The Golding Family of Bermuda

The Golding family of Bermuda traces its origins to the wider East Anglian Golding lineage, most prominently associated with Arthur Golding, the Elizabethan translator of Ovid’s Metamorphoses. Arthur’s extended family produced several branches that moved beyond England, including the line that eventually settled in Bermuda during the early decades of English Atlantic expansion. Central to this migration was Percival Golding, remembered in Bermuda as a schoolmaster, whose arrival marked the establishment of the Golding/Goulding name in the islands. William “the Clergyman” Goulding, most probably of the Suffolk line was a figure who became deeply woven into the religious and civic life of Bermuda and later Eleuthera in the Bahamas. William’s story—preserved through local tradition, church records, and family accounts—illustrates the challenges faced by early colonial clergy and the movement of English families throughout the Atlantic world.

From Percival’s early educational role to William’s ministry and the later activities of Bartholomew Goulding, the Bermuda Goldings formed a distinct colonial branch separate from the English gentry line. Another related figure, William “of Gravesend” Goulding or Goulder, represents the maritime connections that linked England’s port towns with the emerging Atlantic colonies. Together, these individuals reflect how members of the broader Golding family adapted to new environments, carried their name across the ocean, and contributed to the cultural and religious foundations of Bermuda and the Bahamas.

Although the Golding family of Bermuda descends from the English Golding line associated with Arthur Golding and the East Anglian gentry, they have no genealogical connection whatsoever to John Gaulding of New Kent, Virginia, or his wife Ann. Their stories are presented here on Gaulding Origins for informational and historical context only, illustrating how this entirely separate Golding branch followed its own path through the Atlantic world. Their journeys—from England to Bermuda, Eleuthera, and beyond—are fascinating in their own right and reveal how members of this family played meaningful roles in the broader story of English colonization and the settlement of early America.

Read more about the Golding Family of Bermuda on Gaulding Origins