Brentford High Street: family research

My connection is via the 'Three Pigeons' Public House where three of my ancestors were the publican. The first was my three times great grandfather, Benjamin Edward Goodman (1805-1858). The only evidence I have that he was the landlord is the note on his gravestone stating that he was. I am yet to find a trade directory where he is listed as landlord and can only surmise that he took over sometime after 1855 as Pigots London Directory for Essex of that year shows a George Holt as landlord.

His wife, Mrs Hannah Goodman (nee Baily), then took over as landlord, as she is listed as the landlord in Pigots 1859 Directory for London Essex. She however died on 29th August 1860, aged 52, and is buried in the same grave as her husband in Kensington cemetery, Hanwell.

They had at least 7 children (Sarah Jane 1835, Ann 1836, Emily 1838, Eliza 1840, Edward Benjamin 1842, Jane 1845 and Benjamin 1851). These appear to have been born in Islington and that is certainly where they were in the 1841 census (I am yet to find them in 1851).

More about The Three Pigeons Inn

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Leonard Field

The eldest daughter, Sarah Jane, married a Leonard Field, on 31st May 1858, who came from the tiny village of Kelling near Holt in north Norfolk. It was he that became the next landlord of the Three Pigeons, presumably after the death of his mother in law. He is listed as such in the 1862 and 63 Pigots London Directory for Middlesex. He and his wife along with her brother, sister and a niece are shown there in the 1861 census. They eventually moved to Wandsworth, in about 1870, where he became the landlord of the Princess of Wales public house, before retiring and then dying in 1886 a reasonably wealthy and influential man. He is buried in the same grave in Hanwell as his in laws. His wife died shortly after him in 1887.

Whilst Leonard and Sarah Jane had no children it is alleged, (by my grandmother) and born out by circumstantial evidence, that Leonard had an affair with his wife's sister Eliza (It could have been an arrangement if Sarah Jane was unable to bear children but the circumstantial evidence leads me to believe it was an affair). She illegitimately bore a son on 8 January 1861 called Joseph Benjamin Goodman (no father is named on the birth certificate). He went on to inherit half of his alleged fathers estate and changed his name to Field after his fathers death. His aunt Sarah Jane, who also left a substantial estate when she died, left nothing to him but divided it amongst the rest of her nieces and nephews. Joseph Benjamin is my great grandfather.

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I hope the above is useful to you and I enclose the following additional documents to help you tie together the above:

A pedigree chart (I have not been able to incorporate this as yet). It includes surnames Latten, Baily, Chandler, Benham, Hinner, Walker as well as Goodman and Field, births from ca 1805 to ca 1880.
A transcription of the gravestone in Hanwell cemetery.
A copy of the newspaper report of Leonard's funeral (The Putney and Wansdsworth Borough News, Saturday 4th September 1886).

Gravestone Inscription, Hanwell Cemetery

Sacred
To the memory of
Benjamin Edward Goodman
late landlord of the Three Pidgeons inn
New Brentford
who departed this life
Sept 30th 1858
Aged 53 years
A father kind. A friend sincere
A loving husband lies buried here

Also of Hannah
wife of the above
who died August 29th 1860
in the 52nd year of her age I know that my redeemer liveth

Also in affectionate remembrance of
Leonard Field
Son in Law of the above
who departed this life August 26th
1886 Aged 55 years
A light is from our household gone
A voice we loved is stilled
A place is vacant at our hearth
which never can be filled

Also of Sarah Jane Field
who died March 1st 1887 aged 52 years

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