Inter-Colonial cricket, known as the Goodwill, was played among Trinidad, British Guiana and Barbados in those years. On leaving school he joined the leading firm of accountants, Bovell & Skeete, until 1948 when he joined the Goddard family business, J.N. Goddard & Sons, in sales and, in later years, in the JOHN D. C. GODDARD 1919-1987 supermarket. West Indies Cricket Captain John loved animals and had An Appreciation by his Nephew backyard stock, pigeons, fowls, John Douglas Claude Goddard was born on 21 April 1919, the son of dogs from an early age. In Joseph Nathaniel Goddard and Wilhelmina, nee Hinkson, at the 1950 when he built his home at family home Sunnyside, Fontabelle, St Michael, Barbados, British Wildey, Christ Church, he named West Indies. He was the youngest of ten children, nine boys and one it Farmlands and had race horses, milking cows, pigs, chickens, girl: Cecil, Victor, Lawrence, Neville, Fred, Colin, Bruce, Daphne, ducks, turkeys, etc. John was a Joseph and John. His father, Joseph Nathaniel, was a merchant who farmer at heart. had been born as a poor boy in Clifton Hall Woods, in St John, Barbados. In 1890 he moved to Bridgetown to seek work and became He is most famous as the a successful businessman. captain of the victorious West Indies Cricket Team that toured In 1926 Joseph Nathaniel England in 1950 when England purchased Kensington Plantation was beaten in the Second Test at yard with fifteen acres of land, a Lords for the first time, and the former sugar plantation in West Indies were now considered Fontabelle, and Kensington House world class cricketers. That team was the Goddard family home for included the three Ws (Walcott, the next 65 years. Weeks and Worrell) and the spin Kensington Cricket Oval on bowlers Ramadhin and Valentine. 4.5 acres of former Kensington When they returned to Barbados a Plantation lands bounded public holiday was declared, on Kensington House where they were received by 15,000 as John lived. Pickwick Cricket conquering heroes and John was Club, founded in 1882, was lionised for his captaincy. headquartered there. There was no fence and John, from the In 1948, when George Headley age of eight years, would be at of Jamaica, who had been Kensington Oval watching and appointed captain of the West playing sport.This brought him Indies for the 1947/48 England into contact with several legends College, and then The Lodge Tour of the West Indies, had to of West Indian cricket like Tim School,thelatter as a weekly border, withdraw for health reasons after Tarilton and Lionel Birkett; the and came under the influence of the first match, John became famous Goodman brothers, Mr L.A. Walcott the. Boarding captain. John played 27 Tests Aubrey, Clifford, Evan and Master and Sports Master, who for the West Indies and served as recognised his sporting skills Captain for 22 of them, and player/ Percy; E.L. 'Teddy" Hoad and and encouraged him to develop manager in three. He was a left the Challenor brothers, George these. John played cricket, handed batsman and a right handed and Laddy from Wanderers, arch soccer, field hockey, tennis medium paced bowler. He was rivals of Pickwick — all Colonial and athletics for the school, most outstanding as a fieldsman, and West Indian players in earlier in and represented Barbados in be it on the boundary where his days. cricket and soccer from 1937. quick running and safe hands were John attended first Harrison World War II intervened and only useful, or fielding at silly mid-off, 1 close to the batsman; he was most intimidating to the LOWESTOFT GODDARDS batsman. In that famous Test at Lords in 1950, while Just before Christmas I was in receipt of one of fielding at silly mid-off to the batsman, the English those rewarding letters that the Association gets batsman Gilbert Parkhouse was batting and smashed a from time to time. It came from former Association ball with great power. The commentator said the Secretary Dennis of York. He writes: ball had gone to the boundary for four runs, and in the same breath, "No, Goddard has caught him at silly "I thought you might be interested in my good mid-off. What a brilliant catch." In 1951 in Australia fortune arising out of your Newsletter No.79 of July he also caught Neil Harvey in a similar brilliant catch 2006. Under New Members Families you refer in the silly mid-off position. He was exceptionally to Matthew Goddard descended from Goddards well co-ordinated between hand and eye. of Lowestoft. Virtually I had no history of my family other than I understood they also came from Goddard played when cricket was considered a Lowestoft. So – realising it could be a long shot gentleman's game. The Captain was expected to – I wrote to Matthew. His response has been pull his pocket and meet the expenses for much of the overwhelming! He has phoned me at length from team's entertainment. The Goddard brothers rallied the USA, where he is at present, to tell me about and supported John financially. What a change has our family. We share the same great grandparents taken place over the years, where today professional and grandparents. But the amount of information cricketers are over-paid demi-gods. and the detail of his personal researches is almost John with his friendly personality had a wide circle unbelievable. He has now sent me a most detailed of friends he visited on his overseas tours whether account of our family from early 1800s right up to in the Caribbean, the UK, New Zealand, India, the birth of my father in 1902. He refers to relatives I Australia, and whom he entertained at his home at his did not even know existed! He has even produced own expense. He was particularly pleased to have studio photos of my grandparents. My grandmother the friendship of Sir Donald Bradman, the Australian died before I was born, my grandfather when I was cricket legend, with whom he exchanged personal very young; so I did not know them personally. In Christmas cards from 1951 to 1986. John is held in fact these are the first photos of them I have ever seen. I high esteem in all those countries, whether the UK, am sending you this note to share with you a very India, Australia or New Zealand. It is only in the pleasant happening." West Indies that his captaincy is seldom mentioned and, if so, in a derogatory light. Dennis hopes that Matthew may 'go public' with his researches, and so do I. Perhaps there are other The MCC of Lords had invited John as their y y special guest to attend their bicentenary celebrations Goddards out there who ma also believe the have when he collapsed on 26 August 1987 at his hotel Lowestoft connections. from a massive heart attack, and was dead on arrival GODDARD GOLFER AGAIN at the hospital. He was 68 years of age. Junior amateur golfer Luke Goddard has been in the The Goddard family originate from Staple news yet again. The winner, as you may remember, Fitzpaine in Somerset, which is 8.5 miles south-east of four top junior titles in 2006 – the McEvoy Trophy, of Taunton. Captain Nicholas Goddard, who signed the Sir Henry Cooper Junior Masters, the South-East himself as a mariner and bondsman, was in Barbados Junior Championship and the Bernard Darwin Trophy c. 1637, and the Goddard family have remained here – he was selected to play in the Junior Orange Bowl since. Nicholas' father, Henry Goddard, was a farmer International, which began at the Biltmore Club in and inn-keeper in Staple Fitzpaine. Florida on 27 December. Unfortunately I have seen Richard of Barbados no follow-up report so assume that he did not do very Ed. John's death was announced in Newsletter well; but, at eighteen, he is clearly a name to watch 8, his memorial gates at the Kensington Oval in for the future. Newsletter 12, and his contribution as a player of NEW MEMBERS FAMILIES European origin from West Indies in Newsletter 58. The information below is given to enable existing members to get in touch with new members who NEW MEMBERS appear to belong to the same branch: A warm welcome to those new members who have Liz Goddard is descended from a Wootton Rivers, joined the Association since the last Newsletter Wiltshire, Goddard family. Miss Liz Goddard, 104 Gostwick, Orton Brimbles, Peterborough, PE2 5XG. Mr Murray Goddard, 7 Lee Andy Court, Ferntree Gully, Victoria 3156, Awtralia. Murray Goddard is the son of the late Alan 2 Goddard of Victoria, Australia. FROM SILCHESTER TO NEW ZEALAND MORE SILCHESTER GODDARDS Previous Newsletters (11 & 70) have told of the As we draw nearer to this year's AGM, which is family of James Robert Goddard, a carpenter from to be held on Saturday 19 May in the Calleva Arms Silchester in Hampshire where the 2007 AGM is at Silchester near Basingstoke, more Silchester to take place. James Robert moved to London Goddards are in the news. Sadly, Nora Goddard, the to work and there married his wife Sarah in 1849 penultimate member of the generation of Silchester in Kensington. He and his wife then moved to Goddards born in the last years of the nineteenth and Doncaster, perhaps to work on making railway early years of the twentieth centuries, was buried in carriages, with their son William Robert, born in the Goddard plot at St Mary's Church, Silchester, on 1850 in Marylebone.