Footnotes

Provenance
Probably commissioned by the sitter, by whom gifted to the
Warden, Christ's Hospital, Ruthin (see literature)
Collection of the Goodman and Ruthin Charity, Wales

Literature
J. Steegman, A Survey of Portraits in Welsh Houses, Cardiff, 1957, vol. I, no. 1, p. 91 (as in the Cloisters, Christ's Hospital, Ruthin)
R. Strong, Tudor and Jacobean Portraits, London, 1969, vol. I, p.128, under cat. no. 2414 (as untraced)

Gabriel Goodman (1528-1601) was Dean of Westminster between 1561 and his death in 1601. He was born on 6 November 1528 at Exmewe House on Saint Peter's Square, Ruthin, Denbighshire, the second son of Edward Goodman (1476–1560), mercer, and Cicely (1493–1583), daughter of Edward Thelwall of Plas-y-ward, a member of the principal family of the Vale of Clwyd. After matriculating at Jesus College, Cambridge in 1546, Goodman became a fellow of Christ's College in 1552. By 1564 he gave his college as Saint John's and this second migration may have followed from his association with Sir William Cecil, from whom he had his employment. He became schoolmaster to Cecil's household at Wimbledon late in 1554, where he would have taught Cecil's elder and as yet only son, Thomas. Between Goodman and Cecil there was established a lifelong friendship.

When Westminster Abbey was refounded as a collegiate church on 21 May 1560, Goodman was named one of the twelve canons, becoming Dean on 13 August 1561. In 1574 he built the new schoolhouse at Ruthin, from which the present school dates its origin and honours Goodman as founder. Having acquired the site of the former collegiate church in the town, he procured letters patent of 14 August 1590 to establish Christ's Hospital there. Goodman made an enduring contribution to Westminster School by granting the property at Chiswick held by virtue of his Saint Paul's prebend. In 1575 Goodman used his influence with Cecil (now Lord Burghley) to secure Westminster's right to send a quota of scholars to Christ Church, Oxford. He prompted Burghley to make a benefaction to the school in 1591. The city of Westminster was restructured by act of parliament in 1585, and Goodman became the first head of the new corporation (Burghley was its high steward).

Goodman was buried in Saint Benedict's Chapel, Westminster Abbey, where his monument stands, and a painted wooden portrait bust forms part of his monument on the north chancel wall of Ruthin Church. A copy of the present work by George Perfect Harding is in the National Portrait Gallery (NPG 2414- see literature), London, and was engraved in 1822 by Robert Graves.