Margaret Godolphin

Margaret Godolphin
Margaret Godolphin by maybe Mary Beale
Born	Margaret Blagge 2 August 1652
Died	9 September 1678 Whitehall
Residence	Berkeley House
Nationality	British
Known for	being mentored by John Evelyn

Margaret Godolphin (2 August 1652 – 9 September 1678) was a British courtier. She chose John Evelyn as a mentor and died after childbirth. His account of her life was not published until 1847.

Life

Margaret Blagge was probably born in London on 2 August 1652 to Colonel Thomas Blagge and his wife. Her father who was a Royalist died in 1660.

In about 1666 she took on the role of Maid of Honour to Anne Hyde who was the Duchess of York. When the duchess died in 1671 she was employed in the same role by the Queen.

She chose John Evelyn as a mentor and "spiritual father" in 1672. Margaret was twenty and Evelyn was 52 and he advised her on religious learning and worship.^[1] Evelyn would write a book about her life.^[2]

She married Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin on 16 May 1676 when she was a maid of court and he was one of the most important politicians in England.

Godolphin gave birth to Francis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin on the 3 September 1678 and due to complications she died in Whitehall on 9 September.

Legacy

Godolphin was buried at Breage Parish Church in Cornwall some days later.^[1] An account of her life was written by John Evelyn and this was passed down through his family to Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt who was the Bishop of York. He arranged for it to be published in 1847 with the assistance of the Bishop of Oxford.^[3]

References

1. W. Calvin Dickinson, ‘Godolphin , Margaret (1652–1678)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 23 Dec 2014
2. "The life of Mrs. Godolphin - John Evelyn, Samuel Wilberforce - Google Books". Google.co.uk. Retrieved 2014-12-23.
3.  Godolphin, Margaret (DNB00). Wikisource.