Family and Education

bap. 12 Jan. 1652, 2nd but o. surv. s. of John Godolphin, DCL, judge of Admiralty 1653-9, of Clerkenwell, Mdx. by 2nd w. Mary, da. of William Tregose of St. Ives, Cornw. educ. I. Temple 1668. m. c.1673, Susanna (d. 10 Feb. 1724), da. of Rice Tanat of Abertanat, Salop, and coh. to her bro. Owen, 1s. d.v.p. 5da. suc. fa. 1678.1

Offices Held

J.p. Denb. 1678-89, Mont. 1678-90, Cornw. June 1688-?d., Salop 1700-d.; commr. for assessment, Mont. 1679-80, 1689, Denb. 1689-90; dep. lt. Mont. Feb. 1688-9.

Capt. Earl of Bath’s Regt. (later 10 Ft.) 1685, lt.-col. 1694-6; lt.-gov. Scilly Is. 1690, gov. 1700-d.; maj. Queen’s Regt. (later 2 Ft.) 1700-2.

Auditor in the Exchequer 1702-d.2

Biography

Godolphin’s father, a younger son, became a civilian, and was appointed judge of the Admiralty under the Commonwealth. His cousin William Godolphin wished to resign his auditorship of the Welsh revenues in Godolphin’s favour in 1677, but was prevented by his deputy, who had been granted the reversion. Godolphin was returned for Helston on the interest of another and more distant cousin, Sir William Godolphin, Bt., at the general election of 1685, but played no ascertainable part in James II’s Parliament. He was commissioned in the regiment raised by the Earl of Bath to fight the Duke of Monmouth in the summer. He was absent from the meeting of Cornish magistracy to answer the lord lieutenant’s questions on the repeal of the Test Act and Penal Laws, but presumably gave satisfaction elsewhere, for he was recommended as deputy lieutenant of Montgomery, where his wife had property. His part in the Revolution is unknown, but at the general election of 1689 he gave way to Sir John St. Aubyn, 2nd Bt., and he was disappointed in his application for the post of deputy governor of Guernsey, though he thought it ‘morally impossible for anyone to come betwixt me and home in that affair’. However, in 1690 he was made lieutenant-governor of Scilly and re-entered Parliament as a placeman, usually voting with the Whigs. He died on 22 Sept. 1732 and was buried at Thames Ditton. His daughter married her cousin Henry, dean of St. Paul’s, and their son Francis sat for Helston from 1741 until he succeeded to the peerage in 1766.3

Ref Volumes: 1660-1690

Author: Eveline Cruickshanks

Notes

• 1. F. G. Marsh, Godolphin Fam., 22-23, add. p. 2; Vivian, Vis. Cornw. 82; Mont. Colls. xiii. 119.
• 2. Cal. Treas. Bks. xvii. 239.
• 3. CSP Dom. 1676-7, p. 534; Add. 25564, ff. 3, 19; 29563, f 410.