Hi Arry
Yeah sorry i should have given you the alternative spelling.And as you say William Goacher didn't wait around ,but then he had young children and someone had to look after them.Familysaerch has 8.1.1845 Itchingield and fathers William Gocher and William Oliver or Niven.Strange.1841 doesn't help as she's a female servant age 15 in Toal Itchingfield.
Here's the family in 1851 but you probably already have that.
Bachelors Shipley
William Goacher 38 farmer of 80 acres employing 1 in hand lab and 1 out door labShipley
Jane 25 ? Itchingfield
Emily 15 Shipley
William 13
Elizabeth 11 Washington
Edwin 9 Shipley
Walter 5 Itchingfield
Albert 3
Oliver 1 Shipley
Emily Harding 13 house servant Itchingfield and John Bindfield 16 farm lab Itchingfield
1861 sees them at the same farm with a Jane 9,Sarah 6 and Frank 2.
1871 children Albert 23,Jane 19,Sarah 16,Frank 12,Ellen 10,Mary Ann 7
George Goacher brother widower age 60 ag lab Shipley
William Oliver 80 father in law widower Itchingfield and some servants and lodgers.
1881
William 68 farmer of 100 acres employing 1 man Shipley
Jane 54 Itchingfield
Frank 22 Shipley
Mary A 16
Edith granddaughter 5 Shipley
1891 has the couple still with Frank who is single and the following grandchildren
Edith Goacher 14 Shipley
Frank Merritt 23 farm servant Willinghurst
Charlie Merritt 21 same
Albert Randall 4 Horsham
William Gocher dies 23.12.1891 Batchlor's Farm ,Shipley Sussex Probate 11.3.1892 London to Walter Gocher farmer and Leonard Reeves lab £574 18s 9d
Jane moves to no 24 Inkerman Terrace Itchingfield 1901
Frederick Randall 44 railway platelayer Shipley
Ellen 39 same
Edith M 6 Itchingfield
William Oliver Merritt 20 stepson carpenter East Preston
Jane Gocher m in law widow 73 living on own means Itchingfield.
She's still with the couple on the 1911.
Frank and Ellen Gocher married in June 1889 Horsham (31.3.1889 Southwater),so where is this William Oliver Merritt coming from?
1881 Preston port East Preston lodgers
Oliver Merritt 22 ag lab Billingshurst
Ellen 20 Shipley
William O 5mths East Preston
Turns out Oliver is William and Emily's son.He died in Sep 1882 age 23 East Preston.And they had married in Dec 1880 ,so why is she using her maiden name when she remarries?
Anyway there is also a family tree for William Goacher born 1812 Shipley son of William and Philadelphia Goacher nee Dean on Familysearch which you may want to take a butcher's at.
Not got anymore ,so all the best
Ciderdrinker