Born ‎1650 Roxbury, Suffolk Co, MA, died ‎26 May 1698 Lancaster, Worcester Co, MA‎, 47 or 48 years
Note:
In this document we find that Philip's father = John GOSS of MA.
The date of Philip's marriage is not of record, but it must have been too close to 16 February 1677, when their first child was baptized in Roxbury, for on 16 June 1678, after she had run away from her husband the first time, and returned or been
brought back, ""Hana Hopkins (sic) was censured in the Church wth admonition for fornication wth her husband before they were maryed & for flying away fro Justice unto Road Island." On 8 December 1678, three months before her first daughter was born,
"Hannah Hopkins alias Goffe was called to confesse her sins & manifest repentance for fornication and running away to Road Iland. She confessed & was absolved & received to take hold on the covenant." The baby died soon, and the next child, Mary, was
baptized in 1680, but as no further record of her has been found, she probably died in infancy also. Philip and Hannah moved to Boston, about that time.
The early Massachusetts towns did not welcome strangers, and kept careful track of them. On 4 May 1682 in Boston: "At a meeting of the Selectmen of this towne it was ordered that the Recorded grant a Warrant to one of the Constables...to leavie
upon the Estate of Joseph Homes the sum of 20 shillings for letting a house to and thereby entertaining of Phillip Gosse in this Towne who is an Inhabitant of Roxbury/" Again, on 31 July 1682: "Phillip Gosse came from Roxbury with a vitious Familie, of
wch Mary Wood is or was one of his seruants who hath had a bastard, and are entertained by Joseph Holmes." Hannah stayed long enough to have another son, born in October of that year. Not long after she took her little son William with her to Jamaica,
W.I., whether on Philip's order or not is unknown. Perhaps she sent for her sister Margaret to look after things, for in the record of transients is the following, 5 February 1684: "Margaret Hopkins from Roxbury at Phillip Gosses." In Philip's petition
for divorce he says he was at sea when she left. She did not return, of course and on 22 November 1684 the Roxbury Church recorded: "Hannah Goss was excommuniate, though absent, for three great scandalous sins..." One was running away.
Philip tried to get his son William back, but Hannah would not give him up. It looks though, as if he later returned to Massachusetts and had descendants there. What became of Hannah is not known, except from the depositions following. She may have
perished in the great earthquake which nearly destroyed Jamaica in 1692.
Philip Goss was a mariner as well as a merchant. In the History of Clinton, MA, he is called "Boston merchant who had bought the Rowlandson place in Lancaster on 20 June 1687 and who married Mary Prescott in 1690..." In the "List of Settlement of
the Garrison at Lancaster, 18th, 1, 1691/2" we find: "Philip Goss, and with him: Jno More, Jno Bemon, Peter Joslin, Jonathan Whitcomb, George Hues, Cyprian Stevens, Jno Prescoat, with their familys."
He was probably the Captain Philip Goss who went to Canada on the ill-fated 1690 expedition, and whose descendants obtained land grants on account of that service.
The following are from photostatic copies of Boston records:
"Thomas Wharfe of Charlstowne aged about forty three years testifyeth & saith that about five years agoe, one Hannah Goss the wife of Philip Goss desired passage with me in the sloop Swam to Jamaica for herselfe & a child saying she would goe to
her husband there, for (said shee) I have a letter or his order to come to Jamaica & meet him there, wee proceeded on said voyage to Jamaica, where I left her, since that time I have often seen her there, and do testify that she is there marryed to one
Murray a Carpenter or Joyner, as she herself owned to mee severall times. I saw her with a child which she was was sd Murray's by her and I have heard him often calling her wife, and she calling him husband, further I testify that being desired by
Philip Goss to bring a certificate of her marriage, I accdordingly went to ye clerke of the Parish of Port Ryall in Jamaica, and saw it yere entered in ye Booke of Records, and took a Copie of the same under sd Clarke hand, which I brought to New
England and delivered to Philip Goss.
Thomas Wharfe
Tho: Wharfe mad oath to the Above written, the first of
November 1689 Beofre me John Phillips, Asst."
"To the Honble Simon Bradstreet Esqr Governr, Thomas Danofrth, Esqr, De: Govr, and to the rest of the Honble Magistrates Sitting in Court of Assistants at Boston, Apr. 8, 1690.
That your Petieion & Motion of Philip Goss Humbly showeth: agoe was marryed to Hannah Hopkins daughter of William Hopkins of Roxbury, and lived with her some yeares, but yor Petitionr being a Sayler, and he being absent at sea, the said Hanna
removed from Boston, and went to Jamaica with Mr. Thomas Waffe, and told him, her husband had sent for her to Jamaica, Mr. Waffe left her there, and since that time he hath been there several times, and saw sd Hannah, and she informed him yt she is
married to one John Murray a Joynr with whom she now liveth and hath a child by him sd Murray borne of her body as she owned to Mr. Waffe & also to John Lakin, whose evidences are now in the hands of the worshipfull Jno Philips Esqr. I have also a
certificate from the Clerke of ye Parish of Port Royall in Jamaica of her being marryed to sd Murray.
The premisses being considered yor Petitioner humbly requests that Favour of this honrd Court, that according to the Lawes of God & of this Jurisdiction he may be divorced from said Hannah, she having broken covenant with him, as may appeare, and
yor Petitionr shall as in duty bound every pray &c.
Signum
Philip Goss
"John Holland of Boston Marriner being of full age, testifyeth that Philip Goss understanding that I was bound for Jamaica, desired mee to accept of a letter of Atturney from him and power to demand, and to bring a child of his ( that was in
Jamaica with Hannah Goss his wife) to New-England, accordingly I went to sd Philip Goss his wife, and shewed my letter of Atturney and demanded ye child. She told me I should not have him, she had as much power as I had, and as much money. She went to
Authority there and told them that Philip Goss had one of the children & she told them that Philip Goss had one of the children & she would keep the other. Further I tesitfy that the sd Hannah Goss she that was the wife of Philip Goss aforesd is
marryed at Jamaica, as she herself did owne and acknowledge to mee when I was in Jamaica about two years agoe or thereabout.
John Holland
Boston, 10th April. 1690
Jurat in Court of Assistants
Attd. J.N. Addington, Secy."
"April 10th 1690. Upon reading the Petition of Philip Goss marriner. Setting forth that Hannah his wife is married to one at Jamaica with whome she now lives and by him hath had a child. And produceing a Certificate from the Clerke of the Parish of
the said Hannahs. being married to one John Morrey, besides severall Evidences thereof, Praying for a Divorce. Ordered that the said Philip Goss be and herby is divorced from the said Hannah and discharged from all conjugal duty and Obligation unto her
for maintenance or Dowry.
Court of Assistants, Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Present also: Robt. Pike, John Hathorne, Jonathn. Corwin."
Divorce of Hannah Hopkins (April 1690)