Sgt. Timothy Gould

Born December 9, 1751 in Caldwell, Timothy Gould was a Revolutionary War veteran. His parents were Thomas Gould and Sarah Johnson Gould. He was related to many other veterans, including his father, his brothers Joseph, Robert and General William Gould, and his cousins Joseph, John, Josiah and Samuel Gould.

Timothy enlisted in Capt Elijah Squire’s company at the age of 24 and was made a Sergeant of Volunteers in 1776. He was active in gathering men from the Horseneck area to serve in the militia. When not fighting, Timothy was a farmer. The flax from his farm was used to make the cloth for the uniforms for the regiment; these would become known as the “Jersey Blues”. With the 3^rd NJ Regiment of the Continental Line, a regular army during the Revolutionary War, Timothy fought in place of his brother Robert at the Battle of Springfield. Between times serving in the militia, Timothy married Susannah Crane in 1777. They had 4 children: Sarah (born in 1778), Nancy Crane (1781), Ezekiel (1783), and Elias Baldwin (1786).

On March 16, 1788, Susannah died at only 27 years old. Her burial is the first on record in the Old Burying Ground at the First Presbyterian Church, four years after the church was organized. On Christmas Day that same year, Timothy married Elizabeth A. Reeves. She was 43 years old. At the time, Timothy was 37. In that era, it was not uncommon for a farmer with several children to remarry quickly; they would do this so there would be someone to take care of their children. There is a record of one child between the two, Betsey (born July 25, 1790).

At the age of 77, Elizabeth died on July 24, 1824. She is also buried in the Old Burying Ground. Then, sometime shortly after Elizabeth’s passing, Timothy married Phebe Jones (born Oct 19, 1780). The exact details of Phebe’s fate are unknown; however, records show that Timothy married Jemima Collyer on Jan 27, 1839 in Bloomfield, NJ.

Timothy was very active in the Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Caldwell. He helped raise money for the new Meeting House that was built in the 1790s.

On February 19, 1841, Timothy Gould died in Caldwell at 89 years old. According to Timothy’s Will, he left his estate to his sons, Ezekiel and Elias, and his daughters, Sarah (the widow of David Bates) and Nancy (the wife of Marcus B. Douglas). He also refers to his wife, “Jemimy”, as the former widow of Alexander Lawrence. Timothy’s final resting place is the Old Burying Ground with his family.