The Goodliffe Family of Nottingham
Frederick Arnold Goodliffe - Third son of Arnold GOODLIFFE and Ann SPEEDArnold and Ann Goodliffe had eight children. Their sixth child was Frederick Arnold, born in Nottingham on 30 July1842. As a 6 year old he was at Bridlesmith Gate with the family in 1851. He attended a boarding school in Tenby, Wales then went on to become a provision merchant, like his father, but in Leicester. 1861 CensusIn 1861, Frederick was a boarder at 52-54 Highcrop St, St Martin, Leicester aged 18. His occupation is Grocer's Assistant.
Marriage to Elizabeth SWAINOn 11th April 1867 Frederick Arnold married Elizabeth SWAIN at Derby Rd Chapel. This was a double ceremony, as his older sister Sarah married William FROGGATT at the same time. Arnold recalls the event in his memoirs (page 112):
Note that William Taylor, Confectioner, ran a shop at Bridlesmith Gate, next door to the Goodliffe's provision shop.
Elizabeth Swain was born in Leicester in 1841 to Joseph SWAIN and Ann (PADDY). Joseph was a provision merchant, in the same trade as Frederick and his father Arnold GOODLIFFE. Frederick and Elizabeth had one child - Frederick Arnold, born 3 August 1868 at Leicester. 1871 censusBy 1871 Frederick and Lizzie with son Fred were living at 31 Princess St, East Leicester, Frederick was now a commercial traveller for the provisions trade.
1881 censusFrederick and Elizabeth were living at 9 De Montfort Sq, East Leicester. This address is close to Princess St, their 1871 address. Son Frederick was a boarder at Green Hill School in Tenby St Mary, Wales.
1891 CensusIn 1891 Frederick and son Frederick are at 196 London Rd, Leicester. Elizabeth was not present. The census notes that Frederick (snr) was deaf.
1901 CensusFrederick and Elizabeth are in the 1901 census living at 196 London Rd, Leicester. Frederick was now retired.
Elizabeth GOODLIFFE (SWAIN) died at 196 London Rd, Leicester on 13 May 1905, aged 64.
Second marriage for FrederickWhen Elizabeth died Frederick would have been about 63 years old. Nonetheless he soon married again - in mid-1906 he married Maria WOODWARD at Norwich. Maria was aged 30. She had been born 7 March 1876 at Church Gresley, Derbyshire to James WOODWARD and Susannah (MITCHELL). In 1901 she was visiting Milton House, Bournemouth (presumably on holiday), her occupation was housekeeper. Frederick and Maria had a daughter - Freda Marie GOODLIFFE - born 8 October 1908 in Leicester. But before Freda was 1 year old Frederick Arnold GOODLIFFE died at 196 London Rd, Leicester on 18 May 1909, aged 66.
Frederick's Will was signed on 20 September 1906. As it refers to his "wife" it must have been signed just after his marriage to Maria (noting that his first wife Elizabeth had died in 1905). The Will extends over 17 pages. He left a small annuity to his wife with most of the remainder to his son on trust. (The Will can be downloaded here in PDF format.) Apparently there was a codicil that left items to various others, including "Lily HOPE" otherwise Elizabeth Helen HOPE (née FROGGATT) my great-aunt who was living at Darlington.
What happened to Maria GOODLIFFE?Maria is not in the 1911 census (she was not at 196 London Rd, or with her mother or daughter Freda). The 1910-1914 electoral rolls have her living at "St Cuthberts", Holmwood Rd, Leicester, but this address was not recorded in the 1911 census. By 1921 Maria was living at "Inglewood", Holmfield Rd, she was alone but with a young servant girl. The 1931 electoral roll has her at 31 Guilford Rd, Leicester with her daughter Freda Marie. The 1939 Register records Maria and Freda at Surrey Rd, Bournemouth.
Maria GOODLIFFE (née WOODWARD) died at 5 St Ledgers Rd, Bournemouth on 23 November 1965.
In her Will, Maria left £25 to each of her sisters and her brother Arthur (about £ 1,000 in 2023) and the remainder of her estate to her daughter Freda (SPEAR). If Freda had pre-deceased her, the estate was to go to Michael Donovan SPEAR - her grandson.
The Child of Frederick Arnold and Elizabeth GOODLIFFEFrederick Arnold GOODLIFFEFrederick Arnold, the only son of Frederick and Elizabeth was born in Leicester on 3 August 1868. In the 1871 census he was with his parents at 31 Princess St, Leicester. In 1881 Frederick was away at boarding school at Green Hill School in Tenby, Wales. The school has since moved to new premises and the old school has become the Tenby Library.
By 1891 Frederick was back with his family in Leicester. His occupation was listed as commercial traveller, presumably in the provision trade. Frederick and May had 5 children:
By 1901 Frederick and May were living in Norwich at 42 Grove Avenue, off the northern end of Ipswich Rd.
In 1911 they were at "Elm Tree House", Letchworth, Hertfordshire. They had a full house with their 5 children, two visitors and two servants.
After 1911 but before 1920, Frederick and May moved to Church HIll, Purley Surrey, to a property they named "LAMLEY LODGE" after the old family farm in Rutland. At the time of the census Frederick was at home but his wife May and son Frank Arnold were on holiday in Brighton.
By the late 1920s Frederick and family had moved to Warnham Rd, Horsham and this house was also later named "Lamley Lodge". (The family was at this address when Miss Lillian GOODLIFFE married Sydney PALMER in September 1929.) May GOODLIFFE died at Horsham on 25 July 1933. Her passing was noted in the local papers:
After her death Frederick moved from Horsham. In 1939 he was living at a property in Cranleigh, Guildford. His occupation was "importer of handlooms (retired)". It is of interest to note that when his daughter Lillian married Sydney Palmer in 1929 the newspaper reported that the bride and bridesmaids wore dresses of hand-spun and hand-woven silk made by the mother of the bride - presumably on looms imported by Frederick. Later Frederick moved to Letchworth, Hertfordshire to live with his son Frank and daughter Lillian. He died at Letchworth on 26 January 1944.
The children of Frederick Arnold and May GOODLIFFE Lilian May GOODLIFFE (1889-1960) Lillian was born 13 May 1899 at Norwich, presumably 42 Grove Ave which was the family address in 1901. By 1911 the family had moved to Letchworth and later to Horsham. Liliam May married Sydney William PALMER at Horsham in 1929. They had two daughters: Mary (6 Sep 1930 - 1 Feb 1969) and Eleanor (1939-). In 1939 the family, along with Lilian's brother Frank were living at 67 Norton Rd, Letchworth. Sydney had been an executive officer with the Post Office.
Lilian May PALMER died at Letchworth on 9 July 1960 at Letchworth Hospital. Her husband Sydney William PALMER died at St Catherines Nursing Home, Letchworth on 10 April 1963.
Frank Arnold GOODLIFFE (1900-1983) Frank was born 9 May 1900 in Norwich and was with his family in the 1901 and 1911 censuses. Frank followed his father in becoming fluent in Esperanto and there are numerous newspaper articles about lectures he gave in that language. Frank became a photographer and went on to be involved in cinematography, being the photographer or film director on around 30 movies and numerous short films, all in the documentary or educational style. Unfortunately many of the earlier films have been lost. In 1933 and 1934 for instance the local papers reported on his work.
Frank married Olive Emily POLLARD in 1939. Olive was born on 26 September 1900 at Cranleigh, Guildford, the daughter of William POLLARD and Ellen Hurst STREET (sometimes HURSTREET). William was a gardener and Ellen the daughter of a mariner. As far as I can find Frank and Olive did not have any children. In the 1939 register Frank and Olive were living with Frank's sister Lilian PALMER. His occupation was recorded as "Tech Director Science Films. Training films Air Ministry". Frank was involved in science films. In around 1944 he joined the company "Science Films Ltd" that specialised in developing time-lapse photography. This company was related to GBI - Gaumont British Instructional - "a prodigious producer of short subjects (making over 400 films by the end of the decade) and helped pioneer the production of educational films". In 1955 Science Films celebrated 21 years in business and paid tribute to Frank as their technical director. In another short biography related to the "Secrets of Nature" series (see more information here) : "Frank Goodliffe (1900-?) was a cameraman who specialised in biological subjects and cinemicrography, and produced footage for both the Secrets series and the G.B.I educational films. One of the highlights of his career was his use of fast-motion images to observe meteorological phenomena. Later he was the Films Officer to the Public Relations Department of the colonial government in Southern Rhodesia. He was Chairman and Director of Productions of ‘Science Films’, a company established by Norman MacQueen and H. Bruce Woolfe." In the 1939 to 1948 electoral registers Frank and Olive lived at "Glenluce", Portsmouth Rd, Chertsey, near Hampton Court Palace. After 1955 all mention of Frank ceases in the UK records. It appears Frank and Olive emigrated to South Africa. There is no other information about them until the probate records of their deaths: Frank GOODLIFFE died in South Africa on 21 May 1983 and Olive Emily GOODLIFFE died on 7 March 1988.
Marjorie Alice GOODLIFFE (1901-1985) Marjorie was born in Norwich in 1901 to Frederick Arnold and May GOODLIFFE. She was recorded as 10 years old in the 1911 census with her parents. Marjorie married Basil WALKER in Horsham in 1934. Marjorie became a teacher. She travelled to South Africa, returning from Cape Town to Southampton on 9 December 1929 onboard the "Arundel Castle". Also on board that sailing was a Basil WALKER, whom Marjorie married in Horsham in 1934. Basil was a civil servant, born in Stellenbosch, South Africa on 29 October 1902 and baptised in the Dutch Reform Church, Stellenboach on 8 March 1903. Basil travelled to Massachusetts, USA in November 1918 with his widowed mother (Ella) and brother (Roland). He immediately enrolled in the Phillips Academy, Andover Massachusetts, graduating in classical studies in 1921. Basil became a civil servant for the British administration in Southern Rhodesia where they lived for about 20 years. Basil and Marjorie had two children: Colin WALKER (1936-) and Hilary WALKER (1942-) both born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Basil and family visited the United States in 1947, but it is not clear when Basil retired from the civil service and they settled in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Basil died in Great Barrington on 22 September 1981. Marjorie died there on 16 January 1985.
Robert Vincent GOODLIFFE (1902-1983) Robert was born in Norwich on 31 August 1902. In June 1919 Robert enrolled in a medical degree, graduating as a medical practitioner from St Bartholomew's in London in 1927. He became the resident medical officer at the Seamen's Hospital at the Albert Dock in London. While there he married one of the nurses, Annie Norah NATION on 5 October 1929 at the Ascension Church, Victoria Dock. Annie had been born 11 January 1901 at Brentford to Sydney NATION and Louisa Ann (KING). By 1934 Robert and Annie were living at 151 Cheam Common Rd, London, they were still at this address in 1939. Robert and Annie had one son - Arnold David Robert GOODLIFFE, born 8 September 1930.
Robert and Annie remained at 151 Cheam Common Rd until around 1965. They had their son Arnold David GOODLIFFE living with them for most of the 1950s. In the 1958 electoral roll Arnold has left and Robert and Annie now have a new housekeeper - Winifred Roberts who remained with them until 1965. Arnold married Helga GRAM in 1959 and moved to 144 Cheam Common Rd. In 1965 when Robert and Annie departed from Cheam, their housekeeper Winifred Roberts moved to the home of Arnold and Helga. She was still living with them in 1970. There is little more information about Robert and Annie GOODLIFFE until Annie's death in 1981.
Winifred Mary GOODLIFFE (1904-?) Winifred was born in 1904 in Norwich and by 1911 was living with the family at Letchworth. There is little available about Minifred Mary until a shipping record when she and her mother May returned to Southampton from Beira, Mozambique, arriving on 4 June 1929. Beira is the closest port to Zimbabwe, or Rhodesia as it was at the time. Winifred's sister Marjorie Alice WALKER was living there with husband Basil and their two children. Winifred Mary married Edward David Kent WOOD at Horsham in 1931. Edward had been born 24 April 1907 in Wandsworth, London to Alan Rowlands WOOD and Edith Mabel KENT. Alan was a Clerk in Holy Orders. Edward followed his father into the clergy. He studied at the London College of Divinity and was ordained in 1930. After a time as curate at Thornton Heath, London he went to Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), working at Gweto and Umtali. He then became Archdeacon of Mashonaland from 1946 to 1960. It is not clear whether Winifred met Edwards through the Rhodesia connection or they decided to move to Rhodesia because Winifred's sister was living there. Either way, Winifred and Edward had two children born in Rhodesia - Margaret WOOD (1934) and David WOOD (1935). In 1937 the family visited Winifred's parents in Horsham.
After this visit to Horsham there are few more records of the family. It appears Edward WOOD wrote a number of religious tracts that were published by the "London Society for the Propagation of the Gospel", including such titles as "Partnership in Africa" dated 1965. Winifred and Edward may have died in Rhodesia. The Child of Frederick Arnold and Maria GOODLIFFEFreda Marie GOODLIFFEShortly after his wife (Elizabeth) died in 1905, Frederick Arnold married Maria WOODWARD in 1906. Frederick was aged 63 and Maria was only 30. Two years later a daughter was born on 8 October 1908 and named Freda Marie GOODLIFFE. Within a year of her birth Frederick died, on 18 May 1909. It is not clear what happened to Maria in the next few years, but by the time of the 1911 census Freda was living with Horace and Mabel PALMER, a butcher living at 92 Haddenham Rd, Leicester. At the time of the 1921 census she was living with her grandmother Susannah WOODWARD and several aunts and cousins at 34 Stanley St, Swadlincote, Derbyshire. (Her mother was living at Holmfield Rd, Leicester) but she was definitely back in Leicester later in 1921 when she was mentioned in the local newspaper.
By 1928 Freda was living with her mother Maria at 31 Guilford Rd, Leicester. She would have been about 19 years old and was taking acting classes with Gabrielle de Wilden. There are several newspaper articles about her in various performances.
Birth of Son MichaelIn 1932 Freda gave birth to a son - Michael Donovan GOODLIFFE - the birth registered in Totnes, no father being named. Marriage to Harry SPEAROn 21 July 1934 Freda married Henry SPEAR in Leicester. Harry was a dancer at the local ballroom from whom Freda had been taking dancing lessons.
After her marriage Freda remained in Leicester before moving to Leeds around 1937. It would appear Freda and Harry did not have any children. In Leeds Freda advertised for pupils for public speaking and elocution lessons.
But Freda did not stay in Leeds for long. By the time of the 1939 Register Freda and her mother Maria were living in Bournemouth. The closed record is probably her son Michael Donovan (SPEAR). In the 1939 Register Henry was recoded at a hotel in Lyme Regis but he may have been there on business.
Death of Henry SPEARFreda and Maria remained in Bournemouth after 1939 as Maria GOODLIFFE died there in 1965. In 1968 (4 June) her husband (Henry SPEAR) died at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Bournemouth of ischaemic heart disease. Freda SPEAR was the informant, present at the death. She gave her address as Flat 7 Rydal House, 22 Portarlington Rd, Bournemouth the same address as the residence of Henry. Death of Freda Marie SPEARPresumably, after her husband Henry had died Freda moved to Pwllheli, Wales to live with her son Michael who was a jeweller there. Her address was Flat 6 Locksley, West End, Pwllheli whereas Michael lived at Flat 7. The last record we have for Freda is her death on 15 May 1981 at Pwllheli, Wales. In her Will she leaves various legacies to friends and relatives but the bulk of her estate to her "beloved son" Michael Donovan SPEAR.
Michael Donovan SPEARMichael had been born in Totnes in 1932 to Freda GOODLIFFE. He became a jeweller and lived most of his life in Wales. He died at Pwllheli on 21 May 2008. His Will leaves legacies to many people but none suggest he had been married or had children.
Return to Arnold Goodliffe home page Last updated: 13 December 2023 |
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