1851 Berkshire census lookup for Goodwin - servant

[Cannie lad]

I received an email from the GRO today saying that they have issued me a refund as the occupation of the John Goodwin I referred to was not a servant and so they have not issued a death certificate.

I'm in two minds whether or not to reapply for the John Goodwin died June Q. 1844 certificate on the chance it could be the man we're all looking for.  Any opinions on this would be gratefully received.

I would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this thread.  I certainly appreciate all the help and suggestions.  At the beginning of July, I had Rebecca Goodwin shown on one certificate and the name of George, then John George, shown on two and that was it.  Now I have just about everything on Rebecca except her marriage to J.G. and their whereabouts in 1841.  But J.G. is proving a difficult find.  I'll still keep excercising those "little grey cells" though.

Jack

[jillruss]

How disappointing! Still, I suppose 2 out of 3 is pretty good going.

I fear Dee-jay was right and it looks as though John Goodwin died pre 1837, especially probable as Charles appears to have been an only child. As Rebecca would have been about 30 when she had Charles, it's also possible that John was quite a bit older.

I remember that someone found a Rebecca Goodwin in the 1841 census in Little Marlow - sorry, have just read through the thread and can't find it!  Do we have the exact details? is this your Rebecca, perhaps fallen on hard times that she had to 'farm out' her son to the family?

Another question that you may have already answered (it's my age!) - did your search requests to Bucks FHS include a burial/death for John (George) Goodwin, and, if so, was it a blanket search for all Goodwins in a specified date range, or was it a specific search for a John George Goodwin?

I've looked at the Gale newspaper site but found nothing relevant; I've had another look at the Bucks Poor Law records CD and even at the Berks Poor Law Records CD - nothing.

Running out of ideas... don't suppose he might have left a will?

Jill

[jillruss]

Running out of ideas... don't suppose he might have left a will?

Jill

Good heavens, I'm quoting myself now!! 

That set me off, and I looked on

nationalarchives.gov.uk/documentsonline

to see if I could find a will. And I did! However, I don't want to spend your money for you, so you'll have to decide if the risk is worth £3.50 but there is a will for a John Godwin servant of Richmond Park, Surrey 5 Oct 1833. The ref. is PROB11/1822. Richmond isn't that far from Eton (?15 miles).

I don't know if you've used the site before, but you can pay online and download the will almost straight away - if it's the right one (please don't shoot me if it isn't) don't forget to download it into your files as it will only be available for you to view for a limited time (used to be about 50 days or so).

Let us know what you decide, won't you?

Jill

[Cannie lad]

Hi Jill
Thanks for that.

I found the reference and downloaded and saved the will, which was part of a set of other wills on about three pages.  There is no mention of any of the people we know and, despite difficulty reading the script, it seems that John Godwin servant to family named Bishop of Richmond Park, was, at that time, in poor health and was leaving £20.00 to his parents - after debts and funeral expenses were paid.  A month or so later, he had obviously passed away and probate was granted to his father Stephen.

So I doubt if this man was our man but it was an interesting find.

Jack

[jillruss]

Sorry about that - I thought we might be on to something there. 

Jill

[dee-jay]

I'm in two minds whether or not to reapply for the John Goodwin died June Q. 1844 certificate on the chance it could be the man we're all looking for.  Any opinions on this would be gratefully received.

I've two suggestions:
(1) Instigate searches for the whereabouts of the burial of John GOODWIN 1844 and any GOODWIN burials in Eton parish/district from, say, 1829.
(2) Check out the names of the Buckinghamshire miscreants in the 1830 'Swing' riots.  [I've twice deleted this suggestion from my previous feeds into this thread but, what the heck, you've nothing to lose ....]   

[dee-jay]

Upon death of [John] George GOODWIN, if born High Wycombe, it is likely his widow Rebecca would have been returned to his parish of settlement.  It just so happens there is a Rebacca GOODWIN, F.S. with recorded age 40 at Little Marlow, Bucks, in 1841 [Sub-district High Wycombe] Not born in County.

Correction:  This lady was recorded Rebbaca GOODWIN and the only likely variant I encountered in 1841 Census in the likely age range and locality. 

Update:  I checked on the marriage witness Francis WEEDEN and he appears to have been the Sexton to Hillingdon Church.  I wondered if there was any particular reason that drew the groom to Hillingdon:  1841 [Widower] Henry WILLIAMSON, in Farnham Royal with children in his father Edward's household. However, although their marriage was after banns, I could not find any trace of a likely Rebecca in Hillingdon district in 1841.

[Orpheus]

I've checked in my copy of "Buckinghamshire Machine Breakers - The Story of the 1830 Riots" by Jill Chambers and there are no GOODWINs listed. 

Perhaps the NBI could identify the 1844 death.  My suspicion would be the parish of Datchet where there is a GOODWIN family.

Orpheus

[dee-jay]

Perhaps the NBI could identify the 1844 death.  My suspicion would be the parish of Datchet where there is a GOODWIN family.

I reckon Orpheus has just saved Jack £7.   Mary Ann of Datchet is shown as a widowed Fundholder/Landed Proprietor with son Ralph in 1851.  In 1841 Head of household was John GOODWIN, Farmer.

So that appears to bring us back to the NBI for GOODWIN burials of George/John c1829-1844 taking into consideration that he could have died away from home.