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John GOATHAM
Abt 1776 - 1854 (~ 78 years)
Has 39 ancestors and 1579 descendants in this family tree.
Set As Default Person 
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Name John GOATHAM Relationship 
with Teresa Ann GOATHAM Born Abt 1776 Bapchild, Kent, England 
Baptised 14 Jul 1776 St. Giles’ Church, Tonge, Kent, England Gender Male Occupation From 1799 to 1803 Bredgar, Kent, England Cordwainer - 1799 apprenticeship record shows John was a Master, and Stephen Chapman was apprenticed to him on 1st Jan.
I have an old note "shoemaker in registers" but can now find no such reference(s) but have come across this apprenticeship record.
In the Centre of Kentish Studies, in the Overseers' bills, invoices, receipts for Bredgar Parish are 7 surviving bills which John Goatham made out for shoemaking in the period 1799 - 1803. (CKS-P43/12/7 - 1 at least is in bundle 5, microfilm 699). I have not yet seen these but they are used as examples in a study of the English language, p73-74 of "Nineteenth-century English: stability and change" by Merja Kytö, Mats Rydén, Erik Smitterberg (Cambridge University Press, 2006; 295 pages) - see the pages referring to John.
I think it very unlikely there was another John Goathams in Bredgar in 1799 who could have been the Master Cordwainer. So why would John have given up a skilled trade to work as a labourer?
Three possible reasons that occur to me:
1. The early C19th was a time of depression in agriculture, and working in a village such as Bredgar where the majority made a living from the land people may have cut back on buying new shoes or getting old repaired to such an extent that John could not continue in the trade.
2. The effects of the Industrial Revolution of shoe making. Although this could be expected to have more effect in the second half of the C19th, after the invention of the Singer Sewing Machine and the mechanisation of the Northamptonshire industry, at the height of the at the height of the Industrial Revolution Northamptonshire was recognised as 'tanning capital' of the world and shoemaking flourised there throughout the C18th as well as the C19th. (Source) Was their specialisation prior to mechanisation enough to enable them to be more competitive and put John out of business?
3. Did John suffer some accident or illness (e.g. RSI) that left him unable to do the fine work required in shoemaking, but able to continue to work?
To have become a Master presumably John must have been sufficiently skilled, but maybe he was not a "natural" at the work and was too slow to make enough money from the trade.
Occupation From 1814 to 1854 Bredgar, Kent, England labourer - In 1814 the Baptism entry for his son Michael shows him as a labourer, and he was also described as such on his death certificite.
He was also a labourer at the time of the 1851 census, but in Faversham.
Occupation From 1841 to 1844 Bredgar, Kent, England Carpenter - 1841 census and son (Michael)'s marr cert (1844)
Census 6 Jun 1841 Bredgar, Kent, England Residence 1851 Faversham, Kent, England - A widow by 1851, he was then living with his son Charles and Charles' family in Faversham.
However, he seems to have returned to Bredgar before he died. Maybe it was a daughter who cared for him in his final illness. Two had moved away (Caroline locally, Susan emigrated to Australia) but Charlotte and Maria appear to have still been living in Bredgar at that time.
Occupation 1851 Faversham, Kent, England Labourer - In the 1851 census he is described as "Scavenger labourer" which suggests he was working with his son Charles, who was at that time the "Town [Faversham] Scavenger"
Census 30 Mar 1851 Church Lane, Faversham, Kent, England Died 1 Nov 1854 Bredgar, Kent, England - GRO ref: Goatham, John q4 1854 Milton RD 2a 372; GRO online index shows age as 78
Died of senesteed [should this be senescence?], Diarrhoea 2 weeks.
The death was registered by a George Goatham, present at the death, who made his mark.
(Father Geo dead, no sign of brother in census returns, nephew was parish clerk so would be expected to sign, as would the clerk's son; John's grandson was only 15 and could probably write; son is most likely informant!)
Death certificate for John Goatham Buried 7 Nov 1854 St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 20 Jul 2019)
Shows John Goatham, abode Bredgar, aged 78.
Siblings3 brothers and 3 sisters Patriarch & Matriarch 
GOATHAM, d. Yes, date unknown (5 x Great Grandfather)
Elizabeth WHITE, b. Est 1682, d. Yes, date unknown (Great Grandmother)Notes - John and Elizabeth seem to have had no less than 65 grandchildren!
Person ID I370 All | Teresa's direct ancestors, England: Kent Group (in Go(a)tham One-Name Study), England: Kent Group - subjects of Go(a)tham One-Name Study, All in the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study , All subjects of the Goatham / Gotham One-Name Study, The descendants (and other halves) of George Goatham and Ann née Winch, The descendants (and other halves) of John Prior and Amy née Reynolds Last Modified 27 Jun 2023
DNA Tests 1 DNA test is associated with John GOATHAM
Father George GOATHAM, b. Abt 1740, Whitstable, Kent, England , d. Mar 1788, Tonge, Kent, England (Age ~ 48 years) Mother Ann WINCH, b. Abt 1742, Tonge, Kent, England , d. 1824, Tonge, Kent, England (Age ~ 82 years)
Other Partners: John PAGE m. 13 Feb 1791Marriage License 7 Oct 1761 Canterbury, Kent, England - Geo Goatham of Bapshild bach & Ann Winch of Tonge sp, at T. 07 Oct 1761.
From vol. 30 of indexes to Canterbury Marriage Licences, 1751-1780.
Married 8 Oct 1761 St. Giles’ Church, Tonge, Kent, England - Marr place and date from Tonge BTs (viewed in Cant Cath Archives, 31 Jan 2005)
Licence issued 7 Oct 1761 (saw in marriage licence index in Cant Cath Archives, 31 Jan 2005)
This shows George was of Bapschild, Ann Winch a spinster of Tonge
Family ID F272 Family Group Page | Family Chart
Family Elizabeth PRIOR, b. Abt 1777, Bredgar, Kent, England , d. 3 Jan 1848, Bredgar, Kent, England (Age ~ 71 years) Marriage License 1 Aug 1798 Canterbury, Kent, England - John Goatham of Bredgar yeo bach & Eliz Frier of the s sp. 01 Aug 1798.
From vol. 33 of indexes to Canterbury Marriage Licences, 1781-1809, as recorded on Ancestry.
Married 9 Aug 1798 St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England - From PR entry (image on FMP, viewed 2 April 2019)
"No 135
John Gotham of this Parish Batchelor
and Elizabeth Prier of the
same Parish Spinster were
Married in this Church by Licence
this Ninth Day of August in the Year One Thousand Seven Hundred
and Ninety Eight by me Jas: Downs Vicar
This Marriage was solemnized between Us John Goatham, Elizabeth Prier [both signed]
In the Presence of John X Bridges his Mark, Ann Prier [Ann signed]"
John's surname was entered as Gotham, but he signed Goatham. Elizabeth's was recorded and she signed, Prier.
Married by licence, both otp
The marriage was witnessed by John Bridges (who made his mark) and Ann Prier (who signed). Ann was Elizabeth's sister and John Bridges was the husband of Mary Prior, another sister of Elizabeth.
Children8 children Last Modified 27 Jun 2023 Family ID F264 Family Group Page | Family Chart
- 1799 apprenticeship record shows John was a Master, and Stephen Chapman was apprenticed to him on 1st Jan.
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Event Map Click to hide 
Born - Abt 1776 - Bapchild, Kent, England 
Baptised - 14 Jul 1776 - St. Giles’ Church, Tonge, Kent, England 
Marriage License - 1 Aug 1798 - Canterbury, Kent, England 
Married - 9 Aug 1798 - St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England 
Occupation - Cordwainer - From 1799 to 1803 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Charlotte GOATHAM - Abt 1799 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - George GOATHAM - 1800 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Caroline GOATHAM - 1803 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Charles GOATHAM - Abt 1805 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Susan GOATHAM - Abt 1808 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - William GOATHAM - 1810 - Bredgar, Kent, England Occupation - labourer - From 1814 to 1854 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Michael GOATHAM - 1814 - Bredgar, Kent, England Child - Maria GOATHAM - Abt 1818 - Bredgar, Kent, England Occupation - Carpenter - From 1841 to 1844 - Bredgar, Kent, England Census - 6 Jun 1841 - Bredgar, Kent, England 
Residence - 1851 - Faversham, Kent, England Occupation - Labourer - 1851 - Faversham, Kent, England 
Census - 30 Mar 1851 - Church Lane, Faversham, Kent, England Died - 1 Nov 1854 - Bredgar, Kent, England Buried - 7 Nov 1854 - St. John the Baptist Church, Bredgar, Kent, England = Link to Google Earth (if installed; see link below to install) Pin Legend 
Documents 
The marriage of Caroline Goatham to John Andrews
John signed as a witness of his daughter's marriage (n.b. signed, not made his mark)