Charles Godolphin

Charles Godolphin (c. 1651 – 10 July 1720) was an English Tory politician, lawyer, landowner, and Member of Parliament (MP) for Helston during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. His political opinions and activity largely aligned with those of his older and more influential brother, Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin.

Early life Charles Godolphin was born in circa 1651, the fifth son of Sir Francis Godolphin and Dorothy Berkeley. The Godolphin family were prominent landowners in Cornwall, with strong political influence over the county. Godolphin was educated at Wadham College, Oxford, matriculating in 1666. He then attended the Middle Temple from 1670 to train in law. He was called to the bar in 1677, although there is no evidence that he ever practised as a barrister. In 1676, he is recorded as investing £400 in the East India Company and he later obtained a significant yield from the Royal African Company.

Political career Godolphin served under his brother, Sidney, at the Treasury, and was elected alongside Sidney as an MP for Helston in 1681. He attended the Oxford Parliament, but played no known part in it. After the dissolution of parliament, he was given a post in the stannary administration in Cornwall, which he held until his death. Godolphin was re-elected for Helston in 1685, but was again inactive in the Commons. He was elected to the Convention Parliament in 1689, during which he was appointed to eight committees and made 15 recorded speeches.

Personal life He married his cousin, Elizabeth Godolphin, on 27 June 1687. The couple had two children, both of whom died in infancy. The marriage brought Godolphin into the possession of an estate at Coulston, Wiltshire, although the couple lived mostly in St James's, London. Godolphin died on 10 July 1720 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, where a monument was erected to him, his wife and children.