Died
13 September 1940
Born
13 September 1940
Sources
Ancestry
CWGC
Bryn Trescatheric Barrow Blitz Dock Museum 2009
Place
Walks
Themes
Peter Goodwin
Air Raid Victim
The first, and one of the youngest, victims of Nazi air raids on Barrow during WW2.
The grave is near the bottom of the Catholic section, below the Chapel. The gravestone is laying on its back. Many of the letters are missing.
IN
LOVING MEMORY OF
A DEAR WIFE AND MOTHER
HILDA GOODWIN
DIED JUNE 6TH 1960
AGED 55 YEARS
AND DANIEL, HER HUSBAND
DIED JUNE 13TH 1970
AGED 66 YEARS
ALSO SON OF ABOVE
PETER
DIED SEPT. 13TH 1940
AGED 5 YEARS
1911 Census
In the 1911 Census, Daniel Goodwin’s family lived at 16 St Vincent Street, Barrow. The household consisted of Patrick Goodwin (37), Head, Shipwright, Messrs. Vickers Ltd., born Greenock, Scotland; Annie Goodwin (36) Wife, born Barrow in Furness; Richard Goodwin (14), Son, Rivet Catcher, Messrs. Vickers Ltd., born Portsmouth; Kathleen Mary Goodwin (13), Daughter, at School, born Portsmouth; David Goodwin (9); Daniel Goodwin (7); William James Goodwin (4); Winifred Goodwin (1); Anne Isabella Goodwin (1 month), all born Barrow in Furness.
Daniel Goodwin married Hilda Dixon in Barrow in the third quarter 1929
1911 Census
In the 1911 Census, Daniel’s future wife Hilda Dixon, and Peter’s future mother, was living with her parents at 62 Worcester Street, Barrow. The household was Henry Dixon (39), General Labourer, Gas Works (Borough Council), born Kendal, Westmorland; Ruth Dixon (38), born Luton, Bedfordshire; Phillip Hills (20) Son, Holder up to Riveter;
Walter Dixon (16), Labourer at Oil Works; Eva Dixon (11), Thomas Dixon (9), Hilda Dixon (6), Bertha Dixon (3), Annie Dixon (2 months) – all born in Barrow. Mistranscribed as Diron. In the 1901 Census they were at 30 Worcester Street. Philip is described as step-son. Cumbria BMD has no father recorded.
Hilda Dixon’s father, Henry Dixon, of 62 Worcester Street, joined the 27th King’s Liverpool Regiment at Lancaster in June 1918, aged 45 yrs, though his service until discharge in February 1919 was all at Home i.e. not Overseas. His papers describe him as a Navvy; marrying Ruth Hills in Barrow on 24 November 1894, and having 4 children: Thomas Henry (DoB 30 Sept 1902); Hilda (DoB 5 August 1905); Bertha (DoB 22 April 1908) and Annie Townsend Dixon (DoB 20 January 1911). The older children had left home by this time.
1939 Register
In the 1939 Register living at 13G Egerton Buildings are Daniel Goodwin (DoB 22 December 1903), Steel Erector; Hilda Goodwin (DoB 5 August 1905), Unpaid Domestic Duties; Next record redacted; Jeane (sic) W. Goodwin (crossed out – replaced by McKenna) (DoB 27 July 1930), At School; Patricia M. Goodwin (DoB 16 Feb 1932), At School; Peter Goodwin (DoB 22 April 1935) Under school age; 2 records redacted.
Local historian Bryn Trescatheric’s "Barrow Blitz" (Dock Museum 2009) (p6) quotes the local press:
“One of the bombs fell on a five-year-old child, PG., who was sleeping with his mother and sister. The child died shortly afterwards. His sister is now in hospital with burns on the arms and legs, and the mother sustained burns on her left hand.
Bombs hit a number of houses in the vicinity, but damage was mainly to rugs, clothes and bedding. A number of small fires were caused, but were quickly extinguished.
A Council school and a Children’s Home were hit, but no-one was injured.”
I have read that Mrs. Goodwin took her youngest children to a relative in Worcester Street thinking that they would be safer there, away from the shipyard and docks. If they had stayed, Peter would probably have survived.
