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The Goyder Family

Although there seem to be a few stragglers who don't fit into the picture, almost all those Goyders alive are descended from one man: Edward Goyder.

At some point during the nineteenth century the idea developed that the name Goyder was an Anglicization of the Welsh name Gwydyr or Gwydir. Was this, perhaps, because some Goyders wanted to claim ancestry from Gwydyr Castle in North Wales? A Goyder family historian has convincingly suggested that the name is an Anglicization of the name Coedwr. I have to say that this makes a lot more sense to me.

Edward Goyder

Edward is thought to have been born in about 1740 in Glamorgan, Wales. As no record has been traced of his birth, this must remain guesswork.

History is a little clearer on what happened to Edward Goyder: he married three times. His first wife was Ann Miles who he married at Pendoylan (Pendeulwyn), Glamorgan, Wales, in February 1768. Ann died ten years later having borne him at least five children.

Edward's second marriage was to Mary Thomas in about 1779. Any children they may have had are as yet unavailable to me. Mary died by 1784, because on 16th May of that year Edward married for the third and last time. By this time he was living in London, and it was at St James's church, Westminster, that he married Margaret Lloyd, another member of London's Welsh community.

Margaret, who was herself born in 1750, and bore him at least six children:

According to David's autobiography, his father was a civil servant at the Exchequer.

At the time of his death in 1800, Edward, Margaret and their family were living close to Westminster Abbey in Angel Court. David described his father's funeral like this:

My father belonged to the "Independent Order of Odd Fellows," an "order" which at that time enrolled among its members some of the gayest young men of the aristocracy; and I have since been told that some of my relations have sat in the same lodge with the then Prince of Wales (late George IV). My father was high in favor [sic] among this fraternity, and his remains were honoured by a public funeral; and it was this pageant that so forcibly impressed upon my memory my father's death. I saw the whole procession from the window of a neighbor's [sic] house in the Court, to which I had been removed, I suppose, to be out of the way. The coffin was preceded by two brothers, as they were called, bearing drawn swords; then followed a long procession, some before, some after the coffin, with sashes, aprons, and medals of distinction, some of them sparkling with gems, or, as is most probably, with Bristol stones. I thought it a very grand sight, but I have since had my thoughts changed materially.

Now a widow, Margaret moved with her family of boys to 16 North Street, near St John's, Smith Square. There they had three second floor rooms and Margaret had to look after an elderly infirm woman. Margaret died there in March 1805.

To read more about Edward and Margaret's children, click on their names above.

© Chris Goddard, 07 March, 2007