The Goforth family appears in the records of Howden Parish as early as the 1500s.1 At first the family name could be written either Goforth or Gofar. At a time when few people were literate, this would have been at the choice of the rector.2 Howden is in the southwest corner of the East Riding of Yorkshire, close to the West Riding and northern Lincolnshire.3 Howden parish included a number of villages, and covered 20 square miles of flat land.4 Miles and Mary Goforth lived in Knedlington, an old town, named in the Domesday Book in Howden hundred.5 The nearby town of Howden was historically a market town, especially known for its horse market, and under the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Durham.

Miles was baptized in March 1608, the son of George Goforth of Knedlington.6 He was one of six known children of George, three of whom died in infancy.7 The children were: Margaret, baptized 1600; Robert, baptized 1602; William, baptized 1605; John, baptized 1607; Miles, baptized 1608; George, baptized 1611.8

About 1630 Miles married a woman named Mary. 9 They had three known children, and possibly one or two more. In the baptismal records Miles is shown as a resident of Knedlington. In 1659 Mary died. Three years later Miles’ son William married Ann Skipwith in a Quaker ceremony in Elloughton; Miles was one of the witnesses to sign the marriage certificate.10 Although there is no record of Miles becoming a Quaker himself, he did not disinherit his son, and left land to William in his will. The will, written in July 1674, and proved in December of that year, did not name his wife. Miles left three pieces of land, none of them in Knedlington. The tracts in Sandholme and Hive were left to his daughter Elizabeth Halliwell and son-in-law Henry Nutbrowne to pay for Miles’ debts and funeral expenses, with the remainder to go to his grandchildren Alice and John Awdus and Miles, Marie, and Elizabeth Nutbrowne.11 Henry Nutbrowne was the husband of Miles’ deceased daughter Mary.12 The house and farm buildings in Gilberdike were to go to his son William, and after William’s death to the grandson Miles. Sandholme, Hive and Gilberdike were three hamlets close together, and about four miles east of Knedlington. Miles was buried on July 15, 1674.13

Children of Miles:14

William, bapt. Jan 1631 O.S.15, married Ann Skipwith in 7^th month (September) 1662, buried in Burlington, NJ on 25^th 1^st month (March) 1678.16

Elizabeth, bapt. May 163417; married – Helliwell, possibly first married – Awdus.

Mary, bapt. Aug 163618; married Henry Nutbrowne in June 1663, had children Miles, Mary and Elizabeth before 1674

George, son of Miles, died June 1657.19 There is a burial record for him, but no birth record.