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| Notes for Miriam (Mary Ann) GOODING | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| William Charles Gooding's father, James, was born in 1817, Somerset, an English city famous for its Roman mineral baths built during the Roman occupation of England which began in the year 44 A.D. James came to Australia during 1837, but did not stay long. He soon returned to his native land where be married Marion Gooding who was born in 1816 Despite the fact that they shared the same surname before the marriage; they were not related to each other. The marriage took place 31st MAR 1840 in Meare, Somerset, England. James and Mary Ann/Mirium (Gooding) came from Westhay, ounce another little island on the Levels just half a mile from Meare Westhay lies to the west of Meare. It was here in 1973 that the "Sweet Track" was discovered. The track is thought to date from around 4000 BC and is the oldest man-made walkway in the world. Its original construction was of hewn timbers and ran across the Levels from the Polden Ridge to the Isle of Westhay. As the original track is not open to the public, a reconstruction of it is found at the Peat Moors Centre at The Willows, Shapwick Road, Westhay, Glastonbury. A son John had been born to them in 1836 (aged 8 at time of immigration) at Somerset where they lived after their marriage; a second son, Thomas was born in 1843. James turned his thoughts again to Australia where opportunity to have land of his own beckoned him. As he was a certified wool classer, his inclination was to make a living on the land. James and his wife Marion sailed on the 'Sea Queen' a barque of 413 tons, sailed from London November 29 1943, and arrived at Geelong in Victoria April 15, 1844. The Gooding's went work for John Clarke, of Lake Colac. James contract was for a year, at 13 pounds plus rations. Mary Ann was one of the few married women to have a separate contract. Usually wives were included in there husband's wages and terms, pay being for a married couple. She was to earn 10 pounds a year, with her rations, plus rations for the children. Late they were to settle at Lovely Banks close to Geelong where they took up land, selling farm produce to the diggers traveling to the gold fields. Here the rest of their family of 12 was born. The complete family of James and Marion Gooding were: - John and Thomas (b) Somerset, England. Elizabeth (dec) born at Geelong, followed by Elizabeth, Mary Jane, James (dec), Sarah, James (dec) and William Charles all born at Geelong. Emma (b) at Darriwell and George (dec) and Minnie born at Geelong. Of these 12 children 4 died in infancy and 8 survived. When the family moved from Geelong to Yinnar in 1881, only one, namely Sarah who had married D. Lynch remained living at Lovely Banks near to where her family had lived until they moved to Gippsland. Following their arrival at Yinnar, Marion died in 1881 and was buried al the Hazelwood cemetery. Subsequently the rest of the family dispersed, continuing their various pursuits throughout Gippsland. James married again, this time to Elisabeth Baker, and continued to live at Yinnar until he died aged 89 years and one month, on the 29th of September, 1899. Later, on October the 25th, 1899, his second wife Elizabeth also died, and was laid to rest beside James at the Hazelwood cemetery in the Church of England section. Thomas attended the free School of the Presbyterian Church in Geelong, while helping on the farm. Later he went droving, earning enough to buy a farm in the Sale - Trafalgar district, where members of his family still reside today. John's family prospered at Sale - Seaspray, where they owned land and do so until the present day. Elisabeth Gooding (born 4th of May, 1849) married James Knuckey at Melbourne in 1872. A family of six was the issue - James William (1875-1878), Clara Ellen (b.1876), Thomas Grey (b. 1878), Alice Maud (1879-1880), Phil (1881) and Silvy Maud (born at Broken Hill in 1888). James Knuckey was born in Cornwall, England on the 25th of August, 1846. At about the age of 10 he arrived, in N.S.W., then when about 17, he moved to Victoria. He spent the early years of his life as a gold miner, and after the birth of his youngest child in 1888, he brought his wife and family to Tanjil South. Here they lived and farmed on what was to become John Wilson's property. James Knuckey died in 1902 at the age of 57 years. His death was hastened by miner's complaint, a condition he acquired from the many years he had spent as a gold miner in his younger days at Ballarat. He was buried at the Moe cemetery on October 7th 1902. A number of descendants of James and Elisabeth Knuckey, still live in and around the Moe area. Mary Jane Gooding married Peter Hunter, and their family also lived at Tanjil South. (See Hunter history). Sarah married D. Lynch and remained in the Geelong district where her family was born. Ref. Settlers and Selectors. J. Hasthorpe & J.G. Rogers. Page 131 MEARE, a parish in the hundred of Glaston-Twelve-Hides, county Somerset, 3 miles N.W. of Glastonbury, its post town, and 3 from Shapwick. The parish, which is extensive, is situated on the river Brue, and contains the hamlets of Upper and Lower Godney, and Westhay. There are remains of a double-ditched camp, supposed to be of Danish construction. Meare was formerly surrounded by moors, or meres; hence the origin of its present name. Of late years much has been done towards the drainage of these lands, particularly in the part called Mere-Pool. This district, formerly deluged with stagnant water, is 400 acres in extent, and is now in a useful state of cultivation. There was formerly a large fishery, but the old fish-house has been allowed to decay, except a small portion of the building preserved by the Arch‘ological Society. The tithes were commuted for land under an Enclosure Act in 1779. The living is a vicarage* in the diocese of Bath and Wells, value œ340. The parish church, dedicated to St. Mary, is an ancient structure, with an embattled tower containing an old clock and six bells. There is a district church at Godney, the living of which is a perpetual curacy, value œ55. Near the parish church is an ancient stone cross. There is a National school for both sexes. The Independents, Baptists, and Primitive Methodists have each a chapel. There are ruins of the old manor house." From The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868) Transcribed by Colin Hinson ¸ 2003 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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