Early Goodmans of Wales and England
Other Goodmans
of Wales and England
In "Genealogical Gleanings in England", Henry F. Waters (1907), Genealogical Publishing Co., Baltimore 1981, are two intriguing references. The first is the will of John Quynby of London, servant with Thomas Goodman of same city, read 28 July 1556, in which bequests include: three rings to Jane, daughter of Thomas Goodman, two "lewts" (probably lutes) for Thomas and "Insent" Goodman, probably also children of Thomas, and to Ursula Goodman, probably also the daughter of Thomas, or perhaps his wife, was to receive his signet of gold with the "Splede Egle". This last was probably an early Goodman crest on a sealing ring, which by this account was apparently in use by the retainers of the Goodman family prior to the granting of arms in 1572. Mr. Quynby’s will also mentions "my apparel in Spain as well as here" and "debts abroad", indicating that this Goodman family was relatively wealthy and well traveled, and were probably participating actively in Edward’s mercer trade. Thomas Goodman, being married and with several children by 1556, was probably born before 1520, and may have been closely related to Edward "Redsleeves" Goodman. He may have been the family’s representative to the Mercers Guild, which was then based in London. The name Ursula, a daughter of William Goodman of Ruthin and Margaret Brereton, as mentioned following, was probably a traditional Goodman female name.
About 1550, William Goodman of Ruthin married Margaret, daughter of Sir William Brereton, and their daughter Ursula became the wife of Sir Thomas Mostyn of Mostyn (living 1597), one of the King’s Council for the Marches, of Wales. This William Goodman was therefore probably born about 1530 or earlier. He is not mentioned in any of the known Ruthin Goodman wills, and in any case, was born too early to be a son of any f Edward "Redsleeves" Goodman. It is possible that he could have been a son of Edward's brother, or could have been from the line of Goodman's of nearby Chester.
Another source documents this so: "Catherine Salusbury, third daughter of Thomas Salusbury, Hen, was married to Richard ap Howell of Mostyn, and had 8 sons and 5 daughters...William, Richard, Piers, Robert, Fouke, Edward, Roger, Rowland, Elizabeth, Katharine, Grace, Dorothy and Margaret. Richard ap Howell was about the finest character we meet with in Welsh History. He was patriotic, greatly attached to the land of his fathers, and a devout adherent to the cause of Henry of Richmond, which at the time was looked upon as the Welsh interest. He was present at the battle of Bosworth Field, and received from Henry the belt and sword which he had that day worn, as a token of his regard for his person. The new King pressed him warmly to attach himself to his Court, when the fine Welsh gentleman replied: " I dwell among mine own people," a sentiment which his descendants have followed with strictness down to our own day, for the Mostyn's are proverbially a home race, and have in that way endeared themselves to their countrymen above any other family in the Principality. On the death of Richard he was succeeded by his eldest son...William Mostyn, who with other North Wales gentlemen, was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth to hold a great Eisteddfud at Caerwys, an account of which will be found in pennant's Wales, and other works of like character. He married Margaret, daughter of Robert ap Howell and had by her Thomas, John, Henry, Grace and Catherine. His successor, Sir Thomas Mostyn was appointed by James 1st one of his Council for Wales and the Marshes and appears to have been a man of judgement and great discretion. He married Ursula Goodman, and had by her Robert, William, Thomas, Margaret and Catherine." So, once again, we have connections of Goodmans to the gentry and prominent of N. Wales, including others who had ancestors at the Battle of Bosworth Field.
A Richard Goodman had a son, Gabriel, who was christened 8 December, 1557 at St. Bennett, London (LDS IGI). This Richard Goodman would have been born about 1535 or before. The son’s name of Gabriel makes some kind of family connection at least possible.
A Christopher Goodman wrote and published a critical essay, "How Superior Powers ought to be Obeyed", in 1558. Accordingly, he would have been born about 1535 or before, and therefore may have been somehow related to Edward "Redsleeves" Goodman. He was of of the nearby Chester family. Some sources claim that there is absolutely no connection between the Ruthin and Chester Goodman families. However, the use of the "spread eagle" for a time in the arms of the Goodmans of Chester, as well as the close proximity of Chester to Ruthin, would suggest otherwise. Christopher Goodman was a leader among the Puritans, and a translator of the Geneva Bible. He died at a very advanced age in 1602, and is buried in St Bride's Church, Chester. The usual Chester Goodman's arms are: Argent, a chevron sable between three crosses botony sable.
It is possible that aforementioned Thomas Goodman, William Goodman, Richard Goodman and/or Christopher Goodman may have been brothers of the 1st Edward Goodman, having also assumed the Goodman surname about the same time. If so, then the inclusion of the martlet in the coat of arms would indicate that Edward was the fourth born of those brothers.
An Edward and Elizabeth Goodman had a son, Godfrey, christened 26 August, 1674 at St. Stephan, London. This Edward and Elizabeth lived in London, and at a much later date than the prior generations, and no relationship could be established, except that the name Godfrey possibly associates them with this family.
In "Annals and Antiquities", it is noted that this family did not remain prominent for long in Denbigh, except for Gawen, and his son Edward, as previously noted. Many apparently spread across Wales, England, and America, and possibly into Scotland and Ireland, from the mid-1500s through the 1700s, as they intermarried into other families, fought the wars for (and against) the King and Country, fled religious and political oppression, and expanded their businesses and inter-family associations.
The other reference in "Genealogical Gleanings", p. 1354, Jane, daughter of Robert Whitfield and Agnes Atwood of Sussex, married Richard Porter of Begeham, and their 2nd daughter Mary married Thomas Goodman. This family also had connections by marriage to a William Blunt in England. The Blunt (or Blount) family appears often with Goodman families later in America.
In Leigh Castle in Essex, near Rochford, is another bronze, with a caption of: "John Price, born at Cardiff, commander of several ships of war under Wm. III, d. 1709, and w/ Martha, daughter of Thomas Goodman, Esq., of Bristol, d. 1696". Bristol, an active Atlantic seaport, just south of Wales, was second only to London in trade, and as a common point of embarkation for colonists to America, especially to Virginia and the Carolinas. Bristol, and southern Wales on the north side of Bristol Channel, was also the home of several Williams families, and other important families of Wales.
