I have in my possesion an old hardbacked veterinary book published around 1850. Very well used and has been repaired. The interesting thing about this book are the inscriptions in roughly scrawled copper plate on some of the inside cover pages of recipes for ailments, which include the use of many herbs, dragons blood, turpentine ,antimony, sugar of lead, colocynth, even somewhere, gunpowder, and many moreI've not heard of for years, (or perhaps only in a witch's brew.)Measurements in drachm and scruples
The book belonged to a man, obviously the vet -- named Joseph Goodyer.
I'd be interested to know more of this man , who would have been around in the 1850s.and wonder what his life was like , here in this Godforsaken town,as it was then. A poor mining town, of pubs and miner's fights ( and wives fights). Where no-one would choose to visit unless it was absolutely necessary.Hence Black Bedduth'
Even the police were scared. A local cleric delared "Bedworth as a town with an evil black cloud over it".
The vet's safety must have been precarious as he would have had to visit the many hostelry stables in the town, of which there were too many -alehouses I mean - out of all propotion to the size of the town.
Goodyer is a quite common name in the Bedworth / Nuneaton area. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Bedduth and Nuneaton produced one of Englands greatest novelists who was aslo a woman, George Eliot, She wrote a brilliant novel called Middlemarch , all about Warwickshire society in Nuneaton.
Going back to Goodyer, I have noticed that there is a Goodyer lane in Coventry.

Have you had any results with your research Cathi? Local library might have some helpful information.

I haven't done research yet,too busy or lazy and hoped someone will come along on WOL.
I will eventually. Goodyers End Lane is not far from where I live. My daughter and son went to Goodyers End School so it must have been someone reasonably famous here.