Name
Joseph Goodman
2 April 1887
Conflict
First World War
Date of Death / Age
11/08/1917
30
Rank, Service Number & Service Details
Private
35070
Loyal North Lancashire Regiment
9th Bn.
Awards: Service Medals/Honour Awards
British War and Victory medals
Cemetery/Memorial: Name/Reference/Country
YPRES (MENIN GATE) MEMORIAL
Panel 41 and 43
Belgium
Headstone Inscription
N/A
UK & Other Memorials
Bourne End Village Memorial, St John's Church Roll of Honour (book), Bourne End, Not on the Croxley Green memorials, Not on the Bushey memorials, Not on the Hemel Hempstead memorials, Not on the Watford memorials(*1)
Pre War
Joseph Goodman was born on 2 April 1887 at Eastbury Cottages, Watford, the son of George and Sarah (née Jeffs) Goodman of Bourne End Lane, Boxmoor, Herts. His parents were married in 1884 in the Watford district.
At the 1891 Census, they were staying with Sarah’s sister’s family, the Thackhams at 14, The Mill Square, Rickmansworth, Croxley Green. The Thackhams included David (a general labourer, age 29), his wife, Ellen (age 27) and their children, William J (age 5), Rossae E (age 3) and David (age 1).
The Goodman family included George (age 28), Sarah (age 32), Albert (age 6), Joseph (age 5) and Edith (age 4mths). George is employed as a general labourer. The birthplaces given for them are Batchworth Heath for George, Watford for Sarah, Albert and Joseph and Croxley Green for Edith.
By the time of the 1901 Census, the family had moved to 3, Maud Villas, New Road, Croxley Green and included George (age 39), Sarah (age 41), Albert (age 16), Joseph (a domestic groom, age 13), Edith (age 10) and Florence (age 6). Joseph’s place of birth was given as Eastbury Cottages.
Joseph was working as a gamekeeper when he married Jane Elizabeth Trowles (born 24/09/1891) on the 12 April 1909, the eldest daughter of George Isaac and Jane Trowles from Watford. They had four children; Ethel Sophia (born 15/01/1910), Joseph William (born 21/04/1913), Lillian Gertrude (born 10/05/1914) and Dorothy Alice (born 15/07/1915). [Note: The birth date given for Jane on Joseph’s pension card is 24/09/1889, but her birth was actually registered on 24/09/1891.]
At the 1911 Census they had moved again and were living with his parents at 122 New Road, Croxley Green. Joseph (age 24) was now working as a farm labourer, the same occupation as his father, and he and Jane appear to have two children, Ethel (age 1) and Annie (age 7 mths) - annotated as illegitimate.. Three of George and Sarah’s children were also there; Albert (age 25), Edith (age 19), Florence (age 16).
He was living at 12 Vale Road, Bushey, Hertfordshire at the time of enlistment, the home of Jane’s father, George Trowles.
Wartime Service
Joseph enlisted on 2nd June 1915 at Watford as Private 20846 in the Bedfordshire Regiment, 4th Battalion.
It is thought he transferred to the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment on 14th December 1916, initially joining the 13th battalion, with a new service number of 35070. Joseph was then posted to 1st battalion and sent to France. He was later transferred to the 9th battalion, which was part of the 74th Brigade of the 25th Division.
Joseph was killed in action on 11th August 1917. Following on from the Battle of Pilkem (a phase of the Third Battles of Ypres), the 74th Brigade were tasked to renew the attack on Westhoek, which had been held up so far. The Brigade successfully took their objective, but sustained very heavy casualties in the process, one of which was Private Joseph Goodman.
He has no known grave and is remembered with honour on the Menin Gate Memorial.
Additional Information
Joseph’s pension record card indicates his wife received a £3/6/- on 11 December 1917, owed from his pay & allowances, and a war gratuity of £9/10/- paid on 11 March 1920. Her address at the time was given as Bourne Lane, Boxmoor, Herts. There is clearly a family connection and history associated with Croxley Green, but appears that Joseph was not born there and may have moved away before the war and therefore may not have had a direct connection at the time of the Great War. Jane subsequently married John Nash (b c 1897) in 1919 in Berkhampstead. Information provided with the kind permission of Bushey First World War Commemoration Project – Please visit www.busheyworldwarone.org.uk. Information also drawn from the Our Watford History website - please visit www.ourwatfordhistory.org.uk and the Wartime Memories Project - please visit www.wartimememoriesproject.com
Acknowledgments
Andrew Palmer, Brenda Palmer
Croxley Green History Project, Brian Thomson, www.dacorumheritage.org.uk
