Mr William Frederick Goodwin was born in Edmonton, Middlesex, England on 12 August 1898.

He was the son of Frederick Joseph Goodwin (b. 1870), a printer and compositor, and Augusta Tyler (b. 1868), natives of Surrey and Middlesex respectively who had married on 25 December 1894.

He had five siblings: Lillian Augusta (b. 1896), Charles Edward (b. 1897), Jessie Allis Mary (b. 1900), Harold Victor (b. 1901) and Sidney Leslie (b. 1910).

He first appears on the 1901 census living with his family at 4 Exeter Road, Edmonton, Middlesex and on the 1911 census at Watson Court, Watson's Yard, High Street in Melksham, Wiltshire. By 1912 it seems the family were back living, at least temporarily in London at 10 Vernon Street, Fulham.

Several of his father's siblings had emigrated to the USA and settled in Niagara, New York. His uncle Thomas Goodwin notified the family of a position for his father at the big power station at Niagara and plans were made for the family to settle there. Funds for travel were borrowed from several of his uncles and aunts.

The family had originally planned to cross on another steamer but the coal strike changed their plans and they were transferred to the Titanic. They boarded Titanic in Southampton on 10 April 1912 as third class passengers (ticket number 2144 which cost £46, 18s).

Like most large families travelling in third class, especially those with teenage boys, the entire family was lost in the sinking. Only the body of baby Sidney was recovered (remaining unidentified for many years).

There is a memorial to the family in the Church at Melksham, Wiltshire.