EDGOOSE:
In search of Ancestry
EDGOOSE, James
1837 - 1881 (44 years) Has 8 ancestors and one descendant in this family tree.
1814 - 1888 (75 years)-
Name EDGOOSE, James Birth 1 Mar 1837 Durham, County Durham, England 
Gender Male Death 6 Sep 1881 Newstead, Nottinghamshire Burial 10 Sep 1881 Newstead, Nottinghamshire Person ID I596 Edgoose Last Modified 3 Feb 2026
Father EDGOOSE, Joel, b. 19 Jan 1804, Swineshead, Lincolnshire, England d. 24 Dec 1883, Amber Hill, Lincolnshire, England (Age 79 years) Mother JONES, Mary Elizabeth Grace, b. Between 1813 and 1814, At Sea d. 27 May 1888, Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota, USA (Age 75 years) Marriage UNKNOWN Family ID F408 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 1 BOURNE, Eliza Ann, b. 1843, Longton, Staffordshire, England d. 17 Oct 1867, Longton, Staffordshire, England (Age 24 years) Marriage 1 Oct 1865 Longton, Staffordshire, England Family ID F425 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
Family 2 DAVIS, Eliza, b. 1832, Ruabon, North Wales, Wales d. 31 Oct 1881, Newstead, Nottinghamshire (Age 49 years) Marriage 25 Dec 1871 Stoke On Trent Registration District, Staffordshire Children 1. EDGOOSE, James, b. 12 May 1869, Caverswall, Staffordshire, England d. 18 Mar 1900, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire (Age 30 years)Family ID F426 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Biographies 
EDGOOSE, James (1837-1881)
James EDGOOSE was born on 1 March 1837 in the City of Durham, son of Joel and Mary EDGOOSE. Joel EDGOOSE, described as a labourer, is thought to have married a Mary Elizabeth Grace JONES in Shropshire, but no trace of the marriage has ever been found. He and his younger brother John Robert EDGOOSE were baptised at Durham St. Giles on 4 December 1839. There is a note of his date of birth in the margin of the register. The name in the register of baptisms was HEADGOOSE.
From the 1841 census of Hart Street, Hartlepool, County Durham:
Joel EDGOOSE (Ancestry has Edgeman), aged 30, labourer, not born in County Durham;
Mary EDGOOSE, aged 25, not born in County Durham;
Sarah EDGOOSE, aged 8, not born in County Durham;
*James EDGOOSE, aged 4, born in County Durham;
John EDGOOSE, aged 2, born in County Durham.
(HO107/315/20/45/16)
At the time of the 1851 census his father JOEL EDGOOSE was an agricultural labourer living at Hammond Beck, Swineshead:
Joel EDGOOSE, head, aged 47, agricultural labourer, born at Algarkirk, Lincolnshire;
Mary EDGOOSE, wife, aged 37, born at Newport, Shropshire;
Sarah EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 18, born at Newport;
*James EDGOOSE, son, aged 14, agricultural labourer, born in the City of Durham;
John EDGOOSE, son, aged 11, agricultural labourer, born in the City of Durham;
Alice EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 9, born at Swineshead, Lincolnshire;
Joel EDGOOSE, son, aged 6, born at Swineshead;
Mary EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 3, born at Swineshead;
Robert EDGOOSE, grandson, aged 3, born at Swineshead;
Jonathan EDGOOSE, son, aged 7 months, born at Swineshead.
(HO107/2099/633)
James EDGOOSE's surname was written HEADGOOSE in the register of baptisms at St. Giles, Durham, and he described himself as James HEADGOOSE on his own marriage certificate in Nottinghamshire in 1871. His father Joel EDGOOSE left Lincolnshire in 1831 following a scandal in which he and James' grandfather were implicated (his grandfather was transported) but was back in Lincolnshire by 1851. James left Swineshead (a parish close to Frampton) for Yorkshire at some time before the 1861 census.
The 1861 census of the Village Street, Tickton, Yorkshire:
John E. WALKER, head, aged 26, farmer of 110 acres employing 2 men and 1 boy, born at West Newton, Yorkshire;
Alfred SHAW, servant, aged 20, foreman (farm servant), born at Lockington, Yorkshire;
*James EDGOOSE, servant, aged 24, unmarried, neatherd, born at Durham;
Sarah SMITH, servant, aged 44, housekeeper, deaf, born at Coniston, Yorkshire.
(RG9/3571/8/9)
He was described as a collier of 5 St. John Street, Longton, Staffordshire, on 1 October 1865 when he married Eliza Ann BOWNE, a 22 year old transferer of 13 St. John Street and daughter of miner John BOWNE, at Longton Parish Church. Witnesses were his brother Joel EDGOOSE and Julia FINNEY who married on the same day and at the same church and who lived at the same respective addresses.
(GRO December Q 1865 Stoke T. 6b 335)
"MARRIAGES
On ther 1st inst. , at St. James's Church, Longton, by the Rev. Adam CLARKE, B.A., Mr. James EDGOOSE to Miss Eliza Ann BOWNE of Longton." On the same day, Mr. Joel EDGOOSE married Miss Julia FINNEY of Longton.
(Newspapers.com: The Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser, 5 October 1865)
His wife Eliza Ann died of phtisis on 17 October 1867 at Middle John Street, Longton.
(GRO December Q 1867 Stoke T 6b 157)
Joseph EDGOOSE, described as a son of James EDGOOSE in the 1881 census (see below), was a son of Joseph and Eliza HADFIELD. Joseph was born at Stoke in Staffordshire in 1867.
The father of the James EDGOOSE (also described as the son of James EDGOOSE in the 1881 census) born at East Vale, Staffordshire, in 1869, two years after the death of Joseph HADFIELD, is unknown.
At the time of the 1871 census he was described as a 35 year old Lincolnshire (sic) born miner, a widower, lodging in George Street, Longton, Staffordshire.
(RG10/2874/120/32)
No trace has been found of his future wife Eliza HADFIELD or HATFIELD in the 1871 census.
He married Eliza HADFIELD (sic) at Etruria, Staffordshire, on 25 December 1871. He was described as a widower, a miner, and son of Joel HEADGOOSE, labourer. He and his wife made their marks. Witnesses were Mary DAVIS (probably sister of the bride) and Samuel ASHTON.
(GRO December Q 1871 Stoke T. 6b 276)
"ILLEGALLY SELLING LIQUORS AT NEWSTEAD. - This Day.
At the Shire Hall, Nottingham, today, before Mr. HEYMANN and Mr. TIDMAS, James HEADGOOSE, who, being ill, was represented by his wife, was summoned for selling intoxicating liquors at Newstead on the 3rd February. - Eliza BARTON, a girl, who wao was sent by the police to the house, stated that on the day named she purchased a pint of beer from Mrs. HEADGOOSE, and afterwards some whisky. - In crossexamination she admitted having stated that her grandmother was ill and wanted the whisky. - Mrs. HEADGOOSE did not deny having sold the beer and expressed regret for having broken the law in that way. - Supt. HALLAM said he searched the house and found there two eighteen gallons of beer as well as a quantity of spirits. He added that there had been many complaints about the prevalence of this practice of illegally selling liquor in the neighbourhood of Newstead. The magistrates inflicted a fine of £ 20."
(Nottingham Evening Post, 12 February 1881)
(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
"HEAVY FINES FOR ILLEGALLY SELLING DRINK.
- At the Nottingham County Hall on Saturday three persons named James HEADGOOSE and Francis and Eliza BROWN (man and wife) were charged with illegally selling intoxicating drink at Newstead. The police having reason to suspect that the defendants were extensively dealing in intoxicating liquors, sent a girl named BUXTON to their houses with instructions to buy beer for which she was to pay. She was supplied with the drink and the police then searched the houses. In that of HEADGOOSE they found a large quantity of spirits and two casks of beer, and in BROWN's house they found a quantity of gin and some beer, which was evidently kept for sale. The police informed the Bench that great complaints had been made about the prevalence of the practice of illegally selling liquor in the village where extensive colliery operations were carried out. - In each case a penalty of £ 20 was inflicted."
(The Sheffield Daily Telegraph 14 February 1881)
(www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)
The 1881 census returns for the Postern Street Hospital, Nottingham, show James EDGOOSE to have been a hospital patient:
*James EDGOOSE, married, aged 41, a coal miner, born in Durham.
(RG11/3367/37/1).
The rest of the family were at 7 Newstead Colliery, Newstead, Nottinghamshire:
Eliza HEADGOOSE, head, married, aged 48, coal miner's wife, born Ruabon, Wales;
Joseph HEADGOOSE, son, aged 14, coal miner, born Stoke, Staffordshire;
James HEADGOOSE, aged 11, scholar, born East Vale, Staffordshire;
William HODGKINSON, boarder, unmarried, aged 26, engine fitter at works, born Derby;
George WAIN, lodger, unmarried, aged 34, stone miner, born Clay Cross, Derbyshire.
(RG11/3337/106/10)
James EDGOOSE (EDGOSE on the certificate) died at Newstead, Nottinghamshire, on 6 September 1881.
Cause of Death: phtisis pulmonalis.
He was buried at Newstead Cemetery on 10 September 1881. He was 44 years old. Mary Ann HATFIELD (sic), his stepdaughter, informed the registrar.
(GRO September Q 1881 Basford 7b 103)
An Eliza EDGOOSE (EDGOSE on the certificate), described as the widow of James EDGOOSE, collier, died at Newstead on 31 October 1881 at the age of 49. Her daughter Susannah HATFIELD (sic) informed the registrar. No gravestones were visible in August 1968.
(GRO December Q 1881 Basford 7b 104)
(revised 04.07.2026