would be forced to resign. The board backed Gooch and the 178 men were blacklisted from future railway employment with replacement staff being recruited from other railway companies. Gooch stayed at the ECR until 1856 when the shareholders finally worked out what was going on and both he and Waddington did not have their contracts renewed. At this point, he would only have been aged 44 and according to his obituary printed in the journal of the Institution of Civil Engineers "he did little practical work during the past forty years, enjoying country life in his Berkshire home". ECR locomotives Under Viret's tenure at the ECR six classes of locomotive were introduced including the first locomotive actually built at Stratford Works in 1851. The classes were as follows: Shipping Interests Gooch had interest in six ships (all colliers) and he was guilty of using ECR facilities at Lowestoft to repair his own ships. The six ships were: Lady Berriedale - built John Scott Russell London in 1853, sunk 1868. The Eagle - built John Scott Russell in 1853, sunk 1870 The Falcon (1)- built John Scott Russell in 1853 - wrecked off Lesbos in 1856 on its return from the Crimean War The Hawk - built John Scott Russell in 1854 - lost in a gale off Southwold in 1862 The Vulcan - built James Laing, Sunderland in 1856. Sold August 1886 to Captain Edward Jenkins of Cardiff and sunk in Carbis Bay in 1894 The Falcon (2) - built M Samuelson and Sons, Hull in 1862, but lost at sea in 1868 off Spain. He was also a director for The Australian Auxiliary Steam Clipper Company, Ltd. Mining interests He was a director for several mining companies including: Copper Queen United, Ltd. La Trinidad, Ltd. Mounts Bay Consols, Ltd. Tresavean Mines, Ltd. Family J. V. Gooch was married twice. First, in June 1840, to Hannah Frances Handcock, daughter of Captain Elias Robinson Handcock. Secondly, on 16 March 1876, to Emily Mary Stonhouse, daughter of Reverend Charles Stonhouse. J. V. Gooch lived at Cooper's Hill, Bracknell, Berkshire. His eldest child from his second marriage, Mabel Barbara, who was born in 1877. His son was Edward Sinclair Gooch (1879-1915) who was a major in the Berkshire Yeomanry and killed in World War 1. He also had a second daughter named Ethel Mary who was born in 1882. Notes References 1812 births