Goldney family

The Goldney family were a wealthy English merchant trading family, most associated with Wiltshire and latterly Bristol. Later branches of the family became the Goldney baronets.

The Goldney family made their monies as weavers and clothiers in Chippenham in the sixteenth century.

Henry Goldney was a member of parliament for Chippenham, and in 1553 was appointed the first "Bayliff" of Chippenham. A 17th-century ancestor, also named Gabriel and a noted Free Mason, left bequests in his will to provide "greatcoats for six poor inhabitants".

Many of the Wiltshire-resident branch of the family are buried at St Bartholomew's Church, Corsham.

In 1637, his father sent Thomas Goldney I to serve as an apprentice for seven years in Bristol, to enable him to become a freeman. After almost nine years, on 22 June 1646, he paid his fee and became a freeman of the city of Bristol. In the same year, Thomas married Mary Clements, set himself up as a grocer, and moved to a property on the High Street near Bristol Bridge. Both Thomas and his wife joined the Society of Friends, also known as the Quakers, in which they suffered both fines and imprisonment for their beliefs. In 1674 Thomas bought a country estate at Elberton, Gloucestershire for £700. He didn't take residence, but gained income from the associated rents for tenants and farmers. However, from 1681 financial difficulties forced him to lease out the estate on a long term arrangement to his son-in-law, James Wallis. In 1688, Thomas built four houses on land formerly known as Castle Precincts. Taking one for himself, he rent the other three out, and rented his former house on the High Street to his son Thomas Goldney II and his family. Thomas Goldney I died in 1694, his wife Mary died in 1709.

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