RE: William Jenkins Goodson

Posts : 1 Join date : 2017-01-21

Hi, My Great Grandfather, William Jenkins Goodson, claimed in an article to celebrate his 50th Wedding Anniversary that he had been at Rorke’s Drift.
The article can be found here https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/184502713/19274701
I have searched extensively and visited the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh in Brecon and they were very helpful in investigating this claim.
I would be interested if anyone has any information regarding this claim, even if it is to completely disclaim it to set my mind at ease.
Tony Whyte

Subject: William Jenkins Goodson Sun May 31, 2020 5:14 am

Hi Tony
Well he may well have been there , but in what context does he say he was there , was he there during the battle ??? or was it merely a case of I ' was ' at RD ? . No3 Column did leave from RD , and the remnants arrived back there on the morning of Jan 23rd, if he was in the 1st or 2nd 24th he surely would've ' been ' at the Drift at some point . Then he may well have visited the Drift later in the Campaign ?. I can't find a Goodson on either the 1st , or 2nd / 24th Regt's Rolls for the Zulu War.

Subject: William Jenkins Goodson Sun May 31, 2020 5:28 am

Hi Tony
I've just read the article , I think it's highly unlikely Mr Goodson was at RD , especially as a participant !... there have been MANY over the years mentioned in newspapers of the day , claiming they they were at RD , it probably helped them get a free beer down the Pub ! , three cheers for the Queen along with some Patriotic fervor , Hip Hip and all that , what what etc etc , would've been impossible to discount anyone's claim to fame back in those days .
90th You need to study mo

Posts : 209 Join date : 2009-10-16

Hi All,
I found no army papers for william being invalided out of the army, 1901 census has him as a Blacksmith living in Tewkesbury wife susan + 4 kids, also found him living in 1939 blacksmith coward street Deagon, Lilly Sandgate Queensland Australia. He dies 12 june 1940, his wife susan dies 15 june 1944 they are buried together in Sandgate [Bald Hills] cemetery Bracken Ridge Queensland. A photo of the grave appears on the Billiongraves website.
No answer on him being in the army or R/Drift.
Keep Safe Rai KLH.

Subject: Re: RE: William Jenkins Goodson Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:09 pm

Tony,

Could his name have been Walter, rather than William?

A Corporal 1368 Walter J. Goodson served in the 1st (King's) Dragoon Guards, he received the clasp 1879.

On Tuesday, 20th June 1911 Walter Goodson attended a War Veterans' Coronation Dinner at the Empress Rink, Nottingham, and his name appears in the souvenir brochure of the event. If you follow the link you will find it.

https://wellcomelibrary.org/item/b1888071x#?c=0&m=0&s=0&cv=22&z=-0.131%2C-0.0431%2C1.194%2C0.75

AMENDMENT:
Having re-read the Australian newspaper article I see that Mr. and Mrs. Goodson left England for Australia in 1910 in the S.S. Ormuz, landing at Brisbane, and immediately removing to Sandgate, where Mr. Goodson commenced business.

Therefore I think that we can safely conclude that William & Walter are not one and the same person. Which brings me to did William have a brother named Walter?

JY