Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Goodson, William 1834 - 
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Author: Portrait & Biographical Album, 1890

WILLIAM GOODSON has for a period of twenty years pursued his farming 
operations in Plainfield Township, and is counted one of the most substantial 
residents of the place. He is a native of Leicestershire, England, born 
December 11, 1834. His father, John Goodson, was born in the same shire and 
was there reared to agricultural pursuits, and always earned his living 
tilling the soil, spending his entire life in his native land. The maiden name 
of the mother of our subject was Lucy Howell, and she was born in Rutland, 
England. She came to America in 1869, and now makes her home with her 
children, she having attained the age of eighty-one years. There were eleven 
children born to the parents of our subject, eight of whom were reared to 
maturity as follows: George, William, Samuel, Thomas, Henry, John, Richard and 
Robert, all of whom came to America, except Richard, and settled in different 
parts of the country. He of whom we write went to work on the farm at an early 
age and earned his own living. The wages were low and the chances of securing 
a home in his native land were almost nil, and he determined to see what life 
held for him in America, and on the 29th of October, 1856, accompanied by his 
bride, set sail from Liverpool in the good ship "Cultivator," and on the 29th 
of November landed in New York. From there he and his wife proceeded to Orange 
County, N. Y., where they found themselves penniless and among strangers. Our 
subject with characteristic self reliance immediately set about finding 
employment, and soon obtained work upon a farm. He resided there until August, 
1856, and then went with his family to St. Clair County, Mich., and there was 
engaged in a sawmill until 1859. In that year he again started westward, and 
coming as far as Illinois resumed his old employment as a farm hand in Canton, 
Fulton County. In 1864 he went to Kendall County. Having prudently saved his 
earnings he was enabled to be more independent, and commenced farming on his 
own account, renting land. He carried on his farming operations in that manner 
for six years, and then bought eighty acres of land, which is included in his 
present farm in Plainfield Township. This was scarcely at all improved, and a 
rude shanty on the place was the only building. Since then he has been much 
prospered, and has brought about great changes on his place, having erected a 
good set of frame buildings, planted fruit and shade trees, fenced the land 
and now has it under admirable cultivation. He has been so successful that he 
has added to his estate, and now has one hundred and eighty-six and one-third 
acres of fine farming land, all lying in a body and constituting as productive 
and well-improved a farm as is to be found in the locality. In 1856 Mr. 
Goodson was happily married to Miss Sarah Broom, a native of Rutland, England, 
and a daughter of John Broom. Their marriage has been blessed by the birth of 
eleven children, nine living, namely: Mary A., Lucy, Lillie, Amelia, Edward, 
Charles, Ernest, Herbert and Eva. The deceased were Hannah and William H. Mr. 
Goodson's career as a farmer, since he took up his residence in this place, 
proves him to be a shrewd, practical, industrious man, and the honorable, 
upright life that he has always led entitles him to be called a trustworthy 
man and a good citizen, and he and his family are well respected in this 
community. 

Additional Comments:
Portrait and Biographical Album of Will County, Illinois, Containing Full Page 
Portraits and Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens 
of the County; Chicago: Chapman Bros., 1890

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