EDGOOSE:
In search of Ancestry
BARROW, Maria (Marie)
1870 - 1967 (96 years) Has 31 ancestors but no descendants in this family tree.
1841 - 1918 (77 years)-
Name BARROW, Maria (Marie) Birth 18 Nov 1870 Leicestershire Registration District, Leicestershire 
Gender Female Death 22 Aug 1967 Tonbridge Registration District, Kent Person ID I1480 Edgoose Last Modified 30 Jan 2026
Father BARROW, John Edwin, b. 1841, Leicester, Leicestershire d. 1918, Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire, England (Age 77 years) Mother BAKER, Emily Anna, b. 1839, Gosberton, Lincolnshire, England d. 1912, Barrow Upon Soar, Leicestershire, England (Age 73 years) Marriage 4 Jul 1865 Leicester, Leicestershire Family ID F843 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family GOODMAN, Thomas Percy, b. 4 Oct 1864, Birmingham Registration District, Warwickshire d. 2 Feb 1942, Tonbridge Registation District, Kent (Age 77 years) Marriage 1898 Leicester Registration District, Leicestershire Family ID F848 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Notes
MARIA GOODMAN formerly BARROW 1870-1967
The birth of a Maria BARROW was registered in 1870. According to a letter she wrote to her cousin Ethellyn on 30 October 1962, she was to celebrate her 92nd birthday on the 18 November next.
(GRO December Q 1870 Leicester 7a 222)
The 1871 census returns of Abbey Gate, Leicester:
John BARROW, head, aged 30, grocer and brickmaker, born in Leicester;
Emily A. BARROW, wife, aged 32, born at Gosbit (sic), Lincolnshire;
Anne BARROW, daughter, aged 4, scholar, born at Freakes Ground Near, Leicester;
John E. BARROW, son, aged 3, born at Freakes Ground Near, Leicester;
*Maria BARROW, daughter, aged 4 months, born in Leicester.
(RG10/3291/6/5)
The 1881 returns for 3 Melton Road, Leicester list the following:
John BARROW, Head, Married, 40, Brick Manufacturer, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
Emily Annie BARROW Married, 42, born Garterton (sic), Lincs.
Annie BARROW, daughter, 14, Scholar, born Freaks Ground Near
*Mariah BARROW, daughter, 10, Scholar, born St. Leonard's, Leicester
Emily BARROW, daughter, 8, Scholar, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
Anney Ann BARROW, daughter, 8, Scholar, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
Lizzie BARROW, daughter, 7, Scholar, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
John Edwin BARROW, son, 6, Scholar, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
Eliza BARROW, daughter, 4, Scholar, born St. Margaret's, Leicester
Alice TEBBUT, servant, 14, Domestic Servant, born Chislehurst, Kent.
(RG11/3154/59/1)
The 1891 census of 2 Halkin Street, Belgrave, Leicestershire:
John BARROW, head, aged 50, brick manufacturer, born at Leicester;
Emily A. BARROW, wife, aged 52, born at Gosberton, Lincolnshire;
*Marie BARROW, daughter, aged 20, book keeper, born at Leicester;
Emily BARROW, daughter, aged 18, dressmaker, born at Leicester;
Amy A. BARROW, daughter, aged 18, dressmaker, born at Leicester;
John E. BARROW, son, aged 16, apprentice brickmaker, born at Leicester;
Eliza BARROW, daughter, aged 14, scholar, born at Leicester;
Alice HIGHTON, servant, aged 16, general servant, born at Thurmaston, Leicestershire;
Irene M. FRISBY, granddaughter, aged 3, born at Leicester.
(RG12/2522/71/11)
The marriage of Maria (sic) BARROW to Thomas Percy GOODMAN was registered in 1898.
(GRO September Q 1898 Leicester 7a 473)
From the 1939 Register of Halcyon, Whybourne Crescent, Tunbridge Wells:
Thomas P [FindMyPast has mistranscribed it as D] GOODMAN, born 4 October 1864, married, retired company director;
*Maria GOODMAN, born 18 November 1870, married, unpaid domestic duties;
Alice C. GOODMAN, born 26 August 1868, widowed, unpaid domestic duties;
Ellen GILES, born 16 December 1883 [or 1898?], widowed, domestic servant.
(RG101/1776C/005/22 DIPP)
The death of her husband Thomas P. GOODMAN aged 77 was registered in 1942.
(GRO March 1942 Tonbridge 2a 1985)
"GOODMAN Thomas Percy of Halcyon Whybourne Crest Tunbridge Wells died 2 February 1942 Probate Llandudno 2 April to Maria GOODMAN widow. Effects £22767 1s. 11d."
(National Probate Calendar 1942)
The death of Maria (sic) GOODMAN aged 96 was registered in 1967.
(GRO September Q 1967 Tonbridge 5f 735)
"GOODMAN Maria of 14 Whybourne Crest Tunbridge Wells died on 22 August 1967 at 7 Lonsdale Gardens Tunbridge Wells Probate London 23 October to Noel Vivian SNELL Solicitor and Anthony Thomas GOULDEN retired stationer. £56,647.
(National Probate Calendar 1967)
NOTES & QUERIES:
1901 Census: Untraced
Maria or Marie GOODMAN corresponded with her cousin Ethellyn Elizabeth EDGOOSE formerly LELIEVRE. Three letters sent from 14 Whybourne Crest, Tunbridge Wells, have survived: the first is dated 12 March 1957, the second on 24 January 1962 and the third on 30 October 1962. Maria died five years later in 1967 aged 96. Surnames have been capitalised.
"12th. March 1957
My dear Cousins [sic] Ethelyn [sic]
Strangely enough I thought of you this morning, & behold when I come down stairs your letter arrived by the first post. You have had a wonderful time, & have done & seen so much since your arrival. I could find it in my head tong in 3 weeks in Menton which I remember so well. Percy, my husband and I spent some weeks at Cannes & went to Menton from there and we had five months on the continent on that journey home from Australia. France, Switzerland, Italy, Belgium & several parts of Austria. It was indeed a lovely holiday. I do hope your heavy cold has now gone, and you feel as well as you did when you came home & I had a very heavy head cold early in Dec. and it left behind a severe cough which with all the medicine I have tried has not left me yet I regret to say, and I do feel these choking bouts are a strain on my heart, as I already have high blood pressure. [End of first page] We have had such a lot of rain and weather this winter, it does not give one much opportunity of shaking it off. Perhaps a little drier weather & warmth in the sun will see an end to it. I am very sorry we shall not meet before your departure but Bobs [?] and I wish you and Graeme a safe & happy voyage home again, & I hope the twins will be equal to walking the plank & come on board to welcome you home. Then you must be longing to see the Grandchildren who will have grown so since you saw them last, & your Sons, & many other lifelong Friends, when you see the Family at Boxhill, please remember me most kindly to them all, it is many many years since we met I daresay you will one day visit England again & renew many happy memories of the time you have spent here. I am happy to see the spring appearing, with all the beauty it brings with it, for Winter with its severe frosts, & many dark days is somewhat of a nightmare, when one is no longer young. Dear Bobs [?] & I keep very well all things considered, and we have both been so pleased to see you & Graeme, not being able to get around on my feet too well, it limits what I should like to do in the matter of entertaining. Come again dear Cousins. wishing you both a happy voyage, & trusting you will find all your dear ones well. with love from Bobs & myself to you both. Your affectionate Cousin Marie.
An airmail letter dated 25 January 1962, postmarked 24 January 1962, and addressed to Mrs. Ethellyn EDGOOSE at
36 Scott Grove, Glen Iris, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia:
"Dear Ethellyn & Graeme, How very kind of you to think of me at Christmas time, and Thank you for your beautiful card.
I am becoming very negligent I fear because everything is really an effort to me. as I have entered the nineties, I just feel I cannot cope with things as I once did. It is not that my mental faculties have deserted me, but physically my years tell upon me, so I do have to drive myself to accomplish anything. As I cannot walk anywhere alone I am dependent on others doing shopping for me, or accompanying me anywhere I wish to go as having lost my balance I am liable to fall. I have a very good housekeeper and a woman 3 mornings a week, beside my gardener, and a taximan very kind, who has taken me about for the last 4 or 5 years - I had a much loved friend a Miss ROBERTS who was with me for ten years. She died in July 1960, & Mrs IBBOTSON has been with me ever since. She is very capable and very thoughtful and does everything for me. My Sister Emily who was with me when Fred came died in 1956. She had by that time found a house, and was living in Leicester. My Sister Lisle Mrs TAYLOR came to spend Xmas with me arriving Dec 19th. We love to be together, she is the youngest of our Family, & would join me here if it were possible, but as her income is derived principally from property, it is necessary to be in Leicester, as nothing can be done without her consent. Altho she has a most excellent Solicitor, An Accountant, & two Agents who attend to rents, repairs, etc. There is nothing we should both have liked better than to share one house - I love having her here and the pleasure is mutual. We spent a very Happy Christmas together, the 3 of us, & then I caught the Influenza that has been so prevalent. Dorothy then had it, such a dreadful cough also - I was in bed, when I heard the telephone ring, & a few minutes afterwards, Lisle my Sister came into the bedroom her eyes swimming in tears - It was a trunk call from Bristol from our Niece Mary GLASS's Son to say our dearly loved Niece had died quite suddenly. Mother & married son shared one large house purchased a year ago - Marie & Lisle were devoted to each other, & were more like 2 Sisters than Aunt & Niece. When Marie was born Lisle was a little girl, & Marie was in our home for about 6 years, so they were children together, & that bond has always been between them. What distressed [?] Lisle so, Marie has for years spent the whole month of Oct with Lisle & this year Lisle had to put off the visit because there were workmen at work in the house, & Lisle had fixed the 9th [???] this year for the visit & she has the fear in her mind that she had disappointed Marie. This was certainly not the case. Our Niece Bronchitis several times & my Sister said, You could hear her distressing breathing all over the house. On the night she died, she was in bed, and had asked her Son John if he would go to the shops and get something for her - His wife had not then come home, when he returned Marie was dead, so she was alone The Dr said it was Brochial Pneumonia. It came as a great shock to us as she has an unusually sweet nature. I do hope you are both quite well, & Graeme making a name for himself - If you are or hear anything of our Family remember me very kindly to them all. With every kind thought to you both, & my love Yours Affectionately Marie GOODMAN.
A letter from Marie GOODMAN to Ethellyn EDGOOSE dated 30 October 1962:
"My dear Cousins,
First let me wish you both a very Happy Christmas, & all of you good health in which to enjoy it. I have by me the very nice letter you wrote me on 11th. June. Now the time has flown to be sure. I was very interef the family, and especially glad to know of Graeme & his interest in his work. So he had been to Goreton (?) near Sydney on behalf of his Firm, of course I knew Goreton we always lived on the North Shore. & our home was in Neutral Bay. I hear pretty regularly from my old Maid, Mrs Annie SMITH, who lived with us for 20 years. She purchased a house in Banksia on the Western line & lived in retirement there. You see her husband died on the same day as the late President ROOSEVELELT She was one of the most intelligent , & respectable girls I ever had. I am happy to say I still keep very well, & on the 18th. November shall be 92 if I am spared. I have so much to thank God for, in being allowed to keep all my faculties, hearing right, & mind etc. I read a great deal, always have, many friends drop in to see me, so I am not left alone. It is not a month since I hired a Car & took my nephew John BARROW's widow, my companion Dorothy IBBOTSON, & myself to Penshurst PLace the home of Your Governor Generals. I have been there several times. They have a wonderful garden which Dorothy was most anxious to see. The house externally is very plain, & the garden is not attached to it, but it is one of the show places & is reputed to be the garden referred to in that delightful story "The Secret Garden", Dorothy is garden mad, & is at work in [.....] every hour she can spare from running the house. She has been with me over 2 years, & I hope will remain where while I need her. She comes from Warwickshire, and was with my husband's only sister until she died. All my friends receive her as they do me, because I could not possibly go out without her. My husband of course knew her, as she was with my Sister in Law Gertie Prentis when we came home to live. I also have a woman 3 mornings a week, & a Gardener 1 day a week, so I am well looked after. My dear Sister Lisle Mrs TAYLOR will I hope be coming to spend Xmas with me. She is very precious to me, unfortunately has not been too well lately. Her Dr goes in for a check up every 4 weeks, & in addition to our letters, we have a chat on the telephone every Thursday morning. I think I mentioned before that my sister Emily whom you met died 7 years ago on 24 December. The whole world seems to be very upset & uneasy these days, but there does not seem much we can do about it, only hope the madness of war will never happen again. I hope dear cousin you are now keeping well and all the members of the family.
Remember them all very Kindly from me, & with love to you and your immediate family.
Yours affectionately,
Marie.
AN INDEX TO PERSONS MENTIONED BY NAME IN MARIA GOODMAN'S LETTERS
"BOBS"
Emily Sister of Marie GOODMAN formerly BARROW (1874-1954). House in Leicester?
Ethellyn Ethellyn Elizabeth EDGOOSE formerly LE LIEVRE (1894-1979)
Fred "When FRED came" (?)
Graeme Alan Graeme, son of Ethellyn Elizabeth EDGOOSE formerly Le LIEVRE (1894-1979)
Mrs. IBBOTSON Companion/housekeeper since death of Miss ROBERTS in July 1960.
Percy Thomas Percy GOODMAN (1864-1942)
Miss ROBERTS A much loved friend from 1950 until her death in July 1960.
Lyle Mrs. TAYLOR Sister of Marie GOODMAN formerly BARROW.
Marie GLASS Niece of Maria and Lyle died in 1962