EDGOOSE:
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EDGOOSE, John Robert
1871 - 1918 (47 years) Has 14 ancestors and 9 descendants in this family tree.
1841 - 1892 (50 years)-
Name EDGOOSE, John Robert Birth 16 Apr 1871 Heanor, Derbyshire, England 
Gender Male Death 2 May 1918 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Burial 4 May 1918 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Person ID I602 Edgoose Last Modified 3 Feb 2026
Father EDGOOSE, John Robert, b. 23 Oct 1839, Durham, County Durham, England d. 25 Oct 1914, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (Age 75 years) Mother SWAN, Hannah, b. 11 Dec 1841, Kimberley, Nottinghamshire, England d. 4 Mar 1892, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA (Age 50 years) Marriage 30 Oct 1865 Brinsley, Nottinghamshire Family ID F432 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family OLSEN, Hannah Frederikke, b. 22 May 1871, Kragera, Norway d. 2 Oct 1929, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA (Age 58 years) Marriage 8 Aug 1896 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Children 1. EDGOOSE, Roy Kirk Halvor, b. 21 Feb 1897, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA d. 6 Oct 1975, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA (Age 78 years)2. EDGOOSE, Grace Serine Margaret, b. 1 Apr 1899, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA d. 21 Jul 1974, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA (Age 75 years)3. EDGOOSE, Harriet Magdaline, b. 11 Oct 1902, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA d. 16 May 1981, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA (Age 78 years)Family ID F436 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Biographies 
EDGOOSE, John Robert (1871-1918) aka HEADGOOSE
John Robert EDGOOSE was born at Heanor, Derbyshire, on 16 April 1871, son of John & Hannah EDGOOSE. At birth he was registered as John Robert HEADGOOSE.
(GRO June Q 1871 Basford 7b 128)
John EDGOOSE had married Hannah REDGATE at Brinsley, Nottinghamshire, on 30 October 1865.
Joel, John Robert, and Mary Eliza, children of John Robert and Hannah EDGOOSE, were privately baptised at Eastwood St. Mary, Nottinghamshire, on 12 November 1877.
(Nottinghamshire FHS)
Note: FMP has the date of John Robert's baptism as 9 November 1877.
According to the 1881 census returns for Greasley, Nottinghamshire, he was a 9 year old scholar who had been born at Langley Mill, Derbyshire:
John EDGOOSE, head, aged 41, coal miner, born Brinsley, Nottinghamshire;
Hannah EDGOOSE, wife, aged 36, coal miner's wife, born Loscoe, Derbyshire;
*John R. EDGOOSE, son, aged 9, scholar, born Langley Mill, Derbyshire;
Joel EDGOOSE, son, aged 7, scholar, born Langley Mill, Derbyshire;
Willie EDGOOSE, son, aged 1, born Old Radford, Nottinghamshire.
(RG11/3322/89/1)
He emigrated to the USA with his father, probably in 1882.
(source: 1900 US Federal Census)
LYLE Johnson wrote of the stories his mother Grace Margaret EDGOOSE used to tell him about his grandfather, of how John Robert EDGOOSE came to the United States as a small boy of eleven or twelve and of how he used to work in Elizabeth EDGOOSE's laundry in Aberdeen, South Dakota, and sneak out during working hours to practise his violin. He wrote (see letters) that his grandfather was known as "Bob".
The Aberdeen City Directory for 1887-8 shows that he was living with his father and was manager of his aunt Elizabeth EDGOOSE's C.O.D. Laundry.
Whether John or his brother Joel is the J. EDGOOSE mentioned in the following newspaper report is not known:
"Great Western amateur base ball nine went to Columbia yesterday and walloped a similar nine of that place to the tune 64-11. The boys ran the bases until tired out. The players of the Great Western, which promises to be one of the crack juvenile nones of this section, are Will LAIDLOW, Harry PARKHURST, L. ALDRICH, Frank HOPKINS, Danny McCOY, George BACH, J. EDGOOSE, A. GILMORE and Johnny ALDRICH."
(Aberdeen Daily News, 4 May 1890)
John R. EDGOOSE jr. is listed in the Chicago City Directory for 1892 as a carpenter at 78 Bismark Ct. At the same address were John R. EDGOOSE and Joseph (sic) EDGOOSE.
From the 1894 Chicago city directory:
John R. EDGOOSE, carp, h 78 Bismarck ct
John R. EDGOOSE jr., carp., bds 78 Bismarck ct
Joseph (sic) EDGOOSE, printer, h 78 Bismarck ct
(page 521)
John R. EDGOOSE is listed in the 1895 Chicago City Directory as a carpenter at 78 Bismark Place. His father John EDGOOSE and brother Joyde (= Joel) EDGOOSE were still living at the same address.
He married Hannah OLSON in Chicago on 8 August 1896. They had three children: Roy Kirke Halvor EDGOOSE, Grace Margaret EDGOOSE, and Harriet EDGOOSE. (According to Ancestry.com John R. EDGOSS (sic) married at Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, USA, on 8 August 1896).
J. R. EDGOOSE Junior of 78 Bismark Ct., Chicago, was naturalised on 2 June 1896. William VINCENT of 76 Bismark (sic) was a witness. The record has a reference to Vol. 47 P-336 (Minor 13 yrs.), presumably his age on arrival in the USA.
(US Naturalization Record Indexes 1791-1992)
From the 1897 Chicago city directory:
Robert EDGOOSE, carpenter, h 335 W. Erie.
(page 629)
"COTTAGE HILL, Jan. 19.---Cottage Hill has had quite an influx of Northern visitors since our last chat. Mr. VADEN and son-in-law, Mr . PALMER [?] and family are now occupying the Dr. HESS house and Mr. and Mrs. EDGOOSE, of Chicago, are ate in the H. L. BENNETT house."
(Cottage Hill Chat, The Pensacola News (Pensacola, Florida), 21 January 1898)
[NOTE: Whether this is John Robert EDGOOSE 1839-1914, or his son John EDGOOSE 1871-1918 (known as Bob), is uncertain]
Robert EDGOOSE, carpenter, is listed in the 1900 Directory at 154 W. Huron.
The 1900 United States Federal Census of Chicago Ward 16, Cook County, Illinois:
Robert EDGOSS (sic), head, born April 1871 in England, not naturalised (sic), unemployed 4 months during the last year, house rented;
Hanne EDGOSS (sic), wife, born May 1871 in Norway, mother of 2 children - both living, year of immigration unknown;
Roy EDGOSS (sic), son, born in 1897 in Illinois;
Grace EDGOSS (sic), daughter, born in 1899 in Illinois.
From the 1902 Chicago City Directory:
Joseph (sic) EDGOOSE, printer, h 22 Allen av, Chicago, Illinois.
Robert EDGOOSE, carpenter, h 22 Allen av, Chicago, Illinois.
From the 1904 Chicago City Directory:
Robert EDGOOSE, carp, h 179 W. Erie.
(page 656)
"Eighteen Hundred More Who Can Draw Land on the Two Reservations:
2954 John R. EDGOOSE Chicago, Ill."
(Bismark Daily Tribune 31 October 1909)
(Chronicling America)
The Lakeside Annual Directory of the City of Chicago lists Robert EDGOOSE, cabinetmaker, at 164 W. Huron in 1909; at 1324 W. Huron in 1910, 1911 and 1912; as a salesman at 1638 N. Fairfield Avenue in 1913; and Robt J. EDGOOSE as a carpenter at 1638 N. Fairfield Avenue in 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917.
The story is told that he became deaf as a result of working in the Aberdeen C.O.D. Laundry. On 2 May 1918 he was in the men's lavatory at Clydeborn station waiting to catch a train to work. Unfortunately he did not hear the train until it whistled as it left the station and, running to catch it, John Robert EDGOOSE caught his foot in the track, fell, and was killed.
(visit to Chicago 1972)
Apparently known as Robert, he died at the age of 47 at the Alexian Bros Hospital on 2 May 1918 and was buried on 4 May at Mount Olive Cemetery, Chicago (Lot 38a Section E). At the inquest the cause of death was attributed to a fractured skull and hemorhage occasioned by a fall from a passenger train.
(Certificate of Death)
GenealogyBank.com: Chicago Daily News (Chicago IL), 3 May 1918:
"EDGOOSE--John Robert, age 47, accident, beloved husband of Hanna (nee OLSON), father of Roy, Grace and Harriet. Funeral from late residence, 1638 N. Fairfield-av. Saturday May 4 at 2.30 p.m. to Mount Olive Cemetery. Member of Brotherhood of Carpenters. local No. 1. and Proviso Lodge No. 245. Loyal Order of Moose."
From THE CARPENTER, Page 30, date unknown.
Claim No.: 31836
Name of Deceased or Disabled: Robert EDGOOSE
Local Union: 1
Membership: 17 Yrs 1 Mos
Cause of Death or Disability: Fall
Amount Paid: 300.00 [$?]
(revised 19.07.2026)