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Beginners => Family History Beginners Board => Topic started by: louisemcm on Saturday 12 March 22 20:58 GMT (UK)
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Hello
I'd be very grateful for advice on how to find details of a court case at the Queen's Bench around 3 Feb 1853.
An unnamed daughter of Charles Augustus Goodwin, had a court case against Edward Morrison Pegge for breach of promise.
I found newspaper articles about the court case on FindMyPast. It took place in February 1853 and it's recorded in several newspapers.
The papers say it was at the Court of the Queens Bench - the case is called Goodwin v Pegge.
I want to find out the name of the daughter, as I am missing some children of Charles Augustus Goodwin (b1784-1861). Her sister Harriet Eliza Goodwin is a witness in the case.
Will the court records still exist?
If they do, how should I go about finding them?
Very grateful for any guidance.
Many thanks
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I want to find out the name of the daughter, as I am missing some children of Charles Augustus Goodwin (b1784-1861). Her sister Harriet Eliza Goodwin is a witness in the case.
According to the Express (London) the daughter's name is Caroline Matilda Goodwin (age 30). Apparently she went to Brighton to give birth, but the child died. Then she gave birth to another child, which lived.
Caroline's name is mentioned in quite a few 1853 newspaper reports regarding this case.
The man's name was Edward Morrison Pegge.
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This guide is sort-of helpful. The records are not online and accessing even the indexing is complex.
https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/help-with-your-research/research-guides/court-of-kings-bench-plea-side-and-kings-queens-bench-division-cases-1702-1998/
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Thanks very much GrahamSimons.
It does look very complicated.
I'll try to contact the National Archives
Many thanks
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Further to my reply above the report I read implied that Pegge was the father of the child born in Brighton, if not the second child, as well.
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In the GRO indexes there are these 2 GOODWIN births registered in Brighton - each without a mother's maiden name showing:
William Goodwin Q2 1850 - with a possible matching death in Q1 1853
and
Ann Goodwin Q3 1851
ADDED
In Ancestry there is a non-image baptism on 7th September 1851 for an Ann Goodwin - with her mother's name shown as Martha.
Might 'Martha' be an inadvertent mis-transciption of Matilda?
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Hi
I spotted those two births mentioned in the GRO indexes and was wondering about them.
I was just trying to save money on ordering the birth certificates,by seeing if I could find out the name of the plaintiff (their mother) in the court case.
Just to update: I've been looking at the notes I made on my entry about Caroline Matilda Goodwin b 1823 in Battle on Ancestry. There is a DNA match with my Aunt, to someone descended from Edward Morrison Pegge!!
Son edward pegge 1851 -1922
I had discounted this DNA match, as I couldn't prove it and I didn't spot the child living with Caroline Matilda Goodwin in further censuses! I'll now do further research.
Thank you for the Matilda tip - Willyam
With best wishes
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This is the GRO index I found
GOODWIN, EDWARD PEGGE GOODWIN
GRO Reference: 1851 J Quarter in LAMBETH Volume 04 Page 347
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Have you considered that Edward's mother may be Harriett?
Three things have brought this to mind:
first - that Mr Pegge's rather salacious defence to Caroline's court action was the implication that the sisters were operating a house of ill repute at their dressmaker's shop;
second - that Harriett "declined to answer questions regarding her general continence" - perhaps this was a reference to her own 'general continence' rather than Caroline's;
third - at the time of the 1851 census (on 30th March - shortly before Edward's birth) Harriett was living on her own in Aldgate, East London, which is not so very far from the area covered by the Lambeth registration district.
Perhaps Mr Pegge fancied himself as something of a Lothario when it came to trifling with the affections of both sisters at the same time?
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Also - these bits from the court case:
"It was proved that young men frequented the dressmaker's shop, smoked cigars, and drank brandy and water".
"One witness deposed that he was on the most intimate footing with the sister, and that he had sat in the plaintiff's lap".
The above suggests there was some "procuring" going on at the dressmakers' shop in Battle. :-\
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Have you considered that Edward's mother may be Harriett?
Three things have brought this to mind:
first - that Mr Pegge's rather salacious defence to Caroline's court action was the implication that the sisters were operating a house of ill repute at their dressmaker's shop;
second - that Harriett "declined to answer questions regarding her general continence" - perhaps this was a reference to her own 'general continence' rather than Caroline's;
third - at the time of the 1851 census (on 30th March - shortly before Edward's birth) Harriett was living on her own in Aldgate, East London, which is not so very far from the area covered by the Lambeth registration district.
Perhaps Mr Pegge fancied himself as something of a Lothario when it came to trifling with the affections of both sisters at the same time?
BUT there again.......also in the 1851 census there is a Caroline Goodwin, a 'married' woman aged 28 & born in Brighton (occupation recorded as [a] 'Husband Traveller') - who is on her own living in Lambeth.
My apologies to Harriett might be in order?