Felix Henry Goodwin (abt. 1820 - 1880)

Born about 10 Apr 1820 in York, Upper Canada

Husband of Eliza (Gordon) Goodwin — married 14 Dec 1843 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Descendants

Died 18 Mar 1880 at about age 59 in St. Catherines, Ontario, Canada

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Jim Goodwin [send private message]

Biography

Felix was born about 1820. Felix Goodwin ... He passed away in 1880. ^[1] GOODWIN FAMILY HISTORY – What I have so far.

Part One – Felix and Eliza in York/Toronto

According to the Census of 1871, and several others, Felix Goodwin was born in Toronto (then known as York), in 1820. No other information has been found about Felix, until the record of his marriage to Eliza Gordon, on December 14, 1843, officiated by the Rev. J Roaf, in Toronto. Felix was 22, Eliza was 19 (Record of Marriages, Home District 1839-1848 Vol. 11, Page 439) Felix and Eliz were married by the Rev. John Roaf. Witnesses were James Cruthers and William Patterson.^[2]

All censuses so far found list Felix’s first profession as Mariner. According to my discussion with the curator of the Maritime Museum in Kingston, Ontario, mariner apprenticeships usually started at about 12 to 14 years old and parental permission was required to be kept on file. Unfortunately, those permissions were considered “throw-away” records and were discarded at the end of the apprenticeship. So nothing of Felix’s childhood and youth is known until his marriage to Eliza.

The next information I have is from the Brown’s Toronto City and Home District Directory 1846-7, page 28. This listing shows several Goodwins living in close proximity. Felix’s last name is spelled “Goodwill”; I assume this is a miss-spelling. The other Goodwins might be relatives but I have no way of knowing that, yet.

The next information I have is a listing in the ROSWELL’S City of Toronto and County of York DIRECTORY for 1850-1. He was living at the time on Sumach Street, south of King Street. Early Toronto maps show that to be just a few blocks from the water front.

The ASSESSMENT ROLL FOR ST. LAWRENCE WARD, CITY OF TORONTO, 1853 shows Felix owning property on both sides of South Street, in the St. Lawrence Ward. The same tax roll shows Joseph Goodwin owning both sides of South Street, adjacent or at least nearby. My research has found that Joseph was also a mariner, and later owned and operated a fire boat in Toronto. (I suspect that Felix and Joseph are related; perhaps cousin or brother. I’m still working this out.)

The 1861 census, shows Felix and Eliza Living on the South side of Kingston Road, St. Lawrence Ward, District 4, with five children; William, Jane, Elizabeth, Drucilla and Lucinda. My Great Grandfather, James Israel, was born in 1861, but evidently after the date of this census.

The 1864-65 Mitchell’s Toronto City Directory, page 65, Shows Felix still living on Kingston Road. Interestingly, it also shows a James Goodwin, fisherman, also living on Kingston Road. I do not know if these two are living near each other, but the possibility exists that these two are related. (I’m still working on this)

The Wesleyan Methodist Baptismal Records, helps to narrow down the time frame between when Felix and family lived in Toronto and when they moved to St. Catharines. According to this document, a son, James Israel, (this is the first of many James Goodwins in our family line!), was born in York on September 16th, 1861, and baptized on February 27, 1862 in York. York was Toronto’s original name, and York Township corresponds nicely with where Felix and Eliza were living at that time. This same record shows that their daughter, Clara Victoria, was born on November 16, 1864 in Toronto, and baptized on February 19, 1865. Their next child, daughter Delia McLine, was born on October 6th, 1867, in St. Catharines, and baptized on April 15th, 1868.

So, from this time line we can surmise that the Goodwin family moved from Toronto to St. Catharines between February 1865 and October 1867.

Do you have information about Felix Goodwin? Please contribute to his biography. Everything on WikiTree is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Research Notes

• Globe and Mail, September 28, 1857, under heading "More License Prosecutions": "Felix Goodwin, King Street East (shop license) admitted the offense and was fined..."
• The 1871 Census Microfilm is online, Felix is on this page, most of the family is on the next: Census of Canada 1871

Son's Marriage

Felix Goodwin in entry for James I. Goodwin and Mayl. Wilson Schumacker, "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925"

Name: James I. Goodwin

Race (Original):

Age (Expanded): 59 years

Birth Year: 1860

Birthplace: Canada

Spouse's Name: Mayl. Wilson Schumacker

Spouse's Race (Original):

Spouse's Age (Expanded): 49 years

Spouse's Birth Year: 1870

Spouse's Birthplace: Michigan

Event Date: 07 May 1919

Event Place: Flint, Genesee, Michigan

Father's Name: Felix Goodwin

Mother's Name: Eliza Gordon

Spouse's Father's Name: Arthur Wilson

Spouse's Mother's Name: Eliza ^[3]

Sources

1. ↑ Entered by Jim Goodwin, Jun 3, 2013
2. ↑ "Ontario, District Marriage Registers, 1801-1858," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2C1-LJ4Q : 30 November 2016), Felix Goodwin and Elizabeth Gordon, 14 Dec 1843; citing Home Township, Algoma, Ontario, Canada, Archives of Ontario, Toronto; FHL microfilm 1,030,052.
3. ↑ "Michigan, Marriages, 1868-1925," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/N3YM-433 : accessed 09 Jun 2013), Felix Goodwin in entry for James I. Goodwin and Mayl. Wilson Schumacker, 07 May 1919. Picture

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Jim Goodwin for starting this profile. Click the Changes tab for the details of contributions by Jim and others.