The Goodson Family

[Debra Arif]

It could be him, Mike. He seems to have been a bit of a one.

I was just gobsmacked to randomly come across his name in one of these files. I'm keeping my eyes peeled for a Hutchinson, Fleming or Barnett in any of the others!

[Dave Knott]

Wow! Thanks for posting these.

Still can't find him in the 1891 or 1901 census records, although it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was using an alias.

I am fairly certain he is living with a common law wife 'Carrie' on the 1911 census at 1 Busby St, Bethnal Green. At the time of his death in 1915 he was resident at 1 Hunton Court, Mile End New Town, and his occupation was given as 'Dock Labourer'.

I got a copy of his wife's will, dated 1911 (she died in 1913) but it doesn't tell us anything other than that they were separated. She left about £12,000 in today's money, which is more than I would have expected for someone in her position.

All of his known addresses are a stones throw from Brick Lane.

I wonder what else will turn up!

[Howard Brown]

Dave,Debs,Mike....

Thanks for bringing up all this interesting information up on the Forums. It adds that personal element to the Case that some of us really enjoy.

Say hey to Harrison,Dave.

[Debra Arif]

Wow! Thanks for posting these.

Still can't find him in the 1891 or 1901 census records, although it wouldn't surprise me at all if he was using an alias.

I am fairly certain he is living with a common law wife 'Carrie' on the 1911 census at 1 Busby St, Bethnal Green. At the time of his death in 1915 he was resident at 1 Hunton Court, Mile End New Town, and his occupation was given as 'Dock Labourer'.

I got a copy of his wife's will, dated 1911 (she died in 1913) but it doesn't tell us anything other than that they were separated. She left about £12,000 in today's money, which is more than I would have expected for someone in her position.

All of his known addresses are a stones throw from Brick Lane.

I wonder what else will turn up!

Dave, he must have kept on going back to his wife and having children with her after living with other women as in Annie Cohen's file there is a letter rom Sgt Thick, in response to an inquiry from the prison, concerning his co-habiting with Annie Cohen. This was pre 1881, but I don't think Annie was old enough to have lived with him before his marriage in 1868.
I'll post it below [How, don't worry, I'm using photobucket for all these images]

Thanks for the info from the will and the 1911 census. That is quite a lot of money left by his wife.

[Anna Morris]

Good stuff here while we consider Bridget Kelly. Prior to post 10 there is a clipping about Ben Goodson stealing clothing from a warehouse. (Which gets my attention as we consider BK as MJK, and MJK getting a box of expensive dresses from a French lady.)

[Anna Morris]

You probably all know how I mess up links but I'll try once again. there is a blogspot dedicated to Sugar Goodson, I think. It has a complete record of Ben Goodson's life along with clippings and pretty much everything already on this thread about Annie Cohem and Bridget Kelly, etc. henrysugargoodson.blogspot.com ought to get folks in the right area anyway.

[Debra Arif]

You probably all know how I mess up links but I'll try once again. there is a blogspot dedicated to Sugar Goodson, I think. It has a complete record of Ben Goodson's life along with clippings and pretty much everything already on this thread about Annie Cohem and Bridget Kelly, etc. henrysugargoodson.blogspot.com ought to get folks in the right area anyway.

Most of the stuff on that blog about Ben Goodson and (info and pictures) is taken directly from this thread, Anna. This thread was created in 2010, the blog in 2012.
I believe that Rob Clack and I were the first to discover the name of catherine Mylett's boyfriend as Ben Goodson way back in our 2009 Ripperologist article.

[Anna Morris]

Debra: I kind of wondered about that. I only found the one page on the blogspot so I wasn't sure where it was all going.

[Debra Arif]

Debra: I kind of wondered about that. I only found the one page on the blogspot so I wasn't sure where it was all going.

Yes it was an odd page but the pictures were exactly as I cropped them out because the originals were a bit squiffy.

[Debra Arif]

Description of Benjamin Goodson, taken from 1873 prison registers:

Benjamin Goodson age 26. height 5' 3.25", brown hair, blue eyes, scar on forehead, a carman.

[Debra Arif]

Benjamin Goodson's sister, Ann, married a Spitalfields man named Matthew Kelaher, otherwise Kelcher in the 1870's. Their children were baptised as Roman Catholics. The couple and their family moved out of Spitalfields but I wonder if the Keylers (a variant spelling of the same name?) mentioned by Sarah Lewis as living at at Miller's Court were some relation?

[Debra Arif]

In 1876 a Benjamin Goodson appeared at the Clerkenwell Sessions on a charge of wounding. He was acquitted on the grounds of insanity and detained during Her Majesty's Pleasure. I think this is the same Ben Goodson.

[Rob Clack]

I'll be surprised if there wasn't a photo of him taken at some point.

Rob

[Debra Arif]

I'll be surprised if there wasn't a photo of him taken at some point.

Rob

Could be, but I haven't come across one yet, Rob.

[Gary Barnett]

The victim of the 1876 attack was an Ann Cohen.