Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin

Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin , KG , (born June 15, 1645 in Breage , Cornwall , † September 15, 1712 in St Albans , Hertfordshire ) was one of the leading British politicians of the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. His father was Francis Godolphin of Godolphin . He came from an old family from the county Cornwall, whose family seat, the Godolphin House near Helston in the former District Kerrier was. The family Godolphin was their lineage to the time of the Norman conquest of England by 1066 William I. traced.

Life

Sidney Godolphin around 1705

At the time of the Restoration , Godolphin was introduced to the royal court by King Charles II of England and was registered in the House of Commons as a member for Helston , Cornwall. Although he spoke very rarely to the House of Commons, and when he did, only in a very brief form, he soon gained a reputation as a senior member, particularly financially. In March 1679 he became a member of the Privy Council and the High Treasury appointed and in September along with Viscount Laurence Hyde, later 1st Earl of Rochester , and Robert Spencer, 2nd Earl of Sunderland in the Chief Management for Affairs appointed. Although Godolphin had voted for the Exclusion Bill in 1680 , he was confirmed in office after Sunderland's dismissal. In September 1684 he was made Baron Godolphin (of Rialton in the County of Cornwall) and succeeded Rochester in office as First Lord of the Treasury .

After the accession of James II. Sidney was appointed Chamberlain (Chamberlain) of the Queen Mary and enjoyed along with Rochester and Sunderland the special confidence of the king. Therefore, he was also appointed by the king to the Council of five (Council of Five), who should represent him in the time of his absence in London, when he was 1688 after the landing of Prince William III. of Orange , led an army against this. Sidney later entered negotiations with the prince on behalf of the king, along with Halifax and Nottingham.

After the Glorious Revolution , the overthrow of James II and the enthronement of William as William III. of England Godolphin was reduced to a simple member of the High Treasury, but retained his political influence, so that after his retirement from the High Treasury in March 1690, he was recalled as First Lord of the Treasury the following November. He finally held this office until May 1697. That year Godolphin saw himself because of the murder attempt on William III. forced to submit his resignation. But when the Tories came to power in 1700 , he became First Lord of the Treasury for another year. After Queen Anne , daughter of James II, ascended the throne in 1702 , Godolphin was reappointed to the Treasury on the recommendation of John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough , this time as Lord High Treasurer , although he was not necessarily a favorite of the Queen was considered. 1704 Godolphin was a Knight of the Garter (KG) in the Order of the Garter was added and finally in December 1706 for Viscount Rialton and Earl of Godolphin levied.

Though Tory, Godolphin was a major contributor to the gradual dominance of the Whigs in league with Marlborough. Although he and Marlborough soon lost the Queen's favor, their services were so valued by the nation that they continued to maintain their influence. In 1708 the Queen succeeded in ousting Marlborough and on August 7, 1710, Godolphin was removed from office.

Sidney Godolphin owed his rise and great influence not least to his own financial skills. He received Marlborough's support and encouragement mainly because the latter had recognized that Sydney's financial skills were an essential requirement for the continuation of England's wars. Contemporaries described Godolphin as cool, reserved, cautious, and very concerned about his own advancement. Still, he has rarely drawn any personal financial gain from his position of power, and despite his known preferences for horse racing, cards, and cockfighting, his lifestyle has been modest. He left a fortune of £ 12,000 on his death in 1712.

Godolphin married Margaret Blagge on May 16, 1675, who died in 1678 giving birth to his only son Francis, and later married again. Francis Godolphin inherited him as 2nd Earl of Godolphin and later became 1st Baron Godolphin of Helston.

literature

• Hugh Frederick Hislop Elliot: The Life of Sidney: Earl of Godolphin, KG, Lord High Treasurer of England… Longmans, Green, and Co., London 1888 ( archive.org ).
• KJV Sjogren: Godolphin [godå'lfin], Sydney . In: Theodor Westrin (Ed.): Nordisk familjebok konversationslexikon och realencyklopedi . 2nd Edition. tape 9 : Fruktodling – Gossensass . Nordisk familjeboks förlag, Stockholm 1908, Sp. 1390-1391 (Swedish, runeberg.org ).
• Godolphin, Sidney Godolphin, Earl of . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 12 : Gichtel - harmonium . London 1910, p. 174–175 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).
• Roy A. Sundstrom: Sidney Godolphin: Servant of the State. University of Delaware Press, Newark / London 1992, ISBN 0-87413-438-2 .

Web links

Commons : Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin on thepeerage.com

predecessor	Office	successor
New title created	Earl of Godolphin 1706-1712	Francis Godolphin
New title created	Baron Godolphin 1684-1712	Francis Godolphin