Daniel Ford Goddard

Rt Hon. Sir Daniel Ford Goddard PC JP (17 January 1850 – 6 May 1922 ) was a British civil engineer, businessman and Liberal Party politician who served as a Member of Parliament (MP) for Ipswich from 1895 to 1918. He was also Mayor of Ipswich from 1891 to 1892.

Background Goddard was the son of Ebenezer Goddard, C.E., J.P., of Ipswich, Suffolk, and his wife Annie, née Ford. He was educated privately at Ipswich and then at Hastings under Dr Martin Reed. He married Lucy Corsbie in 1874. She died in 1875, and in 1877 he married Elizabeth Harwood.

Professional career In 1867 Goddard was articled to Messrs E. R. and J. Turner, engineers, Ipswich. He was an associate member of the Institution of Civil Engineers. He studied Chemistry with Professors Sibson and Heisch in London and Newcastle. He worked as an Assistant Engineer from 1872 to 1877 and then succeeded his father as Engineer and Secretary of the Ipswich Gas Company from 1877 to 1887. He was a director of several companies. He was Chairman of Directors for the Ipswich Gas Company from 1887. In 1896 he founded and built the Ipswich Social Settlement.

Political career

Goddard was first elected to Ipswich Borough Council in 1886 serving until 1895. He was appointed an alderman of Ipswich in 1895, In 1892 he was appointed as a Justice of the peace for Ipswich. He won the seat in 1895.

Unsurprisingly, as a local man and former city mayor, Goddard polled 167 votes more than his running mate, Soames. Three years later, Goddard and Soames had another opportunity to unseat the Conservatives at the 1895 general election. Goddard was successful, topping the poll, but Soames was third, 43 votes behind the leading Conservative. At the 1900 general election, Goddard sought re-election and this time had a new Liberal running mate in Noel Buxton. Goddard again topped the poll but again, the sitting Conservative MP came second ahead of Buxton. For the 1906 general election, Goddard stood again as Liberal candidate and again with a new Liberal running mate in Felix Cobbold. Unlike Soames and Buxton, Cobbold had stronger ties to Ipswich, making him a better fit as candidate. Goddard and Cobbold were both easily elected in the year of the Liberal landslide. Once again, Goddard topped the poll. In 1907 Dod's Parliamentary Companion described him as being in favour of electoral reform, poor law reform, licensing reform, the disestablishment of the State Church in Wales and the abolition of the House of Lords veto.

His Ipswich colleague Felix Cobbold died in December 1909 just weeks before the January 1910 general election. The Liberals selected Silvester Horne to run with Goddard at the election. Both seats were retained with Goddard at the top of the poll. The two repeated their January 1910 election victory at the general election of December 1910, with Goddard topping the poll.

In 1914, Silvester Horne died suddenly causing a vacancy. The 1914 Ipswich by-election was set to elect his replacement. The Liberals chose government minister Charles Masterman as candidate. Masterman, who had no connection with Ipswich, had lost his seat earlier in the year and was in a hurry to get back into parliament. However, the by-election went badly for the Liberals and a Unionist won the seat.

Another general election was required to take place before the end of 1915. He had been re=selected to run again as Liberal candidate for Ipswich. However, due to the outbreak of war in 1914, the election was deferred. He was sworn in as a Privy Councillor on 27 Jan 1916.

He continued as an MP until the 1918 general election, when Ipswich's parliamentary representation was reduced to one seat and he did not seek re-election. Although only 68, he did not stand for parliament again, and died four years later.

Electoral record