#52Ancestors Week 40 ‘Oldest’ The Life and Times of Henry William Goode Aged 102

At the grand old age of 102, I can safely say that Henry William Goode is my oldest recorded Ancestor, so let me tell you a little bit more about my 2 x Great Uncle Henry.

Henry William Goode was born on 21st April 1874 in Bushey in Hertfordshire, the seventh oldest, of eight children born to Walter Goode and Emma Fanny Hargist.

He was Baptised on 28th June 1874 at Bushey in Hertfordshire and his parents are listed as living at Villiers Road in Bushey in Hertfordshire.

1881 Census

By 1881 Henry is 6 years old and listed as a scholar and is living with his parents at Aldenham Road, in Bushey, also living at home with Henry and his parents are his siblings, Frederick Charles aged 12, Maria Amelia aged 10, Florence Helena aged 8 and Louisa Ellen aged 2.

1891 Census

In 1891 Henry is still living at home with his parents at 10, Wells Yard, Watford in Hertfordshire and is aged 16 and his occupation is listed as a Gardener, an occupation that he was have for a large part of his working life.

On 14th April 1895 Henry William Goode Marries Elizabeth Chiddicks, my 2 x Great Aunt at St. Nicholas Parish Church in South Ockendon, Essex.

Witnesses to the Marriage were William Chiddicks and Mary Ann Chiddicks, Elizabeth Chiddicks Brother and Sister. By 1895 Elizabeth Chiddicks’ parents, Matthew and Elizabeth had moved from their home in South Ockendon, in Essex to Watford in Herts and it is here that the two sweethearts, Henry William Goode and Elizabeth Chiddicks  are likely to have met. Henry William Goode is listed as a Gardener on the Marriage entry.

1901 Census

By 1901 our young Henry and Elizabeth are living at 8, Harefield Terrace in Watford and they have started their family and have three young children, Harry William Lovell Goode aged 5, Gladys Goode aged 4 and Harold aged 1, Henry is once again listed as a Gardener. If you look closely next door, at No.7 Harefield Terrace, Henry’s in-laws, Matthew and Elizabeth Chiddicks are living there, which shows the value of looking closely at all the documents. Sometimes in the small details we can find additional family members that we otherwise might not have been able to find.

1911 Census

The 1911 Census is an interesting one, surprisingly Henry and his family have moved a fair distance from their former residence of Watford, to Stockbridge in Hampshire. With Henry’s occupation still listed as Gardener had he moved because of work? We cannot be certain, but Henry and his family are living at Mill View, Broughton, Stockbridge, Hampshire.

1939 Register

There is a gap in the paper trail for Henry William Goode between 1911 and 1939, maybe the 1921 Census will reveal some more detail, but by the time the 1939 Register was taken, Henry and his Wife Elizabeth, had returned to Bushey in Herts and were living at 16, Falconer Road, living with them was their Daughter-in-Law, Winifred Hetty Goode. Henry is still listed as a Gardener.

The next record for Henry William Goode still makes me smile today.

When I first started researching the Goode Family, it was probably around 15 years ago and I was what I would call back then, a ‘Tree Harvester’. I was more obsessed with collecting people and going backwards in time, rather than filling out the depth of my tree. It was when I started to fill in the gaps that I realised I had no Death record for Henry, shouldn’t be too difficult I thought. Well I searched and searched and again back then, my record keeping of ‘failed searches’ was none existent and therefore I went round in circles. Eventually the penny dropped!

In my searches for an appropriate death record I had literally made a mental cut off in my search range off 100 years old, it was only when I realised this mistake that I suddenly  found him! He died aged 102 years old on 4th March 1976 at 35, Lower Road, River, Dover, Kent and was Cremated on 9th March 1976 at Barham Crematorium, Dover, Kent. His ashes were located in the West Garden to the right of the Laburnum Tree.

Henry William Goode is pictured here with the pipe, alongside his Wife Elizabeth Goode (nee Chiddicks), also pictured in uniform is their Son, Harry William Lovell Goode and the young boy is Henry’s Grandson, David, who sadly died aged just 25.

The Last Will of Henry William Goode is attached:

 

 

 

 

So although not a complete biography, we at least know a little bit more about the life of my “Oldest” Ancestor, Henry William Goode.

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