George Goodman Missing

[bgoodman]

Hi, I am from Hertfordshire UK and am on the Hertfordshire UK forum. I have discovered Thomas Goodman on Paperpast-Dominion NZ 12th April 1913, Volume 6, Issue 1722. It reads as follows:
 
"The court also dealt with an application concerning a missing nephew of Thomas Goodman, late of Hillgrove, Otago, labourer, who died on December 2 1907 and of whose estate the public trustee is administrator. The estate became divisible between the deceased's sister, Mrs Eliza Seabrook, of Watford Herts, son of deceased's brother George. All trace of the nephew has been lost since 1899, when he is supposed to have left London for Canada. Advertisements inserted in English and Canadian newspapers have failed to trace the missing man, and the court made an order for payment of the residue of the estate to Mrs Seabrook."

I have posted on the NZ forum for info on Thomas. However, George 'the nephew' is my grandfather's brother who was born in Rickmansworth Hertfordshire UK in 1881. George's father was also named George. George senior died in 1888. George, his son, was in a R/C boys home in Watford in the 1891census. Please help if you can re where I could look for information. I tried looking at Canada passenger lists on family search but was not successful. I may have not been successful because of my method of searching!

I know that my grandfather Hubert went to live in Ireland with his mother, Mary Goodman, (nee McCarthy). I was aware that my grandfather had tried to find his brother at some point by putting an advertisement in a newspaper. His sister was put in a girl's home also in Watford, Herts, although I am aware that she died and is buried in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Thank you if you can help at all.

[ballydw]

what is georges date of birth & parents names & place of birth

[bgoodman]

Hi ballydw, thank you for your reply. George was born in Rickmansworth Hertfordshire UK, in 1881. I have his birth cert. His father was George Goodman also. His mother Mary Goodman, nee McCarthy. His mother would have returned to Ireland by 1899 and his father had previously died, 1888.

[ballydw]

Have you looked at Military records in your search for George? There seems to be a military history in the family i.e his father George & brother Hubert.
There is a ship passenger record of a Private George Goodman arriving in Quebec 11th July 1919 Departing Liverpool on The Empress of Britain.
Do you have any records of him after 1891 in the home in Watford? When Mary moved to Ireland in c 1888 do you know why george didnt go with her as son Hubert did?

[bgoodman]

Hi, thank you again for your post. I did try looking at military records previously, although I didn't find anything likely. That chap that you mentioned may be worth exploring though. I have no information other than George in the boy's home in 1891. I know he was named George Joseph in 1881, his mother was RC. She brought my grand father Hubert up as RC. George may have remained RC after he left the boy's home. I tried the Catholic archives in London UK but there were no records available.

I know what you mean about leaving some of the children in Watford. Mary left her daughter Mary Katherine (Catherine), b. 1879, in Watford also. This poor lass died at abt 14yrs from meningitis. Mary's other children, including her husband, had died. I guess Hubert would have been the youngest. It appears that she buried a child in Feb 1894 and took her midwifery exam fairly soon after that. It does seem that she was interested
in bettering herself. I suppose she had to support herself, especially living in Ireland.

[bgoodman]

Hi, a further article in Otago Daily Times NZ, (Papers Past), mention placing advertisements in Montreal Newspapers. I wonder if anyone could help re a similar Canadian version of Papers Past in finding lost relatives. It appears George may have also used his mother's maiden name of McCarthy instead of Goodman according to the reference in the newspaper article.

[polarbear]

It is very fiddlely but you can browse The Montreal Star for free at this link. It is not indexed. Put the year you would like into the date box and read through.

http://news.google.ca/newspapers?nid=Fr8DH2VBP9sC&dat=19330508&b_mode=2&hl=en

PB

[bgoodman]

Thank you PB for that. I will give it a go.

[bgoodman]

Hi, it has been some time since I posted on the Canadian site. I didn't have much luck with searching the Canadian newspapers online for George Joseph Goodman. My family seem to think that he did join the army although this belief was not substantiated in any way. Rootschatter Ballydw did mention a George leaving Liverpool on the Empress ship in 1919, although I have not been able to get any further with researching that chap.
I recently had a look at FindMyPast, however, I only have access to the UK information. I found some British WW1 George J Goodman people although very few had records as such. The transcription page was limited in that no place of birth was given in most George J Goodman entries.
I was thinking of following the Canadian lead considering it was believed that George had boarded a ship for Canada, late 1890s. I did see that there was an entry for a George J Goodman under the following heading.
Canada-Officers and men in the First Canadian Contingent 1914.
Does anyone have access to these records or happen to know where I could gain access, other than FindMyPast. Thank you.