Francis Godolphin (1540–1608)

For other people named Francis Godolphin, see Francis Godolphin.

Sir Francis Godolphin (1540–1608) was an English Member of Parliament.

Life

The nephew of Sir William Godolphin, who left no male issue, he succeeded to his uncle's estates early in Queen Elizabeth's reign. He was one of the leading citizens of Cornwall, described by that county's 17th century historian, Richard Carew, as one "whose zeal in religion, uprightness in justice, providence in government, and plentiful housekeeping, have won him a very great and reverent reputation in his country". (The Survey of Cornwall, 1602, quoted in Burke's Extinct Peerage).

His father, Thomas, had been governor of the Scilly Isles and they were leased to Francis who became governor in his turn (see Governors of Scilly). On royal instructions he improved the defences of the islands which were, in Carew's words "reduced to a more defensible plight by him, who with his invention and purse, bettered his plot and allowance, and therein so tempered strength and delight, and both with use, as it serveth for a sure hold, and a commodious dwelling." Chief among this work of fortification was the building of Star Castle. He was also an innovative manager of Cornwall's tin mines, his inventions greatly increasing their productivity by extracting metal from material; that would previously have been discarded as refuse, so materially improving both the prosperity of Cornwall and the revenue that the Crown derived from it.

Sir Francis represented Cornwall in the Parliament of 1588-9 and Lostwithiel in that of 1593; he was also twice High Sheriff of Cornwall (1580 and 1604), Custos Rotulorum for a number of years, and Vice-Warden of the Stannaries from 1584 to 1603.

Family

Godolphin married Margaret Killigrew, daughter of Sir John Killigrew of Arwennack and accused pirate Elizabeth Trewinnard; and two of his sons, Sir William (his heir) and Sir Francis, followed him in becoming Members of Parliament. His daughter Thomasine married George Carew.

As a widower he married Alice Skerret (1545-1632) of Tavistock, Devon widow of Sir John Glanville (judge) (1542-1600)

In fiction

In the historical novel The Grove of Eagles, by Winston Graham, Godolphin is shown as a sympathetic figure. The main characters are the family of his first wife, the Killigrews: both out of family feeling and his concern for law and order, Godolphin warns them that their reputation for piracy will lead them into ruin.

References

• Burke's Extinct Peerage (London: Henry Colburn & Richard Bentley, 1831) [1]
• 'The Scilly Islands', Magna Britannia: volume 3: Cornwall (1814), pp. 330–337. [2]
• D Brunton & D H Pennington, Members of the Long Parliament (London: George Allen & Unwin, 1954)

Political offices
Preceded by William Lower	High Sheriff of Cornwall 1580	Succeeded by John Arundell
Preceded by Anthony Rous	High Sheriff of Cornwall 1604	Succeeded by Nicholas Prideaux
Preceded by Peter Edgcumbe	Custos Rotulorum of Cornwall 1597–1606	Succeeded by The Earl of Pembroke
Preceded by The Earl of Bedford	Lord Lieutenant of Cornwall jointly with Richard Carew, Sir William Mohun, and Peter Edgcumbe 1586–1587	Succeeded by Sir Walter Raleigh
Parliament of England
Preceded by Peter Edgcumbe Sir William Mohun	Member of Parliament for Cornwall with Peter Edgcumbe 1588–1589	Succeeded by Peter Edgcumbe William Bevil
Preceded by William Fitzwilliams William Gardiner	Member of Parliament for Lostwithiel with John Beal 1593	Succeeded by William Cornwallis John Cooke
Honorary titles
Preceded by (newly established)	Governor of the Isles of Scilly 1568−1608	Succeeded by William Godolphin