1658 narrative and genetic tree are up-to-date as of July 2025 at https://www.goff-gough.com/dna-families/1658-goffe-gough-goff-new-kent-co-va-us-r-ft367367/.
For more information, please check our DNA Surname Study pages or email me at dna@goff-gough.com. Each new participant helps to fill in the history of the Goff/Gough families.
Phillip Goff is the co-author, along with Roy L. Lockhart, of The Four Goff Brothers of Western Virginia. Since 2004, he has run the Goff/Gough Surname DNA Study, which today has about 400 participants.