Monday, February 29, 2016

Lionel Goodwin 1891- 1957- and the 2nd cousin connection.

Today I chose to do a layout on Lionel Goodwin, one of my Great Grandfather Phillip's brothers.
3 of the brothers served in World War 1 and their files are available for download from the NZ Archives Archway website.
What was interesting in Lionels file was that he attested for both the first and second world wars.
Addtionally within Lionels file was a letter from an apparent 2nd cousin in Canada who Lionel had visited on his way home from the war in 1919.

This branch of the family was previously unknown to me and despite some intense research I have yet to find the connection between their family and ours.

The letter from Albert Edward Reed is below

The army responded interestingly saying they had had no contact with Lionel since the end of WW1 - most surprising as he had served in the home guard in WW2!!- however they did give him Lionel's correct address in Hastings so I assume that Albert did get in contact with Lionel .

In trying to find a connection between the two families I traced Albert's family back several generations. 
Albert Edward Reed was born in 1883 in Guildford Surrey and emigrated to Canada in 1903.
He was the third child and second son of William Reed, a Primitive Methodist Minister, and Elizabeth Faith Reed, nee Wood. William Reed, born 1850, in Cassop Durham was one of 7 children of parents William Reed (b 1815) and Jane Curry, born 1819 in Slaley, Northumberland.
In researching those children I did in fact discover the relative who migrated to Australia. This was Albert's aunt Isabella, youngest sister of his father William. 
The fact that Albert thought Lionel and his mother Mary Ann might know of Isabella leads me to believe perhaps the relationship may be closer than 2nd cousin - perhaps it lies with one of the other siblings of Albert's father William, but to date I have not found any connection. 
Those children are Anne Reed ( born 1841, Cassop Durham), George Reed, (1842 Cassop, Durham), Robert Reed (b1844 Cassop Durham) , John ( b1846 Cassop, Durham), Frances (b 1847, Cassop Durham) and of course William born 1850 Cassop Durham and Isabella born 1856 Cassop Durham- died 1925 in Queensland Australia)

I managed to trace back one more generation from William Reed ( 1815) and Jane Curry (1819) but to date have not managed to find any siblings for them. 
Their parents were  George Reed and Ann Wilson, and Robert Curry (born 1788 Stolley Lee Northumberland) and wife Frances.

Perhaps one day we will find the connection between the Goodwins and the Reeds but for now it remains a mystery.

Back to Lionel. My layout includes 2 photos found in the Auckland Library Heritage Images website. A relative had a photograph attributed to Lionel and I saw it was a Herman Schmidt photograph so was quickly able to find a copy of it and of a second pose taken at the same time 
The same relative had another photo which he thought was Lionel and his brother William Henry however I am not sure. Unless the photo was taken overseas in France then it would not be possible for it to be Lionel.
 My reasoning is based on the times each of the brothers served. Percy served early in the war, attesting in 1915 and returning home ill and unfit for further service in 1916.
Lionel attested in late 1916 and was shipped off to France in May 1917 and did not return home until June 1919, and William Henry attested in October of 1917 and sadly was killed in service in October 1918. All the brothers look so alike I am not sure we will ever be able to tell, however it could be that the brothers met and had this photograph taken while in France to send back to their mother.
Edit: I thought of another reason for querying whether it was Lionel. Its the man on the left that looks so much like Lionel but he was the shortest of the 3 at 5'4"  Percy was the tallest at 5'8" and William was 5'4 1/4 " -The man on the left does look taller to me than the man on the right - however it could just be camera angle ..

Here is today's layout about Lionel


Journalling reads:
Lionel Goodwin was the 8th child, and 6th son of James and Mary Ann Goodwin. His father died when Lionel was only 7 and as Mary Ann never remarried,he grew up as part of a single parent household without a father.  It is likely he played a great part in helping his mother and brothers run the sharemilking business and with the farm they had purchased before father James died, and with that experience, Lionel like several of his brothers before him went into the Dairy Business .
By age 22 he had moved away from the family home in the Waikato to a farm in Northland where he was the buttermaker and then soon after he became the butter maker at Mokoia in Taranaki.
It appears that early in the course of WW1 Lionel was rejected from service due to a weak back being caused by an injury requiring him to have 6 months off work in 1912,but by 1916 the need for more men must have meant that Lionel’s condition would be accepted and he  enlisted on the 9th December 1916 and his service began on 9th January 1917. According to his attestation papers Lionel was just 5 feet 4 inches and 124lb. Complexion Fair, Eyes Blue and Hair Brown.
He joined the G Co of the 24th Reinforcements  and left for France on July 6th 1917.Lionel spent the rest of the war serving mainly in France, being injured several times requiring hospital admission.
Lionel remained overseas for the duration of the war. He embarked the troop ship Waimana from London on the 10th May 1919. 

On the trip home he apparently visited a 2nd cousin in Canada before arriving home on June 22 1919.
On returning home Lionel returned to his career as a buttermaker, however in 1921 Lionel was caught and charged with stealing over 3000lb of butter, which was later onsold by an accomplice to local businesses. Despite Lionels previous good character he was sentenced to 12 months in prison.  On his release, Lionel married and moved to Hastings where he married and had 4 children.  In 1940 Lionel signed up for service in the 2nd world war. He served in the Home Guard until 1943. Lionel remained in Hastings throughout the rest of his life and died in 1957. He is buried in Hastings Cemetery.




Monday, February 22, 2016

The Last Will and Testament of William Henry Goodwin

The Last and Only Will and Testament of William Henry Goodwin aka Henry Goodwin aka Henry Goodrum aka Henry Gooderham


I love visiting NZ Archives. It is a treasure trove of information on our ancestors, and one of the best sources of information can be found in their wills.
In the will of William Henry Goodwin, my 3x Great Grandfather, albeit a brief one page document there was contained some highly useful information. That was in the name of the executor and sole beneficiary of the will - his son William Charles Goodwin. This was a son that I previously didn't know of. There is no birth record for William, and I haven't managed to ascertain whether he was married so Ive found no corroborating marriage certificate. There is no death for a William Charles that I can confirm is the correct one so I have no idea of his birth date.
I did find online a tree for the family which included William in it and had  a birth date for Charles of 24th August 1854, however there is no sourcing at all for this information so I am not sure of its reliability.
It would however make William the eldest son so this could be a reason for him being the sole beneficiary of his fathers estate despite him being one of at least 7 living children.


This is the last and only Will and Testament of me William Henry Goodwin  of Ngaruawahia in the Provincial District of Auckland in the Dominion of New Zealand, Settler. I appoint my son William Charles Goodwin of Waimai in the Provincial District aforesaid, Farmer to be the sole executor and trustee of this my Will. I devise and bequeath the whole of my real and personal property of or to which I may be siezed possessed or entitled to at the time of my decease and whether in possestion, reversion, remainder or expectancy according to the tenure nature or quality thereof respectively but subject as regards estates vested in me as trustee or mortgagee to the trusts and equitites affecting the same respectively unto  my trustee upon trust to allow my dear wife Jane Goodwin the income thereof during her life and after her death upon trust for my said son William Charles Godwin absolutely.  In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this eighth day of August, Nineteen Hundred and Eleven .
Signed by the above named testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of such other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

J Syndham Hopkins
Solicitor
Hamilton

William Ernest Parker
Butcher
Ngaruawahia

Sunday, February 14, 2016

William Henry Goodwin- The Times of his Life

I find that when dealing with a relative that is a bit confusing sometimes its good to make a timeline of their life . It helps make sense of what is going on.
Ive done this for my 3x G Grandfather William Henry Goodwin aka Henry Goodrum. l
He goes by several variations of his name throughout his life- some of his children are registered as Goodrum, some as Goodwin, some not registered at all.
The constant in all is his wife's name Jane. 
To make things more complicated there was another couple living in Auckland contemporary with my 3x G Grandparents - also William Henry Goodwin and Jane. though she was Jane nee Russell and my 3x G Grandmother was Jane nee Boyt.
The other couple lived first in Auckland city and later moved to Kaukapakapa, whereas my ancestors started in Auckland city and later moved to Ngaruawahia.





Text of this layout is as below
1826 - BIRTH - To Parents Charles Goodrum and Sarah Doe  Gissing Norfolk c1826
1841 - RESIDENCE : Long RowGissing, Norfolk age 15 living with family. Name listed as            Henry GOODRUM
1844 - ENLISTMENT to 58th Regiment Reg. No 2291 on 24 Feb 1844. Already enlisted in same regiment are brothers Charles , George and possibly one other brother
1845 - EMBARKED: on Guard Ship HMS Ann for Australia  30 Dec 1845. Listed as Henry GOODERAM
1846 - JOINED: NSW  detachment of 58th Regiment and departed for New Zealand on HMS Racehorse
1852- MARRIAGE: To Jane Boyt, Daughter of William Boyt, Fencible,  at St Peters Church Onehunga 3rd Feb 1852
1852- BIRTH: of Daughter Mary Jane, at Onehunga (nobirth registration) 8th December 1852
1852-1857 SERVED: In the Northern Wars under Col. Bridge and Col. Despard and under Col. Hamilton in the Waikato Wars
1854 - BIRTH: of son William Charles (date not confirmed-no birth reg. but possibly 24 Aug 1854)
1857- DISCHARGED: In New Zealand 31 Jan 1857 in return for pension and land
1858 - BIRTH: of Daughter Sarah Ann in Auckland registered as Sarah  GOODRUM
1859 - OCCUPATION: Brickmaker. As per daughter Mary Jane’s Obituary. Bricks were used to build Partingtons Windmill
1859- BIRTH: of son George Peace (no birth registration)
1860 - ENLISTMENT: Auckland Militia . Appointed Rank of Seargent by Col. Theodore Haultain
1860 - BIRTH: of son James (Registered as James GOODRUM) 3 September 1860
1860 - RESIDENCE: Lot 54 Regent Street East Newton Auckland
1861 - ENLISTMENT:  2nd Waikato Regiment. Name listed as Henry GOODWIN
1861 - TRANSFER: To the Land Transport Corps
1863 - BIRTH:  of son Henry (registered as Henry GOODRUM)
1864 - DISCHARGE: From Land Transport Corps. December 1864
1865 - ENLISTMENT: 4th Waikato Regiment at Onehunga on 30 July 1865
1866 - BIRTH:  of son Samuel Henry  on 27 March 1866 (registered Samuel GOODRUM)
1866 - RESIDENCE: Victoria Street Hamilton. (from the birth certificate of Samuel)
1867 - DISCHARGED : from 4th Waikato Regiment
1868 - BIRTH: of son Joseph  (registered Joseph GOODWIN)
1875 - RESIDENCE:  Ngaruawahia. As per 1875 Electoral Roll. Name listed as William Henry GOODWIN
1877 - OCCUPATION: Butcher - in partnership with P.W. Walsh
1881 - BANKRUPT:  Declared bankrupt 8 December 1881
1893 - OCCUPATION: Farming at Firewood Creek - Military Scrip Land
1905 - RESIDENCE: Firewood Creek Ngaruawahia (1905 Electoral Rolls)
1912 - DEATH: 9th January 1912 Of Fractured Leg, Old Age and Exhaustion at Firewood Creek
1912 - BURIAL: Old Ngaruawahia Cemetery. Plot 558M Row 1 Block 3




Sunday, February 7, 2016

The Fate of George Goodrum Private of the 58th Regiment: The Battle of Ohaeawai July 1 1845

Today, February 8th, is the observed public holiday for Waitangi Day. The day that the Treaty of Waitangi was signed between the Crown and Maori Chiefs.
Peace was not on the horizon though for New Zealand and a period of war was to develop between Britain and some of the Maori chiefs within the next few years.

I thought today would be a good day to research and record the history surrounding one of the Goodrum brothers. George Goodrum ( 1819- 1845)would be my 4th Great Uncle, brother of my 3x Great Grandfather Henry Goodrum aka William Henry Goodwin, and one of 4 Goodrum brothers who fought in the Northern Maori Wars.


We know from a letter from Charles Goodrum to the Government in 1893, that there were 4 Goodrum brothers who were members of the 58th Regiment of Foot. I have identified 3 of them. Charles, Henry, and George who was the eldest of those in the regiment according to Charles letter.
Charles and Henry both discharged in New Zealand and became residents here. The identity of the 4th brother is as yet unknown ( George and Charles appear to be the only two who carry the Goodrum surname. Henry appears variously as Goodram, Gooderham and of course later as Goodwin.)
I have neither found a birth, death, nor attestation or discharge for the 4th brother.
George Goodrum is a name relatively unknown in history, but he was part of one of the most important events in New Zealand's history. George was a casualty of the war between the British and the Maori in the early days of the Northern War- also known as the Flagstaff War which was instigated partly by Hone Heke chopping down the British Flagpole at Russell in 1845.
here were in fact several  attacks on the Flagpole in Russell, after the last by Hone Heke in March 1845, there was a further incident on 11 March, a force of about 600 Māori armed with muskets, double-barrelled guns and tomahawks including Hone Heke's men, attacked the guard post, killing all the defenders and cutting down the flagstaff for the fourth time. At the same time, possibly as a diversion, Te Ruki Kawiti and his men attacked the town of Russell.
The colonial government attempted to re-establish its authority in the Bay of Islands on 28 March 1845 with the arrival of troops from the 58th, 96th and 99th Regiments, including the Goodrum men of the 58th regiment. Hone Heke and his  allied Maori  chiefs had built a fortified pa at Ohaewai. The British  Troops were now under the control of Lt Col Henry Despard, a soldier of whom it is said did very little to inspire the confidence in his troops. Although it was now the middle of the southern winter,Despard insisted on resuming the campaign immediately with with troops from the 58th and 99th Regiments, Royal Marines and a detachment of artillery .
They sailed across the bay to the mouth of the Kerikeri River and began to march inland to Ohaeawai where the chief Kawhiti hadbuilt formidable defences   around the Pā. The inner palisade, 3 metres  high, was built using Puriri logs. In front of the inner palisade was a ditch in which the warriors could shelter and reload their muskets then fire through gaps in the two outer palisades and were protected by sheets of woven flax. On the morning of the 23rd June the force marched from Waimate for Ohaeawai, seven miles away. This stage of the march was much impeded by the bad roads (or, rather, bullock-tracks), the unbridged creeks, and a deep swamp.
The first British battery, was placed about 100 yards in front of Despard's camp, on gently rising ground, and the first gun was fired at 8 a.m. on the 24th June. The fire was kept up from the four guns during the greater part of the day, but with little effect upon the  double defensive stockade which was protected in multiple ways not least of which was a flax matting that repelled bullets and even when the 32-pounder arrived from the frigate “Hazard” its projectiles failed to breach the stockade
The British even tried  the first and only instance of the use of poison-gas in New Zealand, was attended with no better success than the other means adopted for the capture of the pa. The composition of the “stench-balls” remains a mystery; unknown also is the number of these shells delivered to the Maoris by vertical fire. The expectation was that the mortars, with their 45° angle of fire, would land the poison-shells within the trenches or the dugouts, where their explosion would produce stupefaction as well as consternation. Wherever they exploded, they failed to produce any noticeable ill effect upon the Maoris.
After two days of bombardment without effecting a breach, Despard ordered a frontal assault. He was, with difficulty, persuaded to postpone this pending the arrival of a 32-pound naval gun which came the next day, 1 July.  In the mean time a group of Maori from the Pa had attacked a group of friendly Maori and soldiers, stealing their flags. The Union Jack was hoisted on the Pa flagpole upside down under a Maori cloak.  This insulting display of the Union Jack was the cause of the disaster which ensued. Despite the obvious  futility Despard ordered an immediate attack . The attack was directed to the section of the pā where the angle of the palisade allowed a double flank from which the defenders of the pā could fire  at the attackers; the attack was a reckless endeavour.  The British persisted in their attempts to storm the unbreached palisades however within  just  five to seven minutes one third of the storming party were dead including
Captain Grant of the 58th Regiment and Lieutenant Phillpotts of HMS Hazard and Private George Goodrum of the 58th Regiment.
Described in Despard’s own words , “When the advance was sounded, they rushed forward in the most gallant and daring manner, and every endeavour was made to pull the stockade down. They partially succeeded in opening the outer one, but the inward one resisted ail their efforts, and being lined with men firing through loop-holes on a level with the ground, and from others half way up, our men were falling so fast, that notwithstanding the most daring acts of bravery, and the greatest perseverance,they were obliged to retire.”
Despards actions were proven so foolhardy  they led to the action being regarded as the New Zealand equivalent of the Crimean War Charge of the Light Brigade. In the 1859 published history The story of New Zealand it is said it was rumoured in London military clubs that after the Duke of Wellington read the dispatches he was so annoyed as to remark that had NZ not been so far away he would have ordered Despard face a court-martial!

Friday, February 5, 2016

Phillip Goodwin: A Pioneer of Child Welfare in New Zealand

Here is a page I completed this afternoon on my Great Grandfather Phillip Goodwin. Growing up he was always a very elderly man and its hard to imagine him in the position he held in his younger years.
New Zealand as a country was always far ahead of its time in the development of its social welfare systems, and "Da" as he was known to all his family was one of the very early pioneers in its development.

I have several documents written by Lewis Anderson. He was a Superintendant of the Child Welfare Department after having worked with my Great Grandfather earlier in his career.
I think Lewis' words themselves best describe the role "Da"had in the development of Child Welfare in New Zealand.

Tribute to Phillip Goodwin by Lewis Anderson  dated 29 November 1976
In order to explain why I have such a high regard for Mr Goodwin, I should first mention that I was the last Superintendent of Child Welfare before the Child Welfare Division went out of existence in early 1972. 
Phillip Goodwin was for some years a senior colleague of mine, He was one of the pioneers of Child Welfare and social work in New Zealand. I owe more than I could describe in words to his influence and leadership and example.
He was the first Child Welfare Officer in Hamilton, undertaking social work with children and parents in the Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country and Hauraki Plains areas. His appointment there preceded the coming into force of the Child Welfare Act 1925, on 1 April 1926 and he originally was designated as a Juvenile Probation Officer. My first memory of him was when he visited the Frankton Junction school where I was a small boy pupil (and, I add, not the one he came to enquire about).
At an early stage of life of what was first called the Child Welfare Branch of the Department of Education after the Act came into force, he came to Wellington to take charge of the Wellington district and virtually to introduce the new Child Welfare set-up at a time when Magistrates, Police and others were naturally a little suspicious of the changed procedures for dealing with delinquent and deprived children. Phillip Goodwin demonstrated foresight and, in particular, courage, in handling this situation. No one in the service did more than he did to ensure the success of the new system. His was an outstanding record of achieving the co-operation of other involved departments and officials. He trained many people on his own staff who later occupied top positions in Social work in New Zealand. A list of those persons would read like a biographical history of the present social work services .
Before I cane to the Head Office of the Child Welfare Division in Wellington early in 1945 from a field position in Whangarei, I was of course familiar with Phillip Goodwin’s high standing. For a period before ill health forced his premature retirement I saw a good deal of him personally, even though we worked in different offices. Since that time my tremendous respect for the man and for his achievements has led me to retain contact with him through correspondence and occasional visits whenever he came to Wellington from his home in Auckland.
Phillip Goodwin is, of course a man of complete integrity, He is a man of compassion. Those things go almost without the need to say them. No one could have inspired the abiding respect of his colleagues if he had not been scrupulously honest and fair and humane in all his dealings and been a man of upright character.
Personal letter from Lewis Anderson to Phillip Goodwin dated 20 April 1983 on the occasion of Phillip’s 100th birthday( excerpt)
In the early 20’s when I was a small boy at the Frankton Junction Primary School, the Juvenile Probation Officer from Hamilton called at the school one day to interview two young scalliwags in my class who had been up to some mischief in the community. The event is so indelibly impressed on my memory that I could today quote the names of the boys, but I wont.
The Headmaster must have told us beforehand who was coming because I still vividly remember the feeling of apprehension that swept over us all when this fearsome official arrived. He was, of course, you. I don't think we heard you speak but the very sight of such a being as a Juvenile Probation Officer put the fear of God into us all. Maybe thats why I have never  been before a Court as an offender in all my life, not even for a parking offence.
When the Child Welfare Act 1925 came into force you became the very first Child Welfare Officer in the Waikato.
Many years later, I too, was a Child Welfare Officer stationed in Hamilton. After service in other districts and after being rejected for war service on heath grounds, I eventually was appointed in 1945, to a Head Office job in Wellington. You were then in charge of the Wellington District Office. When I met you, I immediately recognised you as the earlier visitor to the Frankton school but I'm sure I didn’t tell you.
In no time at all I discovered that, instead of being the fearsome creature of my memories, you were the kindliest and most compassionate of human beings. You were then as you still are, a man of upright character and complete integrity , demonstrating in everything you did the very highest moral standards.
Your work, whether you knew it or not was based on your influence. There must be great numbers of adult people who, over the past 60 years or more have enjoyed happier and more useful lives because of your influence on them .
Your training of staff who later became senior officers in key positions was one of the dividends the Department gained from your years of service.  You were a pioneer of social work with children in New Zealand and you deserve the thanks of a grateful country. God Bless you Phillip. You are truly a good man.