Relhan Collection : 295 Stapleford church. Hatchment of Francis Earl Godolphin

Relhan, Richard, 1782-1844

Relhan Collection

<p style='text-align: justify;'><p>Pasted overlapping a separate label, ‘Representation of the Escutcheon of Arms of Francis Earl Godolphin in Stapleford Church he Married Henrietta Eldest daughter of the famous John Churchill Duke of Marlborough and after the decease of her Father became Duchess of Marlborough and died in the year 1733. Earl Godolphin Extinct in 1765’. Underneath this there is a small cutting of a printed version of the Godolphin arms. Francis Godolphin Osborne, Earl Godolphin and 5th Duke of Leeds, was born 1751, son of Mary Godolphin and Thomas Osborne 4th Duke of Leeds, and was heir to both powerful families. He married Amelia Darcy, daughter of the Earl of Holderness and then Catherine, daughter of Thomas Anguish. His grandfather, Francis, 2nd Earl of Godolphin had bought Sternes Manor, which contained Wandlebury and where he built Gogmagog House (<b>10</b>), (<b>9</b>) from the Halton (<b>6</b>) family in 1734. This Earl and Duke was a politician, MP for various boroughs but was never accepted for Cambridge and later sat in the House of Lords. He was Foreign Secretary under William Pitt the Younger 1783-1791, but left politics after quarrelling with him over his Russian policy. While in the Lords he was an enemy of Lord North, then Prime Minister and also his neighbour at Kirtling (<b>236</b>), was unsuccessful in dealings with the new USA, antagonistic to France and generally not considered a successful statesman. Bell records a hatchment – gules an eagle with 2 heads displayed between 3 fleur de lis argent, but this had been lost by 1982. </p><p>Bell 2013; VCH 1982; Wikipedia</p></p>