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PROMINENT
CITIZENS
CHARLES
GOODANEW
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Mr Charles Goodanew was
the founder of the
Plymouth Mutual Co-operative and Industrial Society Ltd, the forerunner
of the present
Plymouth & South West Co-operative Society Ltd.
It seems to have always
been claimed that he was born in 1814 but he was not baptised until October
1st 1815, the event being recorded in the parish register for the Church of
St Mary Magdalene at Launceston. The
name recorded in the register is actually Charles Goodnuff, as opposed to Goodanew,
and he was the daughter of one Sarah Bray, spinster, of Fore
Street, Launceston. [1]
Nothing is known about his
early life. His mother, Sally Bray, married a Mr Richard Goodman in
Launceston on May 28th 1817 so he may have initially joined that family.
But Mr Goodman died in 1820 and Sally married again on November 30th 1823 at
Tavistock, this time to a Mr John Goodanew. This name re-appears
below. |
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Mr Charles
Goodanew.
Photo courtesy Mrs Sandra Robinson. |
Mr Charles Goodanew married
Miss Elizabeth Ann Goodman at
Stoke Damerel Church on September 11th 1837.
She was the daughter of Mr William Goodman, a labourer. At that time
Charles declared his father as being a Mr John Goodanew and his
occupation as a cordwainer. [2]
The couple went on to have a
large family. The eldest was Miss Elisabeth Ann Sarah Jane Goodanew,
who was born at the end of 1837. This suggests this may have been a "shot gun"
wedding! In addition to four more daughters, they also had four sons,
William John Goodanew in 1842; Charles Henry Goodanew in 1845; and the
twins, James Joseph Goodanew and Richard George Goodanew in 1851.
At the time of the 1851
census the family were living at number 20
Old Town Street, Plymouth, and
Charles was a shoemaker. His widowed mother, 65-years-old Mrs Sally Goodanew, was living with them as were two brothers, James Goodanew, aged
24, and Richard Goodanew, aged 28. [3]
Charles's own brother, Mr
William Goodanew, a bootmaster journeyman, was in 1851 living at number 7 Catte
Street, Plymouth. [4]
By Christmas 1859 Charles
Goodanew had moved to number 7 Tin Street, down by the Barbican, and it was
there, in a small back room, that he entertained two friends by reading them
passages from the book about the Rochdale Pioneers, the founders of the
Co-operative movement. He so enthused his tiny audience that they
decided to form a co-operative in Plymouth. After several other
meetings, and with the support of other local men, the
Plymouth Mutual
Co-operative and Industrial Society was formed. He was member number
1, the Father of the Society. [5]
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Mrs Elizabeth Ann Goodanew
died on June 18th 1873 at the age of 56.
Mr Charles Goodanew died on
Sunday November 1st 1903, at the home of his son-in-law, 40 Pentyre
Terrace. He was buried in a polished elm coffin at the
Plymouth (Ford Park)
Cemetery on Wednesday November 4th 1903. In an address of appreciation
Mr Vaughan, the Society's oldest committee member,
said that Mr Goodanew's final words had been: 'I wish you good-bye; I am
going home'. He described him as 'a man of peace, not war, and
quietness of character'. [6] |
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The gravestone
in Ford Park Cemetery of Mr Charles Goodanew, Mrs Elizabeth Ann
Goodanew and Mr Thomas Henry Reynolds.
Photo © Mrs Sally Roberts, Plymouth. |
Sources:
[1] Baptism record from
Parish Register for the Church of St Mary Magdalene, Launceston,
Cornwall, 1815, by courtesy of Mrs Sandra Robinson, the Great Great
Granddaughter of Mr Goodanew.
[2] Marriage certificate from
Parish Register of
Stoke
Damerel Church, 1837.
[3] 1851 Census,
HO107/1879/228/18.
[4] 1851 Census,
HO107/1879/758/42.
[5] See
Business Houses -
Plymouth Mutual Co-operative and Industrial Society Ltd -
The Foundation.
[6] "Plymouth's Oldest
Co-operator", Western Morning News, Plymouth, November 11th
1903.
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