Margaret Godolphin

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Margaret Godolphin
Margaret Godolphin by Matthew Dixon, 1673
Born
Margaret Blagge

2 August 1652
Died9 September 1678(1678-09-09) (aged 26)
Whitehall, London, England
Burial placeBreage Parish Church, Cornwall
NationalityBritish
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1676)​
ChildrenFrancis Godolphin, 2nd Earl of Godolphin
ParentThomas Blagge


Margaret Godolphin (née Blagge; 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 the Royalist Colonel Thomas Blagge and his wife. Coming from an established, but not-affluent, gentry background, the Blagge's maintained strong connections with the exiled English court. Margaret served in the household of the Queen-Mother, Henrietta Maria, and accompanied her back to England at the Restoration. Thomas Blagge died in 1660, leaving the family with significant financial difficulties.

In about 1666 she took on the role of Maid of Honour to Anne Hyde, the Duchess of York. Her elder sister previously held a position in the Duchess's household, where she was quickly married. When the duchess died in 1671 she was employed in the same role by the Queen, Catherine of Braganza. As a Maid of Honor, Margaret was responsible for entertaining the Queen, and "adorning the Court". She lived at Whitehall with other young, unmarried women from noble families. Maids of Honor received a small salary of £20 annually in addition to accommodation, but were expected to provide their own clothing. They also received a dowry paid for by the Treasury upon leaving Royal Service. While typically, Maids of Honour would marry and retire from service in one to two years, Margaret held her post for ten years.

Platonic Friendship

She chose John Evelyn as a mentor and "spiritual father" in 1672, though the pair first met in 1669, when she approached him to assist with her financial affairs.[1] Margaret was twenty and Evelyn was 52 and he advised her on religious learning and worship.[2] Evelyn would write a book about her life.[3] Compared to other Maids of Honor and courteirs at the time, Margaret was exceptionally devout. This became a continuous joke amongst courtiers, and in

Marriage

She married Sidney Godolphin on 16 May 1676 in a private religious ceremony. Initially, the pair kept their marriage a secret from the court and their families. Mary reminded in Royal Service and retained her maiden name. He would later become one of the most important politicians in England. Godolphin gave birth to Francis Godolphin on 3 September 1678, and due to complications resulting from the birth, she died in Whitehall on 9 September, and was transported to her husband's family estate in Cornwall for burial.

Legacy

Godolphin was buried at Breage Parish Church in Cornwall some days later.[2] An account of her life was written by John Evelyn in a manuscript form and this was passed down through his family to Edward Venables-Vernon-Harcourt, who was the Archbishop of York. He arranged for it to be published in 1847 with the assistance of the Bishop of Oxford.[4]

References

  1. ^ Harris, Frances (2002). Transformations of love: the friendship of John Evelyn and Margaret Godolphin (1. publ ed.). Oxford [u.a]: Oxford Univ. Press. ISBN 978-0-19-925257-2.
  2. ^ a b W. Calvin Dickinson, ‘Godolphin, Margaret (1652–1678)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 23 Dec 2014
  3. ^ Evelyn, John (1847). "The life of Mrs. Godolphin - John Evelyn, Samuel Wilberforce - Google Books". Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. ^ "Godolphin, Margaret" . Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900.


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