The Goodliffe Family of Lambley Lodge, Belton-in-Rutland
Arnold Goodliffe - Provision Merchant
Arnold was born on 23 May 1807 in the family home of Lambley Lodge near Belton in the
County of Rutland.
We know a lot about Arnold's life and of his business as a provision merchant as his son Thomas convinced Arnold to write down his recollections of family, business and other information in 1888 just before Arnold died. By some chance, this story has been
preserved and the original draft, Arnold's fair copy, a handwritten copy and a poor typescript copy are available here. In addition, Arnold's grandson - Frederick Goodliffe - who had taken over the business wrote a short history of the busness for it's centenary
in 1927.
All the versions of Arnold's history, entitled "The Story of My Life" are provided here.
Arnold's family tree
The early part of Arnold's family tree is here. Arnold was the 11th of the 12 children of Thomas GOODLIFFE and Mary ARNOLD who were graziers residing at Lambley Lodge. Arnold married Ann SPEED in 1830 in Nottingham and they
had 8 children, 29 grandchildren, 79 great-grandchildren, 124 great-great-grandchildren and 188 great-great-great-grandchildren. That number will not fit on this tree so follow the links for each family.
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Lion GOODLIFFE
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Thomas GOODLIFFE===========v===========Ann CURTIS
1722-1810 1754 1726-1792
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Thomas
1756-1829
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m:1791
Mary ARNOLD
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|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|---------|----------|--------|---------|---------|
Elizabeth Mary Thomas Anna John William James William Mary Daniel Arnold Sarah
1792-1830 1793-1793 1794-1816 1796-1886 1798-1864 1799-1799 1800-1868 1801-1854 1803-1825 1805-1890 1807-1888 1809-1885
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m:1812 m:1823 m:1832 m:1823 m:1823 m:1830 m:1830 m:1844
Samuel John Elizabeth Elizabeth Bridget Mary Ann James
RICHMOND CULPIN STOKES ANDREWS NEWBOLD/MAJOR ATKIN SPEED ANDREWS
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|------------|-------------|-------------|-------------|------------|----------------|--------------|
Thomas William Mary Ann Ellen Elizabeth Pickering Sarah Frederick Arnold Harriet Eliza Edwin Daniel
1831-1889 1833-1892 1835-1872 1836-1892 1839-1909 1842-1909 1844-1847 1848-1909
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m:1853 m:1860 m:1865 m:1867 m:1867 m:1870
Ann William Margaret William Elizabeth Elizabeth
STAFFORD EATON MURPHY FROGGATT SWAIN CLARKE
1831-1909 1837-? 1842-1926 1837-1881 1841-1905 1849-1900
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9 children 8 children Arnold Daniel 6 children Frederick Arnold 3 children
1874-1941 1868-1944
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m:1903 m:1896
Sarah May
MANN BURRELL
1876-1955 1879-1933
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4 children 5 children
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Arnold grew up on the family farm of Lambley Lodge, Belton in Rutland, apart from a short time as a boarder at school. He did not like the school
and as he later wrote, leared bad habits there so returned to the farm and set about liking farming. In May 1823 the family received a
letter from his older brother William asking if one of the family could come to Nottingham for a fortnight to be of assistance in his shop.
To his dismay Arnold was chosen to go, so:
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Daniel and I went to Leicester, took some sheep to sell, after we had sold them I went to the Stag &
Pheasant Hotel, mounted old Thomas Pettifore's old coach for Nottingham, and
soon felt interested, it being the first time I had ridden behind a four-in-hand.
We rattled away, changing at Loughboro' and Bunney, The lights of
Nottingham, its Castle and fine old Church came in view as we descended old Ruddington
Hill. The old Trent spanning the broadest river I had seen was interesting to me.
The Steep Stone Hill, old narrow Bridlesmith Gate lit up with gas and still
narrower High St with a strong beam across on which swung an immense painted
Blackmore's head, underneath which our old coachman drove to the White Lion,
Clumber St, where we arrived about 8.30. To me the memorable Saturday August 23rd
1823.
Extract from Arnold Goodliffe's Memoirs p28
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Arnold worked in his brother's provision shop as general errand boy, liked Nottingham and decided to stay. About 1825
Arnold took a shut-up shop in Bridlesmith Gate and began business as a Provision Merchant.
In October 1826 Arnold attended a tea-meeting for teachers and friends of the Sunday School. It being Goose Fair, Arnold
was delayed at the shop, but on arrival at the meeting he was introduced to two young ladies and was asked if he would accompany them
home as they lived a good distance off. This he did, discovering their names were Misses Anna and Eliza Speed. As Arnold recalls
"I found it pleasant to walk and talk with Miss Anna, and by the next Goose Fair we had insensibly got into that stage
of feeling peculiar to that age which after the usual little quarrels of lovers, ended in our being married Oct 2nd 1830." Memoirs p35-36
However, Arnold had more to say in the draft version of his Memoirs:"
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"An event happened in Oct1826 which had much to do with my after life - in the school room at the fair time [Goose Fair] the Teachers and friends were having a social party. I could not go till it was late - going up the stairs good old Daddy
Hutching the superintendent met me. "Oh young man" he said "I want you to see two young ladoes, friends of mine, home. A chum of mine said "Nay that he should, he's only just come and to send away its too bad". I was just budding into a young man
about my size. I said "Oh I shall have great pleasure Mr Hutchings". The ladies blushed and said "Oh Mr Hutchinson we are not afraid" - of course I said I shall have pleasure. Away we went to the topp of Sherwood Street - I foundthem to be two intelligent young
ladies Misses Anna and Eliza Speed who like myself had been brought up in the country and recently come to Nottingham. During the next twelve months we met at chapel and school and had occasional conversations on the topics of the day. I often admired the
young lady adorned in a neat dress and found it pleasant to walk and talk about school, books etc. and found by the next Goose Fair we had become votaries in the school of cupid accepted as engaged.
"In the year 1827 during the next three years the ordinary vissitudes of courtship characterised that periodboth being somewhat sensitive of course there would be small interruptions to the general happy time owing no doubt to the pettishness of the
writer, about marrying. One almost comes to believe "what is to be will be" in spite of all circumstances. ... About September my youg lady was very ill throught indigestion and had to go into the country to her Grandfather. The short change effected a great change
she came back with a cheerful bright happy countenanceand wonderfully invigorated. I took stock at 9 months from the commencement of business and found I had made about £1 a week profit and decided that we would join interests. - I might just say
that I had made very economical arrangements to lodge and board with the old lady at Smith Row for 7/- per week. She seemed quite anxious for me to do well only she did not approve of me marrying a girl without some property - I must have taken lessons
from her about saving for I tried hard to induce her to take 20/- for three weeks.
"When I named to my brother William that I wished him to be best man at Church he declined I believe lest he should get into trouble with the old lady so we arranged with two friends who came to Goose Fair William Wilcox the son of an old friend of Ann's
mother and a friend of theirs was bridesmaid. Sunday October 3 1830 we met at [St] Mary Church at 9 o'clock. Dr Watkins performed the ceremony in my hurry I had changed my pockets and found I had not money to pay the fees and old Parnham Clark being a customer
said I call and get a bit of cheese, a pretty start in life. We went straight to our classes at Sunday School but it was known all over the chapel before the day was over. I had to be up on Sunday morning Oct 3 at 6 o'clock for the cheese fair leaving the lad Edmund
Watson and the young wife to mind the shop. I went to Smith Row to go with Will [his brother] to the cheese fair about 10 o'clock whilst talking to him I received a sharp kick on my posterier. Turning around saw it was my brother Daniel "take that" said he
"you shabby fellow for not telling me". Now I had felt annoyed that William objected to be best man and my intended showing a bit of her independence said "Oh never mind don't let us make any fuss".
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Arnold GOODLIFFE in later years |
Annie GOODLIFFE in later years |
Arnold Goodliffe's Family
As Arnold told in his memoirs, he and Anna SPEED went off to St Marys Church in Nottingham with two friends and without any ceremony were married on Sunday 3 October 1830. The event was not without planning as the marriage was by Banns,
which would have been read in the church on the previous three Sundays. As Arnold recalled the witnesses were William WILCOX and the bridesmaid Dorothy (?CAUNT).
1830 marriage register for Arnold GOODLIFFE and Anna SPEED. |
Arnold and Ann had 7 children. There is more information about each of them by following the
link with their name:
| Name |
Birth/Baptism date |
Spouse |
Marr. Date |
Died |
| Thomas |
B. 16 Oct 1831, Nottingham
bap. 7 Feb 1837 Stoney St Baptist |
Ann STAFFORD |
1853 |
3 June 1889 |
| Mary
Ann |
B. 18 May 1833 Nottingham
bap. 7 Feb 1837 Stoney St Baptist |
William EATON |
1860, Nottingham |
6 July 1915, Darlington |
| Helen (Ellen) Elizabeth |
B. 24 May 1835, Nottingham
bap 7 Feb 1837 Stoney St Baptist |
--- |
--- |
3 October 1872 Basford |
| Pickering |
B. 30 April 1836
bap. 7 Feb 1837 Stoney St Baptist |
Margaret MURPHY |
29 June 1865, St Francis Xavier, West Derby |
6 March 1892, Liverpool |
| Sarah |
B. 2 March 1839, Nottingham |
William FROGGATTt |
11 April 1867, Nottingham |
19 June 1909, Darlington, Co Durham |
| Frederick Arnold |
B. 30 July 1842 |
Elizabeth SWAIN |
11 April 1867 |
18 May 1909, Leicester |
| Harriett Eliza |
B. 9 October 1844 Nottingham |
--- |
--- |
10 Feb 1847 Nottingham |
| Edwin Daniel |
B. 11 March 1848, Nottingham |
Elizabeth CLARKE |
22 November 1870, Nottingham |
1 April 1909, Nottingham |
In the 1841 census, the family was living at Bridlesmith Gate:
1841 census for Arnold Goodliffe and family |
In 1851 they were still at Bridlesmith Gate. Their family had grown to 6 children. Their daughter Harriett Eliza had been born in
1844 but died in 1847 before the next census.
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1851 census |
In the 1861 and 1871 census, the family had moved to Lenton Rd, The Park Nottingham:
The Goodliffe House at Lenton Rd, The Park, Nottingham
Arnold had the house designed by Hine & Evans, Architects and built by James Hall of Nottingham in 1859-1860. The house
cost £1270/17/3 to build, equivalent to about £160,000 in 2020. Arnold paid the final account from the builder on 3 November 1860.
The final invoice for building Arnold's house in Lenton Rd. Click on image for full version. |
It is interesting to note that on the 1871 census, the next door neighbour was John Manning, Mayor of Nottingham.
Number 32 Lenton Rd, The Park, Nottingham. Possibly the house, designed by TC Hine, that Arnold Goodliffe built in
1859. |
No 31 Lenton Rd. This might have been Arnold's house, but is more likely to have been built for
John Manning, Mayor of Nottingham. |
The family in later life
Arnold writes fondly about his home in Lenton Rd. He mentions the garden was his wife's favourite place. His family grew up there although
the older two (Thomas and Mary Ann had married before the house was completed. His daughters Ellen and Harriet died there. His other daughter,
Sarah married the boy across the road at 8 Holles Cresent (my great-grandfather William FROGGATT). By 1870 Arnold had retired from business and
all of the children had married and left home.
In his memoirs, Arnold tells of some of the voyages they undertook around Britain and overseas. He travelled extensively with Mr Thomas Cook who
had set up one of the first travel agencies. Arnold and Ann visited Wales, Scotland and the Continent: they were one of the early tourists.
But he also went to the seaside for a week in 1887 with his family, as this newspaper report shows of his visit to Bridlington with son Thomas.
Bridlington & Quay Gazette 17 September 1887. |
On 3 October 1872 their daughter Helen (Nellie) died of cancer. Ann could not remain in he house with such memories so they immediately went to live with their daughter Sarah (FROGGATT) at Sandiacre and the house in Lenton Rd was sold.
After some time (but before the 1881 census on 3 April 1881) Arnold and Ann moved to a smaller property at 5 Waverley Villas, Clarendon St. Today this small street has become part of Nottingham High School, the villas being demolished post-1938 to make
way for the expansion of the school.
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Waverley Villas was a small street running off Clarendon Rd and bordered to the east by the High School and to the north by Forest Rd.
Immediately south of the High School was Arboretum St and the Arboretum itself. |
Arnold died there (5 Clarendon Rd on the death certificate) on May 16th 1888 aged 81 and is buried with daughter Helen.
His cause of death is Chronic Gastritis, exhaustion, senile debility.
His Obituary was published in the Nottingham Daily Express and other papers.
Nottingham Daily Express, Thursday May 17, 1888 |
Nottingham Evening Post, 19 May 1888 |
Annie remained at 5 Clarendon Rd/5 Waverley Villas. In the 1891 census she is at that address with a servant (Elizabeth Palin (28)),
Whites 1894 Directory of Nottingham lists Ann at Waverley Villas, 5 Waverley Mount.
Annie died on December 25th 1895 aged 88 and is buried with daughter Helen and husband Arnold at Nottingham General Cemetery.
Headstone of Arnold Goodliffe and his wife Anne and daughter Helen at Nottingham General Cemetery.
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Close-up of Arnold Goodliffe's headstone. The inscription
reads:
"Also of
ARNOLD GOODLIFFE
who departed this life
May 16th 1888
aged 81 years.
For ye have need of patience
that having done the will of
God, ye may receive the promise.
Hebrews 10:36"
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Close-up of Anne Goodliffe's inscription, which reads:
"Also
ANNE,
widow of the above
who died Dec 25th 1895
aged 88 years."
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Close-up of Helen Elizabeth's inscription, which reads:
"In affectionate remembrance
of HELEN ELIZABETH GOODLIFFE
Died 3rd Oct, 1872
"He Giveth His Beloved Sleep"
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Return to Goodliffe home page
Last updated: 10 November 2023
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