Samuel Goodere

Samuel Goodere (1687–1741) was a captain in the British Royal Navy, who was the third son of Sir Edward Goodere, 1st Baronet. He was convicted and hanged at Bristol for the murder of his elder brother, Sir John Dineley Goodere, 2nd Baronet, in 1741.

Early life Samuel Goodere's mother -- Eleanor Goodere (née Dineley) -- was the daughter and heiress of Sir Edward Dineley of Charlton, Worcestershire, and the granddaughter of Lewis Watson, 1st Baron Rockingham. He had several brothers, the eldest of whom was killed in a duel. On the death of Sir Edward Dineley, the next eldest surviving brother, John, inherited the extensive Dineley estate. Sir Edward Dineley's Will made bequests to his grandsons George Goodere, Samuel Goodere and Henry Goodere, and also John Goodere. Since the first born Goodere grandson had been killed before this Will was drawn up he is not named in the Will which is dated 12 November 1706 and bears a codicil. Sir Edward Dineley's Will stipulated that grandson John Goodere's first born son "of his body" should in turn inherit, or if John's first born son died, then the second son born of John's body should inherit. If John had no sons, his brother George Goodere and George's son should inherit. Should John and George fail to produce a male heir "of their bodies," then Samuel and his first born son would be next in line to inherit the bulk of the Dineley Estate. By the time of the death of John's son and then John himself his brother George should have inherited but he had either died or failed to have a son, therefore Samuel's son Edward (a lunatic) should have inherited the fortune, with Samuel's second born son John (Edward's twin) being next in line. Sir Edward Dineley's grandson John Goodere broke the terms of the 1706 Will by leaving his Estate to his sister Eleanor Foote's son.

John and Samuel Goodere both served as Mayors of Evesham. Their solicitor friend, Jarrett Smith, was unwittingly involved in the plot by Samuel to get rid of his brother John.

Naval career Samuel entered the navy in 1705 as a volunteer on board HMS Ipswich, with Captain Kirktowne, and served in a subordinate rank and afterwards as a lieutenant through the War of the Spanish Succession. On 12 January 1719 was appointed first lieutenant of HMS Preston with Captain Robert Johnson. Both Goodere and Johnson transferred to HMS Weymouth on 28 February 1719, and saw service in operations on the north coast of Spain in mid-1719. Later that year, on 6 November 1719, again with Johnson, he transferred to HMS Deptford. A few weeks later, however, Johnson preferred a charge of misconduct against Goodere, alleging that an attack on San Sebastián on 23 June had failed as a consequence of Goodere's actions. Goodere was tried by court-martial on 24 December 1719, was found guilty of "having been very much wanting in the performance of his duty", and was dismissed from his ship, which, in time of peace, was equivalent to being dismissed from the service.

Papers relating to the murder and trial are held at Bristol Archives (Ref. 14754) (online catalogue).

Family Samuel had a daughter Eleanor Goodere born at Shoulden, Kent (who married William Wyborn). He later married a widow, Elizabeth Watts of Monmouthshire in or before 1729, and by her left three daughters and twin sons. Of the daughters two died unmarried; the third, Anne, married John Willyams, a commander in the navy, and was the mother of the Rev. Cooper Willyams. The eldest of the twin sons, Edward, who inherited the baronetcy on his father's execution, died a lunatic and unmarried in March 1761 at Clapton, London. The other, John, died in 1809 at Windsor Castle where he lived as "one of the Poor Knights of Windsor".

Titles and styles Although apparently entitled to inherit the baronetcy from his brother, he did not assume the title, and was referred to as "Mr Goodere" throughout his trial. Ralph Bigland, in his manuscript collections in the College of Arms, wrote that Goodere's sons Edward and John succeeded their murdered uncle rather than their father. But Burke thought that the baronetcy descended to Samuel and to his sons after him. In his Baronetage of 1741, Arthur Collins wrote that the baronetcy was extinct, while Thomas Wotton (Baronetage, 1771) thought the baronetcy was "attainted". Treadway Russell Nash in his History of Worcestershire (volume i, page 972) says that Sir Edward Dineley-Goodere succeeded his grandfather, which is definitely wrong since his uncle was certainly the second baronet. In the opinion of John Knox Laughton, it is probable "that the baronetcy became extinct in 1741, on the sentence of Samuel Goodere, though the twins may have been allowed the title by courtesy".