William Goddard was working with the Fitzwilliam Hunt, near Cambridge in 1905, the Modbury Harriers, Devon in 1909 and also the Bochym Harriers in Cornwall in 1909. We have evidence that he was with the Grafton Hunt in Northamptonshire for a time in 1911 and also with the Cury Hunt in Cornwall 1911. These people certainly moved around.
When applying for sick pay his addresses in Cornwall were as follows:
1909 Bochym House (pronounced Bot-cheem), Cury-Cross Lanes, Cury
1911 Caleduan Cottage, Mawgan in Meneage
1912 Langweath, Mawgan in Meneage
‘Bochym House’ is a manor house where William was employed as huntsman with the Bochym Harriers. It was described as ‘The Domesday Estate’ because it has been inhabited since the Stone Age. Many people think that the entrance to the estate, through a pair of monumental 17th century Grade 1 listed serpentine stone pillars and through a tunnel of trees is reminiscent of the opening scenes of the Alfred Hitchcock film ‘Rebecca’ and the lines “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”.
The Bochym estate, the cottages, coach houses and stables are now listed buildings and have been converted into holiday cottages. It is in a secret wooded valley, has a 1000 year old mulberry tree, lots of wild life and many species of birds. Unfortunately for us, the public were not allowed inside the grounds. If you want to see where he lived and worked you will have to book a holiday there!
Later William was honorary huntsman with the Cury Hunt.
We found the third address “Langweath” in Mawgan in Meneage. The name was on the outside gates and peering through the trees it seemed to be a large bungalow. It was situated only a few hundred yards from Mawgan Church where William and Margaret are buried and where he was an ‘ardent churchman’ and member of the choir. Details of some aspects of his life are in William’s obituary in a Truro newspaper. We can see why he would want to retire in the area. The Lizard Peninsula has wooded valleys and also spectacular coves and beaches.
We found the gravestone of William and Margaret Goddard in the churchyard of Mawgan Church, Mawgan in Meneage (‘eage’ rhymes with vague).
The inscription reads:
IN LOVING MEMORY
OF
WILLIAM GODDARD,
WHO DIED JULY 4TH 1936,
AGED 86 YEARS,
ALSO OF MARGARET, HIS BELOVED WIFE
WHO DIED FEB 6TH 1933,
AGED 81 YEARS
AT REST
The photograph of St Mawgan church was taken from the site of the grave, so if you decide to visit it you will have an idea of the location. The grave is near to the main road, just behind a tall hedge which is situated to the left of the gate to the churchyard.
We could not find the grave of his eldest daughter Gertrude who married William James Chambers of Luton, Bedfordshire, on 31 July 1904 in West Hackney Parish Church and died 3 March 1946 in Mawgan-in-Meneage, because the newer graves were on the other side of the road and there were hundreds of them. However, we did find her obituary in a Truro newspaper with her age given as 69. She had lived at Westcliff on Sea before returning, as a widow, to Mawgan upon her father’s death and was a member of Mawgan Sewing Party. Her two daughters Sergt M E Chambers and Mrs G M Sidey were both in the ATS.
WILLIAM GODDARD 1850-1936
| YEAR | ADDRESS | REFERENCE | AGE |
| 1851 | Ruins Heythrop House | census | 1 |
| 1861 | Billesdon | census | 11 |
| 1871 | Whipper in, Pytchley Hunt, Brixworth, Northants | census | 21 |
| 1869-1878 “Will (always called Tom Goddard … a | hunt publication | ||
| most finished horseman”) | |||
| 1875 | Married Margaret Buswell (age 23), 26 March, Brixworth | 25 | |
| 1881 | Huntsman, Craven Hunt, Kintbury, Berkshire | census | 31 |
| 1882/84 | Burton Hunt, Lincolnshire | 32 | |
| 1885 | Hunt Servants Benevolent Society | sick pay | 35 |
| 1891 | Whipper in, Kennelworth North Warwickshire Hunt | ||
| Hunt Servants Benevolent Society with Eggesford | |||
| Hunt, Devon | sick pay | 41 | |
| 1896 | Servants Benevolent Fund | sick pay | 46 |
| Huntsman late of Kildare Hunt, Ireland | |||
| 1897 | First Whip, Essex Union, Herts | 47/49 | |
| Huntsman until 1899 | |||
| 1901 | Peterborough, Huntsman to foxhounds | 51 | |
| Hunt Servants Benevolent Society | sick pay | ||
| 1904/05 | First Whipper in, Fitzwilliam Hunt, around Peterborough | late sick pay | 54/55 |
| 1909 | Huntsman, Modbury Harriers based in Devon | 59 | |
| 1911 | First Whipper in, Grafton Hunt (south of Pytchley | ||
| Hunt in Northamptonshire) | 61 | ||
| 1934 | Made a will, living in Mawgan-in-Meneage, Cornwall | 84 | |
| 1936 | Died 4 July, Mawgan-in-Meneage, Cornwall | 86 |
Chart: William and Margaret Goddard & Children
