Sidney Godolphin, First Earl of Godolphin

English politician

• Born: June 15, 1645 (baptized)
• Birthplace: Breage, Cornwall, England
• Died: September 15, 1712
• Place of death: St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Without seeking fame or personal compensation, Godolphin created the structural power base that would later become, officially, the office of prime minister, and served as the prototype for this evolution in English government.

Early Life

The first earl of Godolphin, named Sidney Godolphin at birth, was born to Dorothy Berkeley of Yarlington, Somersetshire, and William Godolphin. The family name, Godolphin, originally spelled “Godalgahn” (Cornish for “white eagle”), signifies high standards and originates from the first Godolphin manor possessed at the time of the Norman Conquest by John de Godolphin. Sidney Godolphin could count among his ancestors a high sheriff, a steward of the mines in Cornwall and Devon, and a comptroller of coinage who was decorated for bravery under Henry VIII. Godolphin’s grandfather, Sir Francis Godolphin, the founder of the family fortune, presented plans to Elizabeth I for increasing the strength of England’s shoreline defense. Although he was instrumental in aiding the future king Charles II in escaping from the perils of Cromwellian England, William Godolphin’s primary distinction lay in rearing the future lord high treasurer and consolidator of the office of prime minister, Sidney, the first earl of Godolphin.

Although not much is known about his early and adolescent years, at seventeen, the short, awkward, and somewhat melancholy Godolphin was appointed page of honor to the restored king on September 29, 1662, for a salary of œ120. This appointment marked the beginning of a lifelong career at court. Almost immediately, he seemed eager to find ways in which he could be useful. Roused by the threat of a Dutch invasion in 1667, Godolphin felt the call of patriotism and applied for a commission in the army. Because of a serious fall from his horse, his military career was brief. In October of 1668, Godolphin represented Helston in the so-called Long Parliament of the Restoration, which continued until 1679; in the Short Parliament, from 1679 to 1681, Godolphin represented St. Marves. As a courtier, Godolphin advanced steadily. In 1672, he was groom of the bedchamber and in 1678, Master of the Robes. Neither of these positions was of great political significance, but they offered Godolphin direct personal influence with the king. During this apprenticeship period of Godolphin’s life, he courted Margaret Blagge, the maid of honor to the duchess of York. After a nine-year engagement, on May 16, 1675, the couple consummated their relationship in marriage. Because Godolphin did not feel financially ready to establish a household, the marriage was kept a secret until June of 1676.

Godolphin demonstrated an eagerness to serve and a willingness to bear greater responsibility. After being refused the office of auditor of Wales, Godolphin, in January of 1678, was appointed envoy extraordinary to the duke of Villa-Hermosa, governor of the Spanish Netherlands. Also during this year, Godolphin corresponded with William of Orange and took part in some of the negotiations leading to the Treaty of Nijmegen.

On September 3, 1678, his son and only child, Francis, was born. On September 9, Margaret Godolphin died from a childbirth-related illness. Overcome by grief, Godolphin neither arranged nor attended his wife’s funeral. Later, he traveled to Cornwall, where she was buried, remaining until early in 1679. Rumors circulated that Godolphin remarried. There is no substantial evidence for this. This early period of Godolphin’s life establishes his reputation as a silently virtuous man, more eager for service than notoriety.

Life’s Work

The first earl of Godolphin served four different monarchs. Charles II appointed him a lord of the treasury on March 26, 1679. In November, Laurence Hyde, the earl of Rochester, became the first lord. At this point, Hyde, Robert Spencer, the second earl of Sunderland, and Godolphin were in the king’s deepest confidence. They were called “the chits” and conducted the business of the government. On April 24, 1684, Godolphin was made secretary of state. After Rochester became lord president, Godolphin was advanced to the head of the treasury. On September 28, 1684, Charles made him Baron Godolphin of Rialton and praised him as being “never in the way and never out of the way.”

After Charles II died, Rochester was made lord high treasurer. James II appointed Godolphin chamberlain to the queen, Mary of Modena. As an example of his selflessness, Godolphin attended mass with the queen without a qualm. Godolphin was loyal to his sense of duty even when his own reputation was in jeopardy. He was one of James’s most trusted ministers, supporting and corresponding with James even after his abdication during the Glorious Revolution, which brought William III and Mary II and to the throne. Godolphin continued his involvement in various diplomatic missions. He took part in negotiations in which French king Louis XIV conceded the legitimacy of William III as king of England.

Godolphin’s political neutrality served him well under William III’s ministry. He was named a commissioner of the Treasury in 1689. In March, Godolphin retired for reasons that are unknown but was brought back in November and placed at the head of the commission. By 1695, even though the only Tory in the Treasury, he was actually the most important commissioner, because of his experience. In 1696, Godolphin was implicated by Sir John Fenwick in a plot to assassinate William, and Sunderland coerced him to resign. Godolphin’s feeling of betrayal was not alleviated until the Tories returned to power and he resumed his position as head of the Treasury on December 9, 1700.

Godolphin’s career reached its zenith under the reign of Queen Anne. His close association with John Churchill, the first duke of Marlborough, and the marriage between his son, Francis, and Marlborough’s daughter, Henrietta, strengthened the bond between the two men. This friendship benefited Godolphin with increased support from Anne, as the duke and duchess of Marlborough dominated the sway of the queen’s opinions at this time. On May 6, 1702, Queen Anne appointed Godolphin as lord high treasurer; he became the de facto head of the home government. The Marlborough-Godolphin ministry, as it may be called, met with great success in the War of the Spanish Succession (1701-1714). Godolphin managed Parliament and patronage in such a way that financial and political support for the war was always available. In 1707, Godolphin was the key figure in instrumenting the most outstanding legislative and diplomatic achievement of Anne’s reign, the Act of Union with Scotland. Also in 1707, Godolphin reorganized the British East India Company.

Because he broke with the High Tories, who wanted limited warfare rather than a continuation of Marlborough’s expensive campaigns of attrition, and because he was dependent upon the Whig majority, the Godolphin ministry became unpopular. Also by this time, Godolphin had lost the support of the queen. Because he was not as notorious a figure as Marlborough, Godolphin could be more easily dismissed. In August of 1710, by letter, Anne commanded him to break his staff of office. He died unnoticed two years later.

Significance

The first earl of Godolphin inhabited one of England’s most significant political epochs. Ironically, this virtuous, prudent man came to prominence during the Stuart Restoration, a period known for its bawdy excess and frivolity. His achievements were those of a man well acquainted with the inner corridors of power, yet, unlike such notable successors as Robert Walpole, he remained personally uncorrupted. Though obscured by Marlborough’s overbearing personality and military stature, Godolphin’s management provided the base for the duke’s brilliant initial victories in the War of the Spanish Succession. The same quiet diplomatic skill is imprinted on the agreement to unify England and Scotland, an achievement that not only brought increased trade revenues but also, by eliminating England’s only land frontier, raised the country’s sights toward international imperialism.

Though his personality and that of Queen Anne, along with his close association with the stellar Marlborough, make Godolphin one of English history’s least-known major figures, his accomplishments and responsibilities established him as the prototype of the prime minister. It is at least doubtful that the office itself could have evolved when it did had Godolphin not consolidated so much authority in his own hands. It was not until England was ruled by a truly apathetic monarch (George I) that the actual office of prime minister could flourish; its longevity is Godolphin’s legacy.

Bibliography

Coxe, William. Memoirs of the Duke of Marlborough. 3 vols. London: George Ball and Sons, 1908. Includes many of the earl of Godolphin’s letters to the duke of Marlborough.

Dickinson, William Calvin. Sidney Godolphin, Lord Treasurer, 1702-1710. Lewiston, N.Y.: E. Mellen Press, 1990. Focuses on Godolphin’s service to Queen Anne, demonstrating how he essentially functioned as Great Britain’s first prime minister.

Evelyn, John. The Life of Mrs. Godolphin. Edited by Harriet Sampson. London: Oxford University Press, 1939. Offers insight into Mrs. Godolphin’s view of her husband and their courtship and marriage. The biographical supplement in the appendix offers helpful material on various relatives and friends of the Godolphins.

Holmes, Geoffrey. British Politics in the Age of Anne. New York: Macmillan, 1967. A comprehensive view of the rise of the parties, with a helpful index and appendices.

Levin, Sir Tresham. Godolphin: His Life and Times. London: John Murray, 1952. Concentrates on Godolphin’s life from 1662, when he arrived at court, until his death. Needs to be read with supplementary sources (such as Geoffrey Holmes and Robert Walcott) for an accurate picture of the political background.

Sundstrom, Roy A. Sidney Godolphin: Servant of the State. Newark: University of Delaware Press, 1992. Examines the unprecedented power Godolphin wielded as minister to Queen Anne. Recounts his political successes, including his overhaul of the treasury and his ability to generate the revenue needed to finance Britain’s participation in the War of the Spanish Succession.

Walcott, Robert. English Politics in the Early Eighteenth Century. New York: Russell and Russell, 1972. Detailed and valuable as a supplement. Differs in approach and conclusions from Holmes; the two works should be read together for a broad view.