Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Augustine Godwin or Goodwin, born on 20 March 1878 in the Geraldine district, was the seventh son of Thomas and Bridget (née Fahey) Goodwin, both born in Ireland. Birth, baptism and school records are Goodwin; thereafter Augustine uses Godwin and mostly Augustine Lagoria Godwin. Some of his siblings are Godwin in school records. Augustine was baptised Roman Catholic on 23 June 1878 at Temuka. Thomas and Bridget had married in 1861 in Lancashire, England. By 1865 they were in New Zealand, when their third child was born at Woodbury near Geraldine, South Canterbury. Along with his siblings, Augustine was educated at Woodbury School. The 1889 distribution of prizes took place on Christmas Eve, when Augustine received a prize for third place in Standard V. The guest speaker of the evening urged upon the children the necessity of good behaviour, tidy appearance, and strict attendance to their school duties. Thomas and Bridget Godwin both died in 1911 – April and June respectively – and were buried at Ashburton. As a result of his carelessness when riding his horse and colliding with a cyclist in Timaru on 3 October 1912, Augustine Godwin had his day in court in January 1913, the victim claiming damages of £132 14s 6d. He had lost eight weeks work and one finger of his left hand. His Worship gave judgment for plaintiff for £40 plus special damages, making a total of £72 14s 6d; Court costs £3 7s; witnesses’ expenses, £2; and solicitor's fees, £6 14s.

On leaving school Augustine engaged in farm labouring work in South Canterbury. He married Janet Fitzsimons on 29 May 1915 at Timaru. Although Augustine noted that the celebrant was Father Murphy, they were married at Chalmers Church, Timaru, the minister Evan R. Harries. In 1916-1917 he was listed on the Reserves Roll, a ploughman at Beaconsfield, near Temuka. His name was drawn in the ballot for the South Canterbury Military District in April 1917, to fill vacancies in the 30th Reinforcements. He duly enlisted on 2 May 1917 at Timaru and was medically examined on the same day. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighed 147 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 37-39½ inches. His complexion was fresh, his eyes grey, and his hair brown. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed. He was free from diseases and fits and was in good bodily and mental health. His only illness was pneumonia 3 years prior. Class A. A self-employed farmer at Otipua and Roman Catholic, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs J. Godwin, Beaconsfield, Timaru. In September he appealed, saying that he wanted to get off till the shearing season was over. He had 40 acres of wheat sown, and he had five brothers. He was allowed till the exhaustion of the First Division. On appealing for time in December, he was allowed till 28 April 1918.

Augustine left home by the express for Christchurch on 29 April 1918. The draft, South Canterbury’s quota of the 41st Reinforcements, included 20 married men. The Mayor of Timaru, in wishing them God-speed and a safe return, said that on this occasion it was an especially painful duty, because the draft included the first of the second Division men who were leaving their wives and “falling into step with those who had gone before them in the cause of freedom”. Having assembled at the Drill shed, they marched to the station, headed by the Battalion Band. Augustine entered camp the next day. After forfeiting pay for absence without leave at Featherston, he was transferred to Trentham on 16 June 1918. Private A. L. Godwin embarked with the 40th Reinforcements, leaving Wellington on 10 July 1918, per the “Tahiti”, and disembarking at Plymouth, England, on 9 September. Whilst on board the transport, he was employed by the ship’s owners and was entitled to full union rates of pay.

He marched into camp at Larkhill on 11 September 1918 and then into Brocton three weeks later. On 15 May 1919 he marched into Codford from Brocton. At Codford in June 1919, Godwin again forfeited pay. The next day he marched into Sling. One of 968 men in Returning Draft No. 273, Rifleman A. L. Godwin embarked at Liverpool for New Zealand on 2 July 1919 per “Somerset”, which was due at Lyttelton on 12 August 1919. The Somerset had left Liverpool on 2 July. The men were entertained by the Navy, Y.M.C.A., and the American people in general, during a brief stop-over at Norfolk, Virginia. Although it was at Norfolk Harbour that the troops witnessed a fatal aeroplane collision, very close to their ship. The 2nd Otago Infantry Band was on board the Somerset and provided entertainment during the trip. The Somerset also brought a big English mail, 6000 bags, for the dominion. He was discharged on 17 September 1919, after just over a year overseas, and awarded the British War Medal. He settled back into farming at Otipua, where he and Janet lived for many years and were an integral part of the local community.

Augustine was into shooting with the Otipua Miniature Rifle Club. His was amongst the highest scores when members shot for a handsome oil painting in late May 1921. At the final shoot of the 1921 season, for cash prizes, he tied for first place, the money being divided. He received his cash prize at the annual social and prize presentation a week later. Mr A. L. Godwin was at the time president of the club. In 1922 was elected vice-president, and he was also chairman of the Otipua Hall Committee. On the first Saturday of April 1926, Mr A. L. Godwin of Otipua, had a narrow escape when he met with an accident in the vicinity of Saltwater Creek. His “car apparently got out of control, and dashing up a bank at the side of the road, overturned, precipitating the driver, who was the only occupant, on to the roadway.” Having suffered a severe cut on the head, he was picked up and taken to the Timaru Public Hospital. He progressed satisfactorily but was confined to bed for a few days. Later in the month, Augustine Lagoria Godwin was fined 10 shillings and costs 7 shillings for driving a motor-car without being the holder of a driver’s licence!

At the evening function to celebrate the diamond jubilee of Pareora West School in October 1934, Mr A. L. Goodwin proposed the toast of “The Canterbury Education Board”, paying tribute to the assistance granted the committee by the Board. He also eulogised the work of the schools’ agriculture instructor in laying out the school grounds. Miss Godwin won the Sixth Decade women’s race at the picnic and sports on the Monday after. At the Otipua Hall on 5 November 1935, Mr Godwin moved a vote of thanks to the Rev. Mr Clyde Carr, the Labour candidate for the Timaru seat, the vote being carried by acclamation. Augustine L. Godwin made an appearance in the Ashburton Magistrate’s Court in November 1937, when he and another were charged with fighting on racecourse road on the Saturday prior. “Both men were slightly under the influence of liquor, and because of the heat of the day the liquor was perhaps a little more potent than usual,” said the sergeant. Both defendants pleaded guilty. Sergeant Cleary said that a constable saw tne men in a clinch, rolling in the dust at the gateway to the racecourse. While the other was bailed out, Godwin, who was a stranger to the district, was in the cells over the week-end. He was convicted and discharged.

On retirement, Augustine and Janet moved into Domain Avenue, Timaru. Augustine Lagoria Godwin died on 21 January 1957 at the Timaru Public Hospital, aged 78 years. He was buried at the Timaru Cemetery. His wife died just a month later – on 22 February – and was buried with him. They were survived by their only daughter, Jessie Mavis Godwin (Mavis), who was born in 1920 and attended Pareora West School and Timaru Girls’ High School. She married a Second World War serviceman, Raymond Wesley Rayner, in 1950. They too, are buried at Timaru. No. 78565 Augustine Lagoria Godwin, a farmer formerly of Otipua, Timaru, New Zealand, signed his Will on 22 October 1918 at Brocton. He appointed Janet Godwin as his executor and legatee. Janet testified to Augustine’s death and identity on 18 February. Probate was granted under a particular Rule on 26 February, four days after Janet’s death. Janet herself had appointed her husband, Augustine Lagoria Godwin, and her daughter, Jessie Mavis Rayner, as executors and beneficiaries of her estate. It was left to Mavis to verify her mother’s identity and her relationship to both Janet and Augustine.

A number of Augustine’s nephews also served in World War One – John Joseph Godwin was killed in action in France in 1917 at the age of 21, the son of Teresa Ludivina Wederell (formerly Godwin); Cecil John Shaw and Herbert George Shaw (Bert), sons of Margaret (Maggie, née Godwin) and John Shaw; Michael Joseph Leonard, son of Emily (née Godwin) and Thomas Leonard.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [10 August 2014]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5539 0045481) [20 August 2015]; Timaru Cemetery Headstone image (Timaru District Council) [July 2014]; Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [22 June 2014]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [26 February 2021]; Temuka Leader, 31 December 1889, Timaru Herald, 30 January 1913, 18 & 30 April 1917, 5 September 1917, 13 December 1917, 21 & 28 May 1921, 17 & 24 September 1921, 19 April 1922, 13 May 1922, 5 & 30 April 1926, 11 July 1933, 22 & 25 October 1934, 6 November 1935, Sun, 5 August 1919, Press, 22 January 1957, 23 February 1957, Ashburton Guardian, 29 November 1937 (Papers Past) [10 August 2014; 22 August 2015; 04 November 2023]; Timaru Herald, 22 January 1957 (Timaru District Library) [09 September 2014]; Baptism records (Christchurch Catholic Diocese CD held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [01 May 2016]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Genealogy Society) [04 November 2023]; NZ Election Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [05 November 2023]; Chalmers Church Timaru record [08 November 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• GODWIN Augustine Lagoria - newspaper clippings (pdf, 146.5 KB updated 10-Nov-2023)

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