John Goode (1738-1790) [. . .] was born in Virginia Colony and lived there all of his life. After a long and emotional inner struggle, he became convinced that he must become a Baptist and then a Baptist preacher. He was baptized and then ordained by pioneer Baptist preacher William Hickman (1747-1830/34), who baptized Goode into the membership of Skinquarter Baptist Church in Chesterfield County VA, where Goode was later made the pastor. (The Skinquarter Section of Chesterfield County, Virginia, was so named a century earlier, as the "quarter" where native peoples gathered to skin their animals after a hunt. William Hickman was the founding pastor, in 1778, of the Skinquarter Baptist Church. Goode must have been baptized in 1778 or '79; he was ordained June 18, 1780. )

Forty years after his death, John Goode was a figure of potent recall in the mind of the aged William Hickman. On reaching ancient years in 1829, Hickman wrote a remarkable memoir, which he titled "A Short Account of My life and travels, by William Hickman For more than Fifty years; a professed Servant Of Jesus Christ. To which is added a narrative of the rise and progress of religion in the early settlement of Kentucky: giving an account of the difficulties - we had to remember." [. . .]

Of John Goode, Hickman wrote in 1829,

"There was a fast published by Congress during the war, to be observed throughout America; I think it was the 23rd of April, 1777. I appointed a meeting on that day at a neighbor's house, and there came out a large number of people; I think my text was in Joshua, ‘Neither will I be with these any more, unless you put away the accused thing from among you,' It was in an orchard; the house could not hold half of the people; I did not think I had spoke with more liberty than common. At the close of the discourse there came up a heavy rain; I led the people to the house, singing ‘Lord, what a wretched land this is' etc, the hymn being long, all that could crowd in the house did so. Some went in the out houses. I finished the song in the house and spent some time in exhorting from it, and then the meeting broke. There was a middled aged man of the name of John Goode in the yard who applied to Col. Hankins to write his will. The Col. said to him, ‘What is the Matter? John, you're not sick?' The reply was, ‘I shall die.' Col. Hankins laughed him out of it. He wont home, slain by the Sword of the Spirit, his conviction was sharp and severe. He told us afterwards he neither eat, drank nor slept for three days and nights, till the Lord spoke peace to his wounded spirit. . . .

"A remarkable circumstance took place with John Goode, above alluded to; as I went out with my little boys to drop corn, on the roadside, there came a man riding up; he called to me, and when I went up to him the first word he said to me was, to tell how a person felt when he was converted; but instead of my telling him he immediately told me; he got so warm he scarcely would sit on his saddle. I invited him to the house, he said he came on purpose--his soul was alive. He told me I need not mention baptism to him, he said blessed be God, he was baptized with the Holy Ghost, and fire, he needed no more. I told him to search the scripture, and that would teach him his duty. . .

"This was on Saturday morning the Sunday week I had an appointment at Muse school house, a few miles beyond his house. I asked him if he would go with me if I would come by and take breakfast with him, he said he would with pleasure. When I went, he was sitting on his porch with a Bible in his hand; he commenced by telling me I need not say anything about baptism, his Holy Ghost and fire baptism would do for him. I spoke to him as above, for his cup appeared to be running over; I appointed meeting that evening at his house.

"After meeting closed in the day at the school house (it was the first time I had been at that place and there being a large congregation) I missed Mr. Goode till the people were nearly all gone; at last he came out of the woods. I asked where he had been all the time. He told me Mr. Branch, one of his rich neighbors, a church warder, had taken him out to give him some good advice, and it was to take care of the Baptists, for they preach damnable doctrines, and that they will not rest till they dip you. . . . .

"Baptists in those days could be told in any company--they loved one another. The Church was called Skinquarter, and increased, from its origin. Many other circumstances too tedious to mention and great many valuable things have slipt my memory. This Church raised three ministers, James and Josiah Rucks and John Goode, the same mentioned previously, who was baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. He stood out a long time at last, having received a lashing of conscience, nothing would do but he must be baptized in water, and afterwards he was very zealous for that mode of immersion. . . .

"To return to Chesterfield again, Satan took the advantage of the three preachers alluded to above, and sewed seeds of discord among two of them . . . ."

John Goode's wife was Sarah Brown (1745-1812), daughter of George Brown (?-1805/07) and ______ Robertson (?-?), daughter of George Robertson (?-abt 1795.)

John Goode was the son of Benjamin Goode (circa 1700-aft. 1764) of Henrico County, Virginia Colony. Benjamin's mother was Susanna _________ (?-?) and his father was John Goode (1680-aft. 1752), who lived on Four Mile Creek, Henrico County. This John, grandfather of our subject, was the son of Margaret ______ (?-b/f 1679) and immigrant Edward Goode (1647-aft 1708). Born in England, Edward immigrated in 1667 and lived on Four Mile Creek.

This brief biography of John Goode has been taken from Volume II of a book of family history entitled ALL OF THE ABOVE II, by Richard Baldwin Cook. For additional information, visit the contributor profile, #47181028. John and Sarah Brown Goode are Richard's 4th great grandparents.