William Goldston d1569

WILLIAM GOLDSTON, was by trade a 'cordener' or shoemaker, but was a man of some substance, owning considerable property in the City. It may well be that he was a member of the Wiltshire family of that name, and one of the earliest references to him being in Gloucester was in 1548, when he was then living 'in the South Street'. There is no record of him having held any civic office, but he was closely connected with St. Michael's church, in which parish he and his wife Elinor lived. He was a brother-in-law to Joan Goldston.

By his will, dated 2 August 1569 and proved 2 September 1569 he left his 'tenements Lands and gardens with theire appurtenances situate lyeing and beinge wth in the parrishe of st. oswald in the suburbes of the seide city of gloucestr' to the seid maior and burgesses of the seid city of glouc' to the use and behalf of the mayntenaunce of their hospitall of st. bartholomewe situate betwixt the bridges of the seid citye'. This was subject to a lease to his brother Richard, but by a deed of 11 September 1573 the property was transferred to them, and was then described as consisting of four cottage built under one roof in Watering Street.

Besides this gift he also made a number of bequests to his workers and to his 'forman', whilst he left to Mr. Richard Sewell his 'gownde furred with foynes and my second doublett of Russett'. These 'foynes' may have meant that it was made from the fur of the beech-marten, perhaps being a form of the word 'foin'.

In 1561 the churchwardens of St. Michael's were disposing of some of the items and objects that had been in use in Queen Mary's time, and so it was that William Goldston paid the sum of 2/4d. for 'the holie water potte & for one peace of Brasse more'. Perhaps he still clung to the old religion and did not wish to see such an object broken up or destroyed.