academic – educational – the history of bacon
30 August 2021 Additional Information on Oake Woods Eben van Tonder
Introduction
The Gillingham firm of Oake Woods is of such importance to the history of Bacon that I share the following additional information with you.
Goddard & Tamsett
The firm which became Oake Woods was first operated as Goddard & Tamsett.
William Goddard established the bacon company that became Goddard & Tamsett and later Oake Woods in all likelihood in 1847 when he claims to have become a Bacon Factor in this year and the future Oake, Woods Company would later claim the same date for the establishment of their factory.
Brilliant work on the early history of the firm has been done by the historian, David Lloyed. I quote him extensively.
Around 1851 It was around this time William was a partner in Goddard & Tamsett, bacon curers of Commercial Road, Landport, Portsea. Several early mentions of his firm are made for example this one from 1878. (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
“In 1858 William acquired for £160 from Henry Kaines, the Gillingham solicitor and landowner, an acre of the field called Dryshays, ‘bounded on or to the east and south by the land of the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway Company’. It was here that the bacon factory was first built, taking advantage of the opening of the railway to London in 1859.” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
From: Gazette and Directory of the County of Hampshire Including the Isle of Wight. By William White. 1878.
“In 1858 William acquired for £160 from Henry Kaines, the Gillingham solicitor and landowner, an acre of the field called Dryshays, ‘bounded on or to the east and south by the land of the Salisbury and Yeovil Railway Company’. It was here that the bacon factory was first built, taking advantage of the opening of the railway to London in 1859.” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
A Family Affair
William Goddard (Sr.) was born in 1813, baptised in September 1813 and in March 1834, he married Louisa Maria Green at Donhead St. Mary (Witnesses were J G Green and Hannah Lush Goddard). The 1841 Census shows William, a farmer, and Louisa at Church Hill, Donhead St.Mary living with one daughter, Ellen aged 2, and Charlotte Green aged 75. Around 1851 William got involved in Goddard & Tamsett, bacon curers of Commercial Road, Landport, Portsea. (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
“The 1861 Census for Gillingham shows William Goddard 26 (provision merchant) and Ellen Goddard 22, both children of William and Louisa, living in Station Road. William junior is obviously looking after the Gillingham business whilst his father is in Portsea.” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
William and Louisa’s daughter Ellen Goddard from Donhead, St. Mary, married their business partner, Richard H. Tamsett in 1864. The WikiTree entry reads, “William Goddard Born in Belchalwell, Dorset, England. Son of William Goddard and Jane (Clarke) GoddardBrother of Robert Goddard, Jane Goddard and Eliza Goddard.” (WikiTree and Ancestry)
“The April 1871 Census “shows William Goddard, a widower and provision merchant, at Station Yard, Gillingham. With him is son William 35, unmarried and a provision merchant in partnership with his father. Other residents are Hannah Goddard 59, sister of William senior and housekeeper, Isiah Clark 42, shopman and assistant, James Lush 22, general servant, Caroline Newman 24 domestic servant, and William senior’s nephew Thomas Brockway 13 of Donhead.” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
“On 18 December 1871, William senior died at Tonnere in France. It was reported in the Portsmouth and Naval Gazette that Mr Goddard was of Landport and Gillingham. Left is the memorial stone in the old Gillingham Cemetery which also includes Louisa who died the previous year. William junior succeeded his father.” (Food Historian, David Lloyd)
Dissolving Goddard & Tamsett
The following noticed appeared in The London Gazette, April 1887 about the firm dissolving.
The London Gazette, April 1887
William Goddard was declared of unsound mind presumably so declared on 17 August 1886.
Richard Hallett Tamsett and William Goddard were in partnership and the firm was called Goddard and Tamsett. The firm is dissolved on 17 August 1884. Outstanding money is to be paid to Richard Hallett Tamsett.
Auto Cure Patents Syndicate, Ltd
The autocure system was probably marketed by the Auto Cure Patent Syndicate.
From the Chemist and Druggist: The Newsweekly for Pharmacy, Volume 52, 25 June 1898, London.
They were working, not just in the English colonies, but also in Germany.
List of patents issued by the Imperial Patent Office in 1898. Issued by the Imperial Patent Office (Germany)
The actual patent registration from the List of 8.9139 patents was issued by the Imperial Patent Office in 1898.
The Auto Cure Patent Syndicate ceased operations on 7 December 1926. From the records of the Chemist and Druggist, December 11, 1926, the following notice:
Companies dissolved. — Notice is given in " The London Gazette " of December 7 that the names of the following companies have been struck off the register and that the companies are dissolved : — Auto Cure Patents Syndicate, Ltd. ; British- American Eubber Co., Ltd. ; Soap Stamping Co., Ltd.; Sterilising Syndicate, Ltd.
RH Tamsett in Portsmouth, Hampshire
The Hampshire Telegraph and Naval Chronicle, Page 3, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England, Saturday, October 30, 1880 place RH Tamsett in Portsmouth.
There is a reference from 1888 to 258A Commercial Road, for the business of R.H. Tamsett & Co, Provision Merchants. He seems to have been active in the Wesleyan church.
Conclusion
Please continue to supply background information on this remarkable firm. I will develop this as a repisitry on varies bits of information and recollections.
(c) Eben van Tonder
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