By the early 12th century, the Fitz Stephen family, early ancestors of our Gooding family, was established in Gloucestershire. Thomas Fitz Stephen (?-1120) had at least two sons, one of which, Ralph Fitz Stephen (?-?) lived in Wapley, in the south of the county and may have been a royal chamberlain. He also had atContinue reading “Medieval Matters (1100-1500)”
Category Archives: Gooding
1066 And All That
It has taken me many years to find anyone famous within our family history, but research into our Stephens ancestors from Gloucestershire led to the discovery of a noble line dating back to Norman times. Airard Fitz Stephen (or Stephen Fitz Airard), my 29 x Great Grandfather is thought to have been born around 1036Continue reading “1066 And All That”
The Wren Family: Opportunity and Tragedy
My grandmother’s great grandmother was Eliza Sarah Ann Wren (1842-1903). Like many of my grandmother’s family, she came from a long established Kentish family, with more recent generations working as carpenters at the Chatham dockyard. Eliza was the eldest of seven children born to William Wren (1818-1900) and Eliza Lucy Rudland (1816 -1865) in Chatham.Continue reading “The Wren Family: Opportunity and Tragedy”
The Thames Link: Watermen in the 17th – 19th Centuries
My research into my grandmother’s ancestry has led to the discovery of a number of Thames watermen who plied their trade between the mid-seventeeth and early nineteenth centuries. All of them were ancestors of my grandmother’s great-great grandmother, Eliza Lucy Rudland (1816-1865) who was from a long line of Kentish families. I have been ableContinue reading “The Thames Link: Watermen in the 17th – 19th Centuries”
A Clockmaker’s Progress: George Hobart (1692 – ?)
It isn’t often that I have been able to find physical items belonging to my ancestors; even gravestones have proved elusive! However, there are several items in existence which were handcrafted by my 8 x great grandfather, George Hobart (1692 – ?), who worked as a clock and watchmaker in London in the first halfContinue reading “A Clockmaker’s Progress: George Hobart (1692 – ?)”
The Landowning Lowdells c1600-1723 : Where There’s a Will…
The Lowdell family from Chatham, Kent, were the ancestors of my grandmother’s maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Lowdell (1863 – 1925). While researching this branch of the family, I struck gold, as several of our ancestors over four generations left detailed wills which tell us more about individuals, their lives and relationships. The Lowdell (or LowdwellContinue reading “The Landowning Lowdells c1600-1723 : Where There’s a Will…”
The Elmore Family: Naval Origins
I was not aware of the Elmore family before I began researching our family history. We are descended from Louisa Elmore (1836 – 1901), who was my grandmother’s great-grandmother. I have enjoyed finding out more about this branch of the family and wanted to share what I have discovered. I have attached two family treeContinue reading “The Elmore Family: Naval Origins”
Goodings in the Armed Forces
Several of the members of the extended Gooding family were in the military and/or fought in the First World War. Our ancestor, Arthur Gooding (1878 – 1933) travelled to Dublin and enlisted with the Hussars of the Line in December 1894, claiming to be 18 years old. We know from his enlistment medical that heContinue reading “Goodings in the Armed Forces”
The Gooding Family Part 2: Dorking and Croydon to Kent (1845 – 1953)
Joseph Gooding (1845 – 1896) was the seventh of George Jubilee and Susanna’s children, and the third son. Records tell us that he was born on 1 March 1845 and baptised on 27 April the same year at St Peter’s Marsh Baldon. He remained living at the family home until at least 1861, working asContinue reading “The Gooding Family Part 2: Dorking and Croydon to Kent (1845 – 1953)”
The Gooding Family Part 1: Oxfordshire Origins (1740 – 1887)
I have traced the Gooding family back to two small villages near Oxford, Toot Baldon and Marsh Baldon (sometimes March Baldon). Both villages are ancient and have remained fairly unchanged in terms of population size for many centuries. The following websites give a good overview of the history of these villages. https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol5/pp47-56 https://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol5/pp30-47 Our branchContinue reading “The Gooding Family Part 1: Oxfordshire Origins (1740 – 1887)”
Butland Gooding Family Tree 