Bridget (unknown) Window - Why was Richard Gooding (Goodwin) called son of Richard Window." ?

Barbara Philipps - I have a clear understanding now of the relationship of Bridget to Richard Goodwin. It’s delineated in the 1665 will of Richard Window of Gloucester, and the Will had been mis interpreted by some genealogists. However, it’s clear enough if you think about it as you read it, and you should be able to understand the conclusion reached by Anderson in his article for Henry Travers in the Great Migration Begins. That book series is considered “the Gold Standard” of New England genealogy.

Sources are attached to profiles.

The summary is that Richard Window married 3 times, and each was a widow with children by a previous marriage; his biological child was Ann Window. Three step children are listed in his Will after Ann - Richard Goodwin, Anthony Bennet, and Elizabeth Bennet. Richard Goodwin was the son of his unknown 1st wife, and the Bennett’s were children of his 2nd wife, Elinor, who was also Ann Window’s mother. Bridget was named as his wife.

Bridget, widow of Richard Window, named Henry & Sarah Travers in her own estate papers, so evidently she had no Window children - or any other surnamed children.

Tagging the relevant profiles.

Richard Window of Gloucester

Married 1) unknown Window widow of Unknown Goodwin with children 1) Elizabeth Bennett (uncertain) (first wife of Anthony Bennett of Bass River); 2) Richard Goodwin of Gloucester (married Hannah Goodwin)

Richard Window of Gloucester

Married 2) Elinor Window their child Ann Woodbury (married Humphrey Woodbury, II)

Elinor Window had married 1) John Bennett their children 1) Elizabeth Davis (married Jacob Davis); 2) Anthony Bennett of Bass River (married 1) Elizabeth Bennett his step sister; 2) Abigail Bennet; children include Anthony Bennett, Jr. my 6th great grandfather.)

Richard Window of Gloucester

Married 3) Bridget Window widow of Henry Travers, of Newbury with children 1) Sarah Marsh (married 1) Nicholas Wallingford 2) Onesiphorus Marsh, Sr.); 2) James Travers (married Mercy Travers)

Addressing sourcing some more:

Henry Travers is listed on the passenger manifest of the Mary & John 1633/34, but that she is not; so that a fair assumption could be made that she was not on that voyage, even though other sources claim that she was. …

The Mary & John passenger list is known to be incomplete, so I’m not sure this is relevant here? There seems no doubt from other documents that Bridget was abandoned in America with two babies and no money.