In 1628 the Abigail docked in Salem, MA after a month-long crossing of the Atlantic Ocean. On board was the future governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, John Endicott. Accompanying him was a crew of “Adventurers” as they were called. One of them, 30 year-old Charles is significant to me because he was my great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather and the first Gott in America. During his first years here he formed a close friendship with the founder and governor of the Plymouth Colony, William Bradford.
As the years passed, the Gotts established themselves in a variety of businesses. Somehow related to Benjamin Gott, the textiles magnate of Leeds, England, the Gotts adhered to what would become known as the Puritan or New England work ethic and so, became quite successful. Peter helped establish the fishing industry in Gloucester, MA where there is a road named for him, while another Charles became the first First-Selectman of Salem. He even went as far as persecuting witches during the Salem Witch Hysteria of 1692.
As the family followed opportunity they moved north to present-day Maine, becoming the first settlers of Mount Desert Island. There are two islands off the coast there that bear the name Gott: Great Gott Island and Little Gott Island. They were bought by Daniel from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and thrived as a fishing community until Fulton’s invention of the steam engine signaled an end to the era of sail powered fishing vessels.
During the American Revolution, Daniel and his brother John served as part of a Massachusetts regiment. Don’t forget that Maine was part of Massachusetts at that time. Gotts of the 1800’s were busy in Massachusetts, too. My great-great grandfather John and his son Benjamin were very successful carpenters who actually built most of the homes in Arlington.
Service to the country has always been important to the Gott family. During the War of 1812, another Peter was imprisoned in England as a spy, and my grandfather, Lester, who went on to become First Selectman of North Haven in 1972, served in both World War Two and the Korean Conflict. He was actually the longest serving captain in the U.S. Army.
My dad grew up here in North Haven, but I was born in Wallingford in 1968 and moved to Branford later that year. That’s where I grew up-near the beach. My mom was First Selectman there for 12 years. After high school at Notre Dame in West Haven, I left Connecticut for Massachusetts to attend Boston University. For the next 8 years I would move all around the country. I lived in places like Manhattan, Atlantic City and San Diego.
Fifteen years ago, following a long line of public servants, I became a teacher, and my sister’s a teacher too. In 2003 and 2006 my kids Onna and Sam were born. Now I have someone to pass this history down to.