John Goodman was born in Gumley, Leicestershire on 23 July 1864. In 1881 he moved to Birmingham where he was articled in the office of John George Bland (1820-1898) and Jethro Anstice Cossins (1830-1917) of Bland & Coussins. In c.1897 he employed as an assistant in the office of Essex & Nicol established by Oliver Essex (1855-1939) and John Coulson Nicol (1884-1933) in 1886. In 1892 he became a partner in the practice which was renamed Essex, Nicol & Goodman.
In 1905, Nicol withdraw from the firm and set up a new partnership with his son as Nicol & Nicol. Essex and Goodman continued to run the firm which was renamed Essex & Goodman. Following the death of Essex in 1939 the practice became Essex, Goodman and Suggitt. The third partner, Jack Alwyn Suggitt (1908-1984), had joined the firm in 1935.
Essex, Goodman and Suggitt merged with the Leeds, Yorkshire-based firm Darntree Elgee Architecture in 2008 and was renamed Darnton EGS Ltd. Following the further acquisition of B3 Architects in 2015, the practice became DB3.
Goodman was elected a Member of the Society of Architects (MSA) in 1906 and was admitted a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (FRIBA) in 1926. He remained in practice as an architect until his death. He died at his home, 52 Salisbury Road, Moseley, Birmingham, on 31 January 1952
Architectural works by Essex & Goodman included shop front, 13 Jamaica Row, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1905); Four shops, Horse Fair, Birmingham for Clarence Properties Co. (1906); Shops and commercial premises, Broad Street and Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for P. C. Isacke (1906); Business premises, Colehill Street, Birmingham for W. Bach, spur manufacturer (1906); Factory, Lionel Street, for A. Clarke (1907); Alterations to premises, Digbeth, Birmingham for Warriner & Mason, tea merchants and grocers; four shops, Sandon Road, Birmingham for Dr. E. C. Rogers (1909); Office of Essex & Goodman, High Street, Harborne for Essex & Goodman (1909); Branch of London, City & Midland Bank, Bull Street, Birmingham (1910); Electric Theatre for Electric Playhouse Ltd. (1911); Warehouse for Newbury's Ltd., drapers, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (1911); Motor House, Norfolk Road, Birmingham for Mr. Horsey (1911); Additions, Cromer Road, Birmingham (1911); Shop, Granville Street, Birmingham for Martins Birmingham Ltd., saddlers and leather goods manufacturers (1911); Factory, Eckershall Road, Birmingham for F. E. Baker (1912); Showroom for B. C. Jackson, Moseley Road, Birmingham (1912); Alterations to Billesley Farm, Brook Lane, Moseley for Moseley Golf Club (1913); New premises including post office, Warwick Road, Ackocks Green (1913); 'The Scala' picture house, Smallbrook for George Murray (1913); Warehouse, Hampton Street, Birmingham, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1913); New premises, The Crescent, Birmingham, for Eccles Walker & C. (1913); New Premises, Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for Alfred Roberts, rubber tyre manufacturers (1913); Shop, Cherrywood Road, Birmingham for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1914); Business premises, Lower Temple Street, Birmingham for Ebenezer Parkes (1914); Alterations to St. Alban's church schools, Dynoke Sterr and Leopold Street, Birmingham (1914); Additions, South Road, Northfield for F. Sherwood (1914); Alterations, Westfield Road, Birmingham for P. R. Martin (1915); Strongroom, etc. Bull Street, Harborne for London Counties and Midland Bank (1915); "The Futurist" picture house, John Bright Street, Birmingham for Majestic Ltd. (1915); Extension of works, Cherrywood Road for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1915); New works, Burbidge Road, Buirmingham for P. Collins (1915); Workshop, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham Street, Birmingham for Scala Theatre (1916); Commercial building, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Clarence Property Co. Ltd. (1918); Alterations and additions to 67-68 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham for E. Armfield, button makers (1918); and Office and lavatory, Bartholomew Street, Birmingham (1918).
Architectural works by Essex & Goodman included shop front, 13 Jamaica Row, Birmingham for A. Shorthouse, meat salesman (1905); Four shops, Horse Fair, Birmingham for Clarence Properties Co. (1906); Shops and commercial premises, Broad Street and Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for P. C. Isacke (1906); Business premises, Colehill Street, Birmingham for W. Bach, spur manufacturer (1906); Factory, Lionel Street, for A. Clarke (1907); Alterations to premises, Digbeth, Birmingham for Warriner & Mason, tea merchants and grocers; four shops, Sandon Road, Birmingham for Dr. E. C. Rogers (1909); Office of Essex & Goodman, High Street, Harborne for Essex & Goodman (1909); Branch of London, City & Midland Bank, Bull Street, Birmingham (1910); Electric Theatre for Electric Playhouse Ltd. (1911); Warehouse for Newbury's Ltd., drapers, Great Hampton Street, Birmingham (1911); Motor House, Norfolk Road, Birmingham for Mr. Horsey (1911); Additions, Cromer Road, Birmingham (1911); Shop, Granville Street, Birmingham for Martins Birmingham Ltd., saddlers and leather goods manufacturers (1911); Factory, Eckershall Road, Birmingham for F. E. Baker (1912); Showroom for B. C. Jackson, Moseley Road, Birmingham (1912); Alterations to Billesley Farm, Brook Lane, Moseley for Moseley Golf Club (1913); New premises including post office, Warwick Road, Ackocks Green (1913); 'The Scala' picture house, Smallbrook for George Murray (1913); Warehouse, Hampton Street, Birmingham, for Newbury's Ltd., drapers (1913); New premises, The Crescent, Birmingham, for Eccles Walker & C. (1913); New Premises, Bishopsgate Street, Birmingham for Alfred Roberts, rubber tyre manufacturers (1913); Shop, Cherrywood Road, Birmingham for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1914); Business premises, Lower Temple Street, Birmingham for Ebenezer Parkes (1914); Alterations to St. Alban's church schools, Dynoke Sterr and Leopold Street, Birmingham (1914); Additions, South Road, Northfield for F. Sherwood (1914); Alterations, Westfield Road, Birmingham for P. R. Martin (1915); Strongroom, etc. Bull Street, Harborne for London Counties and Midland Bank (1915); "The Futurist" picture house, John Bright Street, Birmingham for Majestic Ltd. (1915); Extension of works, Cherrywood Road for Calthorpe Motor Co. (1915); New works, Burbidge Road, Buirmingham for P. Collins (1915); Workshop, Smallbrook Street, Birmingham Street, Birmingham for Scala Theatre (1916); Commercial building, Easy Row and Edmund Street, Birmingham for Clarence Property Co. Ltd. (1918); Alterations and additions to 67-68 St. Paul's Square, Birmingham for E. Armfield, button makers (1918); and Office and lavatory, Bartholomew Street, Birmingham (1918).
Abbott, Donald. ‘Essex, Nicol & Goodman’ in Birmingham’s Victorian and Edwardian Architects, edited by Phillada Ballard. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
Directory of British Architects 1834-1914. Compiled by Antonia Brodie, et al. Volume 1: A-K. London; New York: British Architectural Library, Royal Institute of British Architects/Continuum, 2001
‘Obituary’. The Builder 15 February 1952 p. 270