John, later known as Goodwin, was born in 1820 in Yoxford and baptised on 12 th November. His parents were John Barmby, solicitor and Julia Nunn. They lived at Vines Villa, also known as Vine Cottage, in what is now known as The Old High Road. This was built in the mid-18 th Century by Henry Searles and bought by Goodwin’s grandfather, also John, in 1778. He died in 1814 and John Jr inherited it. It was in turn left to John Goodwin. John died when his son was 14 years old. John Goodwin had the opportunity for various careers but became an ardent radical. He had left for London when he was 17 and became involved with a group of revolutionists. In 1840 he visited Paris and lived in the students’ quarter. He later
claimed to have coined the word ‘communism’ while there. By 1841 he was living in Norton Street in the district of St Marylebone and occupied as a literary author according to the Census. In March of 1843 he married Catherine Isabella Watkins in St Pancras district. By 1851 they were living in Bridge Street, Topsham in Devon where John, now known by his second name of Goodwin was a Minister at Gulleford Chapel. They had a son Moreville and a daughter Maria Julia before Catherine died in March 1854. By 1861 Goodwin was in Wakefield in Yorkshire, a Teacher of Religion at Westgate Chapel and living at Westgate Parsonage. Later that year he married Ada Marianne Shepherd in the Kendal district of Westmoreland. In 1868 he appeared on the Yoxford Electoral Register, eligible to vote at Ipswich, though he was still in Wakefield, as he was in 1871. By then he and Ada had two daughters, Mabel and Beatrice, aged five and two years.
Goodwin died in Yoxford 18 th October 1881 and was buried in Framlingham Cemetery. Probate of £1,219 was to his widow Ada.
The Vines was Grade II Listed in October 1951, described as ;
House. Early C19. Colourwashed brick, roof slated to front, pantiled to rear. 2 storeys and attic. 4 window range, inset sashes with glazing bars, flat brick arches; the ground floor has French windows with paired louvred shutters, the entrance door of similar design with timber
trellis porch. To the left hand side is a C19 conservatory with semi-circular headed sash windows with curved glazing bars to the upper panes.
Entry from the Dictionary of National Biography:
