Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin

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For other people named Francis Godolphin, see Francis Godolphin (disambiguation).

William III, Anne
Preceded byHenry Carew
Succeeded byThomas Coke
Personal details
Born3 September 1678
Whitehall, London, England
Died17 January 1766(1766-01-17) (aged 87)
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1698; died 1733)​
Children
Parents
Alma materEton College
King's College, Cambridge (M.A., 1705)

Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin,

British House of Commons between 1695 and 1712, when he succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Godolphin. Initially a Tory, he modified his views when his father headed the Administration in 1702 and was eventually a Whig. He was a philanthropist and one of the founding governors of the Foundling Hospital
in 1739.

Early life

Godolphin, the only child of Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin, was born in Whitehall, London, on 3 September 1678, and baptised the same day. His mother, Margaret Godolphin (née Blagge), died six days later on 9 September. John Evelyn, who had been her most intimate acquaintance, transferred his friendship to her infant son, took general charge of his education, and continued to further his welfare as he grew. Godolphin was educated at Eton College, and at King's College, Cambridge, where he took an M.A. degree in 1705.[1]

Career

Godolphin was returned as

East Looe, and chose to sit for Helston. He was classed as a Tory, and on 26 February 1702, supported the motion vindicating the Commons’ proceedings against the Whig ministers. He was returned again for Helston at the 1702 English general election but with the Administration headed by his father, he began to switch his loyalty to the Court. Early in 1704, his father and the Duchess of Marlborough obtained for him the post of Cofferer of the Household which he held until 1711. Godolphin was seen as an opponent of the Tack and did not vote for it on 28 November 1704. He was appointed Lord Warden of the Stannaries, high steward of the Duchy of Cornwall, and rider and master forester of Dartmoor at the beginning of 1705. At the 1705 English general election he tried to unseat two Tackers when he stood for the Cambridge University constituency but was defeated. He also stood again at Helston and was returned as MP there. He voted for the Court candidate for Speaker on 25 October 1705.[2]

Godolphin was known by the courtesy title of Viscount Rialton from 29 December 1706 until 1712. Early in 1708, he gave up the office of Warden of the Stannaries, and the other posts which had become too burdensome for him. At the 1708 British general election, he was returned as MP for both Helston and Oxfordshire and chose to sit at Oxfordshire. In 1710 he voted for the impeachment of Dr Henry Sacheverell. At the 1710 British general election he chose not to stand at Oxfordshire, was defeated at Penryn, but was returned as MP for Tregony on the Boscawen interest. He was classed as a Whig and lost his post in the Household on the change of Administration. He voted for the ‘No Peace Without Spain’ motion on 7 December 1711. On his father's death on 15 September 1712, he succeeded to the peerage as Earl of Godolphin. He vacated his seat in the House of Commons and joined the House of Lords.[2]

Lord Rialton was again Cofferer of the Household from 1714 to 1723, as well as

groom of the stole, and first lord of the bedchamber from 1727 to 1735. He was named high steward of Woodstock on 18 March 1728 and appointed Governor of the Scilly Islands on 18 April 1733.[2]

On 23 January 1735, Lord Rialton was created

Godolphin House, was under his patronage for many years and sent his nominees to Parliament. In return for this compliance, he rebuilt Helston Church in 1763 at a cost of £6,000. It was also his custom to pay the rates and taxes for all electors in the borough. It is said that he read only two works: Burnet's History of my own Time and Colley Cibber's Apology. When he had perused them throughout, he began them again.[3]

Godolphin was married in March 1698 to

St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London. on 29 July 1681. On the death of her father, 16 June 1722, she became Duchess of Marlborough in her own right. She died on 24 October 1733 and was buried in Westminster Abbey on 9 November. She had meanwhile acquired notoriety by an attachment to William Congreve, the dramatist.[3]

Godolphin was one of the founding governors of the

Royal Chelsea Hospital
.

Death and legacy

Lord Godolphin died at his house in the Stable Yard, St James's, on 17 January 1766 and was buried in Kensington Church on 25 January. He and his wife had two sons and four daughters, of whom two sons and a daughter predeceased him.

Without living male heirs, the earldom of Godolphin, viscountcy of Rialton and barony of Godolphin of Rialton became extinct. The last devolved on his cousin Francis Godolphin, 2nd Baron Godolphin of Helston.[4]

Notes

  1. ^ "Godolphin, Francis (GDLN695F)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
  2. ^ a b c "GODOLPHIN, Hon. Francis (1678-1766)". History of Parliament Online. Retrieved 2 July 2019.
  3. ^ a b Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney, eds. (1890). "Godolphin, Francis" . Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 22. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
  4. ^ "London, Saturday January 18". Salisbury and Winchester Journal. 20 January 1766. Retrieved 17 January 2016.

References

  • Nichols and, R. H.; Wray, F. A. (1935). The History of the Foundling Hospital. London: Oxford University Press. p. 345.
Attribution

 This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Boase, George Clement (1890). "Godolphin, Francis". In Stephen, Leslie; Lee, Sidney (eds.). Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 22. London: Smith, Elder & Co. pp. 39–40.

Parliament of England
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Helston
1695–1698
With: Charles Godolphin 		Succeeded by
Sidney Godolphin
Preceded by Member of Parliament for East Looe
1701
With: Sir Henry Seymour, Bt 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sidney Godolphin
 Member of Parliament for
Sidney Godolphin
 		Parliament of England abolished
Parliament of Great Britain
New title Member of Parliament for
Sidney Godolphin
 		Succeeded by
John Evelyn
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire
1708–1710
With: Sir Robert Jenkinson, 2nd Bt 1689–1710
Sir Robert Jenkinson, 3rd Bt 1710 		Succeeded by
Francis Clerke
Preceded by Member of Parliament for Tregony
1710–1713
With: John Trevanion 1710
George Robinson 1710–1713 		Succeeded by
Edward Southwell
Political offices
Preceded by
Henry Carew
Teller of the Exchequer

1699–1704 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
Sir Benjamin Bathurst
 Cofferer of the Household
1704–1711 		Succeeded by
Samuel Masham
Preceded by
The Lord Masham
 Cofferer of the Household
1714–1723 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Lord Privy Seal
1735–1740 		Succeeded by
Court offices
Preceded by
The Lord Granville
 Lord Warden of the Stannaries
1705–1708 		Succeeded by
Honorary titles
Preceded by Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire
1715–1739 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Governor of the Isles of Scilly
1712–1766 		Succeeded by
Peerage of England
Preceded by Earl of Godolphin
1712–1766 		Extinct
Peerage of Great Britain
New creation Baron Godolphin
1735–1766 		Succeeded by
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