The Last Will and Testament of William Henry Goodwin

The Last and Only Will and Testament of William Henry Goodwin aka Henry Goodwin aka Henry Goodrum aka Henry Gooderham


I love visiting NZ Archives. It is a treasure trove of information on our ancestors, and one of the best sources of information can be found in their wills.
In the will of William Henry Goodwin, my 3x Great Grandfather, albeit a brief one page document there was contained some highly useful information. That was in the name of the executor and sole beneficiary of the will - his son William Charles Goodwin. This was a son that I previously didn't know of. There is no birth record for William, and I haven't managed to ascertain whether he was married so Ive found no corroborating marriage certificate. There is no death for a William Charles that I can confirm is the correct one so I have no idea of his birth date.
I did find online a tree for the family which included William in it and had  a birth date for Charles of 24th August 1854, however there is no sourcing at all for this information so I am not sure of its reliability.
It would however make William the eldest son so this could be a reason for him being the sole beneficiary of his fathers estate despite him being one of at least 7 living children.

This is the last and only Will and Testament of me William Henry Goodwin  of Ngaruawahia in the Provincial District of Auckland in the Dominion of New Zealand, Settler. I appoint my son William Charles Goodwin of Waimai in the Provincial District aforesaid, Farmer to be the sole executor and trustee of this my Will. I devise and bequeath the whole of my real and personal property of or to which I may be siezed possessed or entitled to at the time of my decease and whether in possestion, reversion, remainder or expectancy according to the tenure nature or quality thereof respectively but subject as regards estates vested in me as trustee or mortgagee to the trusts and equitites affecting the same respectively unto  my trustee upon trust to allow my dear wife Jane Goodwin the income thereof during her life and after her death upon trust for my said son William Charles Godwin absolutely.  In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this eighth day of August, Nineteen Hundred and Eleven .
Signed by the above named testator as his last will and testament in the presence of us both present at the same time who at his request in his presence and in the presence of such other have hereunto subscribed our names as witnesses

J Syndham Hopkins
Solicitor
Hamilton

William Ernest Parker
Butcher
Ngaruawahia