Vere St. Leger Goold was born October 2, 1853 into a wealthy, Irish family. When he was 26 years old he became the first Irish tennis champion. His early success in sports faded, and by 1883 he turned to alcohol and opium. However it took a turn for the worse when he met Marie Giraudin, a French, twice-widowed dressmaker.
Marie and Vere married in 1891, and riddled with debt they moved to Canada in 1897. She opened a dressmaker shop, but by 1903 they were managing a laundry business in Seacombe-on-Mersey, Liverpool. Despite their common occupation, they adopted the title of Sir Vere and Lady Goold.
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