Edward Goodman was the son of Thomas ap Edward ap Ieuan Goch, of Llandyrnog.

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He became a prosperous mercer and a Burgess in Ruthin. As a young man he changed his name from Edward ap Thomas ap Edward to Edward Goodman. This was a trend at the time as the dropping of the patronymics in favour of a fixed family surname became commonplace. While most Welsh  families adopted one of their patronymics as their surname, Edward was one of the minority who chose another name, often of English origin.

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He bought Exmewe House and estate from Sir Thomas Exmewe, a Ruthin person who became Lord Mayor of London. A short distance away in Castle Street lies Nantclwyd y Dre - at that time the town house of the land-owning Thelwall family, whose country home was Plas y Ward, near Rhewl, Ruthin.. The daughter, Cicely (various spellings! became Edward's wife, and they moved in to Nantclwyd y Dre. He was 46, she was 29.

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Edward dies in 1560 aged 84, Cicely died in 1583 aged 90.

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They went on to have 8 children. A brass mural of the family hung in Ruthin Castle, later removed to St. Peter's Church.

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Dorothy Goodman : 1525 - 1600.  Married John Chambers of Lleweni. 

 

​Gawen Goodman : 1526-1694.   Pedigree - see below.

 

      Married 1. Elin Gryffudd  - children Edward, Godfrey (sons Charles, glassmaker and John, musical instrument maker), Thomas (became Constable of Conwy Castle and High Sheriff of Denbighshire), and Gabriel. 

 

      Married 2. Gaynor Prys. (descended from Welsh nobility, of the same line as Edward III and the Mortimers) - children Ellis, John (Anglican priest leaning to Papism, imrpisoned in Newgate, Deported to Americas, returned unauthorised, back to Newgate where he died in 1642. Frances.

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Gabriel Goodman : 1528 - 1601  Became Dean of Westminster.

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Godfrey Goodman : 1533 - 1587.  Married 1. Alice ferch Huw   2. Jane Croxton.  His son Godfrey, with Jane, became Bishop of Gloucester.

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Birth dates unknown:

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Katherine Goodman  :  Married Hugh ap John Wyn Salusbury of Mold, son William Salusbury (another well-known Denbighshire family.)

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Fides Goodman  {

                          {   One of these appears to have married a 'Robinson'.

Clare Goodman  {

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Sionet Goodman (Janet, Jane) : married Thomas Geiffith Fychan brother of Gawen's first wife Elin.

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The Goodman clan spread across the country and overseas, married into other families, and their presence in Ruthin and Denbighshire gradually dwindled away.

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