Charles Goff first appears in the records marrying Ada Talbot on the 22 April 1919 at Southwell Register Office. On the marriage certificate he states he is a 48 year old, bachelor and farm labourer living in North Muskham and his father is John Goff (deceased).
Charles Goff does not show on the Electoral Registers for North Muskham until 1922, Electoral Registers were not taken during the First World War, so taking the date of his marriage to Ada Talbot, Charles Goff arrives in North Muskham sometime during the First World War, it is impossible to be any more accurate than that at the present time.
Using the marriage certificate and taking his age as 48 in 1919 this would give his year of birth as 1871, place as yet unknown .
The next official document Charles appears on is the 1939 Register, on this he gives a birthdate as 18 Mar 1865 again no place of birth is shown. The actual document states his birth as 18 M 65, it’s been transcribed as Mar although this is yet to be proven. The other problem I have with the 1939 register is with his wife Ada Goff (Talbot) this gives her birth as 27 Jan 71 (27 January 1871) I know this is wrong and from her birth certificate she was born 27 January 1891. This shows the dates on the 1939 register cannot be relied upon as fact.
The last document to give any real information is a death certificate for Charles who dies 5th March 1953 at Carlton on Trent, this gives an age of 81 years when he died. This would give his year of birth as 1872.
Taking all the information currently available I have three possible years of birth 1865, 1871 and 1872. No place of birth is indicated in any document.
Having extensively researched as many Charles Goff’s as possible for the time period 1865-1872 with a year or two either way led to one serious possibility – Charles Goff – Jun 1864 – Ampthill – Vol 3b Page 377.
On purchasing a birth certificate for this Charles it gave his birth as 18 March 1864 Cranfield the illegitimate son of Mary Ann Goff. The birth date matched very well with that in the 1939 register only the year was different 1864 – 1865 acceptable for the purposes of my research birth dates are surprisingly never known by those involved. However my biggest problem with this Charles Goff was that he was illegitimate.
Undeterred (especially as this was my best bet!) we researched this Charles Goff as much as we could. Charles Fells Goff (Cranfield) was married to Emma Waters on the 15 Apr 1883 at Liddlington, Bedfordshire and he had four children, Lucy (1883), Mary (1887), Charles (1890), Alfred Waters (1897).
A newspaper article from the Luton Times and Advertiser dated 2 May 1902 states Charles Goff of Westwood, Notts, was charged under the Married Women’s Act with having deserted his wife, Emma Goff at Aspley Guise. His daughter Lucy gave evidence against him. The magistrates made a separation order against him and to pay maintenance.
The newspaper article is the first indication that Charles Goff is now in Nottinghamshire in 1902. Another point of interest is that the parents of Mary Ann Goff, mother of Charles, were John Goff and Mary Ann Cooke. This raised the possibility that on his marriage to Ada Talbot at Southwell Charles used his grandfather’s name rather than state he was illegitimate, and using the term Bachelor, I know now refers to the fact he was free to marry.
My working theory has always been that Charles Goff born 18 March 1864, married Emma Waters as described above. He then for whatever reason “deserted” his wife and family, working on the railways took him to Nottinghamshire. This part is proven by the newspaper article above. The theory was that between 1902 and 1919 most likely because of work he made his way over to North Muskham where he married Ada Talbot and set up a new family.
This was always a “working theory” and could not be completely proven 100% (although I have always been convinced this is the case) until now………..
Having myself taken a DNA test and submitted the results to Ancestry.co.uk I have three matches to Goff relations. One is related to Peter Goff b. 1925 who would be the grandson of Charles Goff and Emma Waters. The second is to Ann Goff 1818 from Ketton, she would turn out to be Charles Goff’s great aunt. The third DNA connection links to Sarah Goff, 1811 again from Ketton, Rutland.
These three connections are all provable direct links to Charles Goff, 1864 from Cranfield and for there to be a DNA connection to me can only come via my great grandfather Charles Goff.
This proves to me 100% there can be no doubt that Charles Goff born 18 March 1864 from Cranfield and Charles Goff from North Muskham who dies 5th March 1953 at Carlton on Trent are indeed one and the same person.
DNA may also prove a connection to who the father of Charles Goff was, he married Emma Waters using the name Charles Fells Goff, I now have DNA connections to the Fells from Marston Moritaine, Bedfordshire, which can only come via Charles Goff……did Charles actually know who his father was?
Yes it would appear he did know who his father was, newspaper articles prove his father was Charles Fells and that Fells was taken to the Petty Sessions of Ampthill where he was charged with being the father of Charles Goff.
Bedfordshire Times and Independent 30 August 1864 Ampthill: Petty Sessions August 26 Charles Fells of Marston, Labourer, was charged by Mary Ann Goff, of Cranfield, single-woman, with being the father of her illegitimate child. Ordered to pay 6d per week, and 25s 6d costs.
The final piece of proof needed turned out to be the 1921 Census, on this Charles Goff states he was born in Cranfield, Bedfordshire.
After nearly a decade of searching I finally know where Charles Goff came from and who his and my Goff ancestors were.
One final question remains……….Did Charles Goff divorce Emma Waters? Or was he a bigamist?
Wayne and Sandra's Family History 