Person:Richard Godsmark (4)

Richard Godsmark was born on 25th October 1811 and baptised two months later at Ifield in Sussex. He was the son of Lucy Godsmark, formerly Jordan, and her husband James Godsmark, a labourer.

Richard’s next sighting is on 13th April 1833, aged 21, when he married Elizabeth Hart at Ifield. She was originally from Dorking in Surrey, about twelve miles north of Ifield, but was living in Ifield by the time they married. One of the witnesses to their marriage was Richard’s younger sister, Sarah.

Richard’s father died in 1834.

Richard and Elizabeth went on to have seven children between 1834 and 1852, all born at Crawley, just east of Ifield. Their eldest child died in 1840 when he was only five years old.

The 1841 census finds Richard and Elizabeth living at a place called Magazine in Crawley. Richard was described as an agricultural labourer. Elizabeth’s recently married sister Lucy and her husband, George Sadler, were sharing the house with them on census night.

Richard’s mother died in 1846.

Richard and Elizabeth appear to have lived in Crawley from shortly after their marriage for the rest of their lives. In both the 1861 and 1871 censuses they were living at the Old Workhouse. Crawley Workhouse had closed in 1859 when a new workhouse serving the area was built at East Grinstead. The old workhouse, which was built in the late 17th or early 18th centuries, appears to have then been converted into three cottages.

In 1866 Richard was called as a witness in the trial of a man who was found guilty of highway robbery. The robber had stolen two five pound notes, and later spent one of them buying a dog from Richard.

In 1876 Richard’s uncle Leonard Thomas Jordan died, and Richard was left £40 in his uncle’s will.

Elizabeth died in November 1882, aged 70. Richard survived her by nearly eight years. He died a few weeks before what would have been his eightieth birthday, and was buried at Crawley on 23rd September 1890.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Ifield, Sussex: Parish Registers (West Sussex County Council, Chichester).

   Baptisms / 1811 / Dec[embe]r 29. Baptized Richard, Son of James & Lucy Godsmark, born Octob[e]r 25th

   This baptism has been linked to the Richard Godsmark who married Elizabeth Hart on the basis of the age and place of birth he gave as an adult in the censuses, plus one of the witnesses to their marriage was a Sarah Godsmark and this Richard had a younger sister called Sarah.

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1111; Book 5; Folio 6; Page 6, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Magazine, Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, male, 25 [1811-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Elizabeth Godsmark, female, 25 [1811-6], not born in county
   Harriet Godsmark, female, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Richard Godsmark, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1641; Folio 444; Page 22, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, head, married, male, 40 [1810/11], Day Labourer, b. Ifield, Sussex
   Elizabeth Godsmark, wife, married, female, 32 [1818/9], b. Dorking, Surrey
   Harriet Godsmark, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1836/7], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, son, male, 11 [1839/40], b. Crawley, Sussex
   George Godsmark, son, male, 9 [1841/2], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Ambrose Godsmark, son, male, 6 [1844/5], b. Crawley, Sussex
   James Godsmark, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Crawley, Sussex

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 580; Folio 91; Page 19, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Old Workhouse, Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, head, married, male, 50 [1810/11], Ag[ricultura]l Lab[oure]r, b. Ifield, Sussex
   Elizabeth Godsmark, wife, married, female, 49 [1811/12], b. Dorking, Surrey
   Richard Godsmark, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1839/40], Ag[ricultura]l Lab[oure]r, b. Crawley, Sussex
   George Godsmark, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Ag[ricultura]l Lab[oure]r, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Ambrose Godsmark, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1844/5], Ag[ricultura]l Lab[oure]r, b. Crawley, Sussex
   James Godsmark, son, male, 12 [1848/9], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex
   Elizabeth Godsmark, daughter, female, 9 [1851/2], Scholar, b. Crawley, Sussex

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1059; Folio 94; Page 18, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: The Old Work House, Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, head, married, male, 60 [1810/11], Farm Labourer, b. Ifield, Sussex
   Elizabeth Godsmark, wife, married, female, 59 [1811/12], b. Dorking, Surrey
   William Harman, grandson, unmarried, male, 12 [1858/9], Scholar, b. Ifield, Sussex

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1109; Folio 110; Page 2, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: London R[oa]d, Crawley, Sussex
   Richard Godsmark, head, married, male, 69 [1811/12], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Crawley, Sussex
   Elizabeth Godsmark, wife, married, female, 68 [1812/13], b. Dorking, Surrey

7.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Richard GODSMARK, September Quarter 1890, Horsham Registration District, Volume 2b, page 198, aged 79 [1810/11]

8. ↑ Burials register, in Crawley, Sussex: Bishop’s Transcripts (West Sussex County Council, Chichester).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Crawley in the County of Sussex in the year One thousand eight hundred and ninety
   No	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   553	Richard Godsmark	Crawley	Sept[ember] 23	79 years [1810/11]	J.B. Lennard, Rector

9.   Sussex Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Saturday 21 Jul 1866.

   ALLEGED HIGHWAY ROBBERY AT CRAWLEY.
   JOHN JAMES WILMOTT, 44, umbrella maker, was charged with robbing William Smith of two five pound notes of the Bank of England, and at the same time of such robbery using personal violence to the said William Smith, by throwing him to the ground, on the 25th March 1866, at the parish of Slaugham.
   Mr. Grantham prosecuted.
   The first witness for the prosecution said that he had had half a pint at the time of the occurrence - he wasn't ashamed to own it - he would speak the truth - he could not help it (loud laughter). He would not positively swear that prisoner was the man. He had told him about having the notes in his pocket, and when he stumbled the prisoner, as he supposed took them from his pocket.
   During the examination of this witness, who was very eccentric and intoxicated, the laughter in court was so universal and loud that his lordship had to remind the public that it was not a theatre, and that such conduct was not excusable, although it might be in the old man, who was probably beyond cure.
   Mr. Thomas Evans, a retired farmer, deposed to giving the notes produced to the prisoner on the day in question.
   Richard Godsmark, living at Crawley, said the prisoner, on the day in question, bought a dog of his for 5s, to pay for which he changed one of the £5 notes produced.
   Amoss [sic] Wood, a parish constable went in pursuit of the prisoner on receiving information of the robbery. When he captured him he searched him and found one of the £5 notes on him.
   Prisoner's defence was that the prosecutor lent him the money.
   The jury found the prisoner guilty of stealing without violence.
   Prisoner was sentenced to eight months' hard labour.