John Francis Goodwin (1845-1934) married Maria Sophia van Ryneveld (1850-1915) and owned a large property in Heidelberg, which they moved to in 1881. John, a trader, recounted warnings of Basuto attacks during his travels in 1865. Their daughter, Edith, born in an ox-wagon in 1876, spent her life in Heidelberg, nursing during the South African war and remaining unmarried after her beloved died in the war. She passed away in July 1956 and is buried Kloof Cemetery, alongside her brother William (Bob) Goodwin (9th January 1891 – 26th February 1934), in the family plot. Mr. Sybrand Van Der Spuy, a member of the Heidelberg Heritage Association, shared fond memories of Edith as his Godmother, recalling their time together and the house they lived in.

John Francis Goodwin (30th May 1845 – 1st January 1934) married Maria Sophia van Ryneveld (1850 – 24th February 1915) and owned a large property in Heidelberg. No. 1 Van Der Westhuizen, which has since been sub-divided. They came to Heidelberg in 1881.

John Goodwin, a trader, shares from his autobiography:-
“In June 1865 from Pietermaritzburg, on his way North, two Britishers, in the Drakensberg, warned him to return to Ladysmith, as the Basuto were on the war path. He also heard of the murder of Pretorius’s brother. After all was safe, he continued. By Volksrust, he came upon a Lager and heard of the Basuto attack in the Transvaal. He heard that the Basuto had attacked the farm Standerdskop, stole cattle and murdered the son of Mr A Stander. By Watervalsrivier he met Kommandant Jacob Mare with five armed men on patrol. He was again warned to make haste to the Lager 18 miles ahead of him. The Basuto had devastated the farm (Rietvlei) of Anthonie Goosen the night before and two nights after, 300 oxen were carried away from Mr Buy’s farm, Roodewal.

After all these episodes, murders and attacks on the transport riders, the government sent out a Commando to punish the Basuto”. Their daughter, Edith, was born in an ox-wagon near Kimberley in 1876 and came with her parents to Heidelberg. She was to live here the rest of her life. During the South African war, Edith, 24, assisted Cassie O’Reilly as a nurse at the hospital.  She never married as the man she loved died during the war. She was very much involved in the Anglican Church.  Edith died in July 1956, aged 80, and is buried with her family at the Kloof Cemetery.  There is a memorial tablet in her honour at St Ninian’s Anglican Church. 
Sadly there is no head stone to mark Edith’s grave. (I surmise, because of having no children to erect the headstone). She is buried next to her brother, William (Bob) Goodwin (9th January 1891 – 26th February 1934), in the family plot.

A member of the Heidelberg Heritage Association, Mr Sybrand Van Der Spuy, (He must be in his late 70s), shared with us at the unveiling of the “Heritage Blue Plaque” that Edtih Goodwin was his God Mother. He shared with us that he used to play tennis at the courts, that used to be where the Pick and Pay Victorian centre is now and would often visit his God Mother Edith. He remembers that the house was on a large stand with the garages next door. He also played on a homemade mini put-put course made from tin cans at the bottom of the garden.

He showed as old pictures of the house, him as a baby in the arms of Edith and his father with their dog, Jock. Edith would not allow Sybrand to go to school alone, which was only one block away. (Laer Volkskool). In those days most of the plots were not developed and were overgrown. He still has the letter he gave to his parents asking his parents to speak to Edith about letting him go to school alone.