THE FROGGATT FAMILY OF BREWHOUSE YARDSAMUEL GODKIN (1797 – 1867)Samuel was baptised 19 March 1797 at Papplewick St James, Nottingham to Samuel GODKIN and Hannah (FROGGATT). He married Elizabeth Hannah REDGATE at Nottingham St Nicholas on 9 Jun 1821. The witnesses were Elizabeth GODKIN (his sister) and William PRICE. Elizabeth REDGATE had been baptised in Nottingham St Mary on 26 Jan 1801, the 4th child of John REDGATE and Hannah CARTLEDGE.
Samuel and Elizabeth had 10 children.
Samuel and Elizabeth had 10 children (note that several GODKIN births in Nottingham for the period 1820-1840 have different parents but only the baptism or Bishop Transcript records reveal the parents):
Samuel and Elizabeth are difficult to find in the 1841 census as they were living in Liverpool with Samuel working as a plumber and glazier. His occupation was also given as glazier on the baptism of his younger children. Based on the birth and death dates for their youngest child Francis, they would have moved to Liverpool early in 1841. Despite the change of environment the remaining family was back in Nottingham by 1851, living at 6 Gedling St. Samuel was working as a surveyor's assistant, but note their son Henry was now a plumber, a skill he would have picked up during their time in Liverpool:
In 1861 Samuel was the Assistant Surveyor of Highways and living at Canal St:
Elizabeth GODKIN/REDGATE died 24 January 1864, aged 63. Samuel died in Nottingham on 3 November 1867, aged 70. They are buried in Nottingham General Cemetery plot 7450, along with 7 others.
The Children of Samuel and Elizabeth GODKINOf the ten children of Samuel and Elizabeth only 4 survived beyond infancy. Here is the story of those four who survived. Samuel GODKIN (1824-1870)Samuel was born in Red Lion St, Nottingham in 1824 and baptised at Nottingham St Mary 20 January 1824. Samuel is not in the 1841 census, importantly he did not stay in Liverpool with the family when they moved there in 1841. Instead he became an assisted immigrant to Australia, arriving in Port Philip Bay from Liverpool on 17 July 1841. The records tell us he was aged 19 and from Nottingham. There is little more information about Samuel. He went to Ballarat, presumably drawn by the gold and the growing town where he took up the family trade and became a plumber. He was joined there by his brother George who was also a plumber, who became the foreman plumber for the Ballarat Gas Works. Samuel Godkin died in Ballarat on 18 Feb 1870, aged 46. He is buried in the Ballarat New Cemetery, plot Wesleyan A, section 1/28 and is commemorated there with his brother George.
Thomas GODKIN (1829-1915)Thomas was born in Red Lion St, Nottingham in 1829 and baptised at Nottingham St Mary 24 May 1829. He went to Liverpool with the family in 1841.
I cannot find him in the 1851 census but he had not emigrated at this time as he married Sarah Ann TAYLOR in Nottingham St Mary on 14 March 1853. Sarah had been born in Leicester in about 1930 to William TAYLOR and Sarah (SALLIS). They had twins - a son Thomas Goodman GODKIN and a daughter Hannah - in Nottingham in 1853 but the son died soon after birth. Then in 1854 Thomas, Sarah and Hannah departed Liverpool for Melbourne. The ship "Stamboul" departed on 18 May 1854 and arrived in Australia on 21 August 1854. His occupation at the time was given as an "agricultural labourer" from Nottingham. Thomas was aged 25, Sarah 23 and Hannah was an infant. The shipping record notes he was going with his brother to St Kilda. But it would appear that his early days in Melbourne were not lucrative. First there is a newspaper report in 1854 that his wife Sarah had left him and then he was imprisoned for insolvency.
The papers do not tell us the outcome of his insolvency other than all his possessions were auctioned off. By 1871 he was again working as a plumber, as he is listed in the Rates Book at 2 Henry St, Fitzroy.
It also appears that Sarah's absence was temporary as they went on to have 11 children in total:
Some time in 1880 Thomas's wife Sarah Ann died in Melbourne aged 50. That left Thomas a widower with 5 children aged from 13 to 27 although his oldest daughter Hannah was now married. Within 2 years Thomas married Catherine GRAHAM (GREEN in the marriage index). Catherine was aged 24 and Thomas was 53. Catherine had been born in Glasgow in 1858. Thomas and Catherine had seven children, giving Thomas 18 children in total.
There is a glimpse of Thomas in the newspaper in 1892. As a plumber he was speaking from personal knowledge about the railways. He was aged about 63. Wright St is a small lane of lock-up industrial premises suggesting Thomas had a plumbing workshop there.
Thomas GODKIN died at 354 Rae St, North Fitzroy Melbourne on 27 March 1915 aged 86. His obituary in The Age lists the surviving children from both marriages.
His second wife Catherine, who was about 30 years younger than Thomas, died on 4 March 1940 in Palm St, Fairfield, Melbourne. She was interred in the Coburg Pine Ridge Cemetery, plot D374.
Henry Redgate GODKIN (1831-1866)Henry Redgate is easily found in the census and BDM records due to his middle name. He was born in 1831 in Narrow Marsh Nottingham and baptised 16 Jun 1831 at Nottingham St Mary.
Henry also followed the family trade as a plumber. Henry married Emma Parker at West Bridgford St Giles Church on 17 October 1854. Emma had been born in 1834 and baptised 20 April 1834 at West Bridgford St Giles to Alexander PARKER (a school teacher) and Rebecca (REDDISH). They had four children:
In 1861 the family was living at Glasshouse St, Nottingham, Henry was a plumber.
Henry died on 7 Feb 1866 at Radford, Nottingham. Probate was granted to his widow Emma. He was interred in Nottingham General Cemetery.
Emma, Mary and George moved to 26 Raleigh St before 1871, just north of the Nottingham General Cemetery. They had a different address in that area for later censuses:
Emma GODKIN/PARKER died in Nottingham on 19 February1905 and was interred at Nottingham General Cemetery plot 7450 on 23 February 1905 with her husband Henry Redgate. She was aged 71, and had been a widow for 39 years. Her two children, Mary and George were still living with her in 1901. Of the children of Henry Redgate and Emma GODKIN: Mary Bernicia GODKIN (1858-1942) never married. She lived with her mother and brother George until Emma's death in 1905 and then remained with her brother even after he married in 1906. In 1911, 1921 and 1939 they were living at 59 Burnham St, Sherwood, Nottingham. Mary was a dress and mantle maker, like her mother. Mary died in Nottingham in early November 1942 and was buried on 6 Nov 1942 at Nottingham General Cemetery plot G10/49 with her brother George Henry GODKIN. George Henry GODKIN (1861-1936): was born in Nottingham in 1861. He lived with his mother until her death in 1905. Soon after he married Jane (Jennie) STAFFORD in Nottingham in 1906. Jane had been born in Basford on 31 Dec 1877 to Andrew STAFFORD and Caroline. At the time of marriage George was age 45 and Jane was 29. They did not have any children. George had a variety of occupations. He started as a hosiery apprentice, then diverted into being a cashier and Baptist Preacher, finally settling on selling insurance.
George Henry GODKIN died in Nottingham in 1936. Jane (Jennie) GODKIN/STAFFORD died in Nottingham in 1948 (Jun qtr, 7b/239). George GODKIN (1832-1906)George was born At Drury Hill, Nottingham around 1832 and baptised at Nottingham St Peter on 12 August 1832. In 1841 George and his parents were in Liverpool but by 1851 they were back in Nottingham at 6 Gedling St and George was working as a plumber and glazier.
George GODKIN married Ann CHAPMAN on 24 Jan 1853 at Nottingham St Mary. The marriage record confirms this is the correct George as there were several other George GODKINs living in and around Nottingham at that time.
Within weeks of their marriage George and Ann emigrated to Melbourne on the "Genghis Khan", departing Liverpool on 25 April 1853 and arriving in Melbourne on 1 July 1853, following in the footsteps of his brothers Samuel and Thomas. The immigration record tells us George was aged 23 and Ann was 24 and they were from Nottingham. There are newspaper reports of a George GODKIN in Melbourne in 1854 working as a bricklayer. He appears to have moved to Ballarat around 1856 as in 1859 George was involved in various gold mining ventures in Ballarat. On 30 July 1864 the Star Ballarat advertised a letter waiting for George at the gas works. George's brother Samuel died In Ballarat in 1870, and George's address at the time was Grenville St, Ballarat opposite the gas works. In 1874 George again made the paper by falling off a ladder whilst repairing a gas main for the Ballarat gas works.
Marriage to Mary POLLARDOn 4 February 1881 George married Mary POLLARD at Ballarat. Mary had been born Mary PARKER in 1839 to William PARKER and Letitla HAYDEN. She had married Thomas William POLLARD in 1873 and they had seven children. Thomas PARKER had died in 1879. We do not know what happened to George's first wife Ann. She is shown on the shipping register and as an arrival in Melbourne in 1853 but that is the last record. She does not appear in the death indexes for Victoria. It appears likely that George and Ann divorced after arrival in Melbourne. There is a marriage entry for an Ann GODKIN marrying John William BROAD in Adelaide in 1869. Ann's father was John CHAPMAN, which is the father of the bride's name on the Adelaide record.
George and Mary did not have any children. Mary died at their home, 19 Eastwood St Ballarat on 19 May 1901 and was buried at the Ballarat New Cemetery on 21 May. She appointed George to be executor of her Will, which was proved in June 1901 and valued at £460.
Soon after Mary died George sold the property at 19 Eastwood St and bought a new property just around the corner at 6 Sharwood St.
George died on 8 October 1906 at 6 Sharwood St, Ballarat East aged 74.
George left a Will in which his estate was to be split between his step-children - Mary POLLARD's children from her first marriage and to his housekeeper. He also named Thomas William POLLARD as one of his executors, but Thomas renounced this role. The Probate accounts make interesting reading, with outgoings to Mrs POLLARD for being caretaker of the house until sold and a £3 debt being repaid. Note that the value of George's estate was less than that of his wife Mary's.
Back to Froggatt Family History Last updated: 18 October 2023 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
