Individual Details

Elizabeth Goldsberry Thomas [b. Feb. 29, 1796], a daughter [sister] of Bennett Goldsberry [b. 1780-1790, and sister Mary Magdalena b. Jan. 1, 1795], who was the son [were the children] of Jonathan Goldsberry, a Baptist minister, born in England. Her mother [sister-in-law] was a Miss Pirtle and her grandmother [?], a Miss McBride.
At the death of Bennett Goldsberry [Feb. 24, 1832, Pike Co., MO], the [his] widow [Lois] married a Mr. Shields [William W. Waddle, Jan. 1, 1835, Pike Co., MO; Bennett's mother md. 2nd James Shields].
Another possible child [sister] of Bennett Goldsberry is the Nancy Goldsberry who is estimated to have been born about 1785-1790. She married Uriah Pirtle (or Purtle?) on 10 May 1807 in Hardin Co, KY, and she died in 1879. Nancy is believed to have had ten children, including James B. Pirtle who was born 14 Feb 1819 in Grayson Co, KY.
Still another possible child of Bennett Goldsberry is an Ellen Goldsberry who married a Jacob Pirtle, perhaps about 1828-1830.

A son attending the University of Louisville, Ky., was drowned in the Ohio River, while bathing with his class. At a suggestion to get a certain object in the water, he dove for it but failed to come up. Whether he struck his head or took a cramp, was never known. He was considered as one of the best swimmers in Kentucky.
The Goldsberry's were quite well to do people. Elizabeth was educated in a convent at Baltimore, Maryland. While there she joined the Catholic Church. Her two sisters were Presbyterians. The Pirtles of Berkeley County, Virginia, are supposed to be related to Miss Pirtle (Birtle), who married Bennett Goldsberry, but so far we have not located any definite line.
It seems after the death of Jonathan and the mother married the Mr. Shields, he [who?] managed the estate; after the marriage of Elizabeth Goldsberry and Joseph Hardin Thomas,** Joseph went to visit the wife's mother and stepfather, to collect the wife's share of inheritance. He was wined and dined, and the next morning when he was to start for his home, lo, not one of his 75 slaves were left down in the servants quarters; just one old toothless mammy was there. Shields had spirited them all [a]way in the night, loaded them on a flatboat and sent them down the Ohio River to New Orleans to the market.
Litigation and lawsuit after lawsuit followed until the death of Joseph, and nothing was ever accomplished. Wallace Boyd Thomas, remembered that every five and ten dollar gold piece taken in was carefully wrapped in tissue paper and put away to help carry on the lawsuit.
(Narrative told by Wallace Boyd Thomas to his daughter, Adah Thomas Strahan.)

Birth	29 Feb 1796	Maryland
Marriage	14 Sep 1820	Pike County, Missouri - Joseph Hardin Thomas
Death	26 Jan 1870	Linn County, Iowa

Spouse	Joseph Hardin Thomas (1794 - 1850)
Child	Isaac Hardin Thomas (1821 - 1852)