EDGOOSE:
In search of Ancestry
EDGOOSE, Joel
1844 - 1879 (35 years) Has 8 ancestors and one descendant in this family tree.
1814 - 1888 (75 years)-
Name EDGOOSE, Joel Birth 8 Aug 1844 Swineshead, Lincolnshire, England 
Gender Male Burial 1879 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Death 20 Aug 1879 Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Person ID I614 Edgoose Last Modified 3 Feb 2026
Father EDGOOSE, Joel, b. 19 Jan 1804, Swineshead, Lincolnshire, England d. 24 Dec 1883, Amber Hill, Lincolnshire, England (Age 79 years) Mother JONES, Mary Elizabeth Grace, b. Between 1813 and 1814, At Sea d. 27 May 1888, Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota, USA (Age 75 years) Marriage UNKNOWN Family ID F408 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family FINNEY, Julia, b. 1 Sep 1846, Lane End, Staffordshire d. 1887, San Francisco, USA (Age 40 years) Marriage 1 Oct 1865 Longton, Staffordshire, England Children 1. EDGOOSE, John Francis, b. 19 Nov 1874, Pennsylvania, USA d. 23 Oct 1942, San Francisco, USA (Age 67 years) [Father: natural] [Mother: natural]Family ID F448 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2026
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Biographies 
EDGOOSE, Joel (1844-1879)
Joel EDGOOSE was born at Royalty, Swineshead, Lincolnshire, on 8 August 1844, son of Joel and Mary EDGOOSE.
(GRO September Q 1844 [JONES] Boston 14 248)
It is not known when or where Joel EDGOOSE senior married Mary Elizabeth Grace JONES.
At the time of the 1851 census the family were living at Hammond Beck, Swineshead:
Joel EDGOOSE, head, aged 47, agricultural labourer, born at Algarkirk, Lincolnshire;
Mary EDGOOSE, wife, aged 37, born at Newport, Shropshire;
Sarah EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 18, born at Newport;
James EDGOOSE, son, aged 14, agricultural labourer, born in the City of Durham;
John EDGOOSE, son, aged 11, agricultural labourer, born in the City of Durham;
Alice EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 9, born at Swineshead, Lincolnshire;
*Joel EDGOOSE, son, aged 6, born at Swineshead;
Mary EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 3, born at Swineshead;
Robert EDGOOSE, grandson, aged 3, born at Swineshead;
Jonathan EDGOOSE, son, aged 7 months, born at Swineshead.
(HO107/2099/633)
The family were living at Sutterton at the time of the 1861 census:
Joel EDGOOSE, head, married, aged 57, agricultural labourer, born at Algarkirk;
Mary EDGOOSE, wife, married, aged 47, born at Newport, Hampshire (sic);
*Joel EDGOOSE, son, unmarried, aged 16, born at Algarkirk;
Jonathan EDGOOSE, son, aged 10, born at Algarkirk;
Elizabeth EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 7, born at Algarkirk;
William EDGOOSE, son, aged 5, born at Algarkirk;
Harritt EDGOOSE, daughter, aged 2, born at Algarkirk.
(RG9/2340/68/10)
He married Julia FINNEY, a 19 year old transferer of 13 St. John Street, Longton, Staffordshire, and daughter of hawker Joseph FINNEY, at Longton on 1 October 1865. He was described as a collier living a 5 St. John Street, Longton. Witnesses were John WALKLATE and Mary Ann FINNEY.
(GRO December Q 1865 Stoke T 6b 336)
James EDGOOSE who married Eliza Ann BOURNE on the same day at the same church lived at 5 St. John Street and his bride at 13 St. John Street.
"MARRIAGES
On the 1st inst., at St. James's Church, Longton, by the Rev. Adam CLARKE, B.A., Mr. Joel EDGOOSE married Miss Julia FINNEY of Longton. On the same day, Mr. James EDGOOSE married Miss Eliza Ann BOWNE of Longton.
(Newspapers.com: The Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser, 5 October 1865)
On the 1st inst., at St. James's Church, Longton, by the Rev. Adam CLARKE, B.A., Mr. James EDGOOSE married Miss Eliza Ann BOWNE of Longton." On the same day, Mr. Joel EDGOOSE married Miss Julia FINNEY of Longton.
The Staffordshire Sentinel and Commercial and General Advertiser, 5 October 1865 accessed via Newspapers.com)
The marriage between Mary A. FINNEY and Herbert MARTIN was registered in 1866.
(GRO December Q 1866 Stoke on Trent 6b 268)
The 1871 census of 22 Bagnall Street, Longton, Staffordshire:
Herbert MARTIN, head, married, aged 22, potter, born at Longton, Staffordshire;
Mary A. MARTIN, wife, married, aged 22, potter, born at Longton, Staffordshire;
Robert MARTIN, son, aged 3, born at Longton, Staffordshire;
Herbert MARTIN, son, aged 5 months, born at Longton, Staffordshire;
*Job EDGOOS, boarder, aged 26, miner, born at Longton, Staffordshire;
Julie EDGOOS, boarder, aged 24, potter, born at Longton, Staffordshire.
(RG10/2875/128/4)
He emigrated to the USA at the beginning of 1872. He and his wife "Julie EDGOOSE" are on the passenger list of the RMS Abyssinia, 2159 tons, which sailed from Liverpool to New York via Queenstown, Ireland, arriving on 22 April 1872. Joel was described as a 27 year old labourer. Julie was 23 years old.
He was first listed in the Chicago directories as Julius EDGOOSE, labourer, at 38 4th Street in 1872.
In 1873 Joel EDGOOSE, helper, was listed at 38 W. Ohio in the Chicago City Directory.
(page 335)
Their son John Francis EDGOOSE was born in Pennsylvania, USA, on 19 November 1874. He died in San Fransisco, USA, on 23 October 1942 aged 67.
(http://rootseb.com/ca/death/search.cgi)
In the 1875-6 Chicago City Directory he was listed as a miner at 117 W. Huron.
From the 1876 Chicago city directory:
Jewell EDGOOSE, peddler, house 117 W. Huron.
(page 349)
According to an article in the Chicago newspaper The Inter Ocean Joel EDGOOSE was adjudicated insane and "booked for Jefferson" at a hearing in the County Court on 15 February 1877.
(The Inter Ocean 16 February 1877)
From the 1878 Chicago city directory:
Jewell EDGOOSE, peddler, house 469 W. Erie.
(page 356)
From the 1879 Chicago city directory:
Joel EDGOOSE, peddler, house rear 235 Noble.
(page 369)
He died on Wednesday 20 August 1879 at the age of 35. A coat, vest, hat, and a pair of shoes were found on the banks of a stone quarry at the corner of Western Avenue and Erie Street and were identified by Mrs. J. EDGOOSE as those of her husband. Grappling was subsequently begun in the quarry by two police officers, who succeeded the following day in bringing up a body which proved to be that of Joel EDGOOSE. He had left his home at 1014 West Lake Street at about 6 o'clock on Wednesday evening and had not been seen since.
(The Inter Ocean 22 August 1879)
From the Chicago Tribune, 22 August 1879, page 8)
"Yesterday afternoon Fred WOLLER, of No. 401 North Wood street, reported at the West Chicago Avenue Station that he had found a coat, vest, and hat, and a pair of shoes on the bank of a pond in a stone-quarry at the corner of Western avenue and Erie street. In one of the pockets in the clothing was found a rent receipt bearing the name of Joel EDGOOSE, of No. 1014 West Lake street. Mr. WOLLER brought the clothing to that number, and the articles were at once identified by Mrs. EDGOOSSE as belonging to her husband. It was plainly evident that Mr. EDGOOSE had divested himself of these clothes and that he was drowned in the pool. Lieut. CALLAHAN and two of his policemen borrowed a boat from Union Park, which they transported to the pond in the quarry, and at 6:30 last evening they grappled and recovered the body. It was taken to the residence of David HINCHCLIFFE (sic), No. 80 Bismarck court, where it awaits the Coroner's inquest. Mr. EDGOOSE was an Englishman by birth, about 35 years of age, and a peddler by occupation. He left home at about 6 o'clock Wednesday evening in an insane spell, which spells he has been subject to for five years past. It is thought that he wandered to the pond, and was accidentally drowned while attempting to bathe."
(www.Footnote.com)
An inquest was held on 22 August 1879 at which the jurors found "That the said Joel EDGOOSE now lying dead at 50 Bismarck Court came to his death on the 20th day of August 1879 at Stone Quarry at cor Erie Street & Matin Ave by drowning himself while in a fit of temporary insanity". His sister Alice HINCHCLIFF of 50 Bismark Court was a witness.
(Cook County Coroner's Inquests Records Book 4 Page 180)
From the Chicago Tribune, Saturday 23 August 1879, page 6:
"Deputy-Coroner SAWYER yesterday held an inquest at No. 80 Bismarck court upon Joel EDGOOSE, 48 years of age, who drowned himself in a pond in a stone-quarry at the corner of Erie street and Western avenue, while laboring in a fit of temporary insanity. He left home Wednesday evening, and his condition caused his friends so great alarm that they followed him. Several times policemen were spoken to and requested to put him under arrest in order to prevent him doing harm either to himsellf or to others, but in each instance they refused. A sister attempted to follow him, but he became so excited and made such violent threats to her that she was obliged to turn back. Mr. EDGOOSE was only subject to insanity at times, and then his malady was only brief. He had lived for some time in an asylum, but his condition remained the same. When in his right mind he was a careful, painstaking, and kind-hearted man."
(www.Footnote.com)
He was buried in Rosehill Cemetery, Chicago.
(revised 09.02.2026)