Edmund Berry Godfrey
Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey (1621-1678) was an English magistrate whose mysterious death caused anti-catholic uproar in England. Contemporary documents also spell the name Edmundbury Godfrey.
Edmund Berry Godfrey was born December 23 1621, probably in Sellinge, Kent, as a younger son of Thomas Godfrey, a member of an old Kentish family. He studied at Westminster school and at Christ Church, Oxford and after entering Grays Inn became prominent wood and coal merchant. He became a justice of the peace for Westminster and received a knighthood in September 1666 for his services during the Great Plague when he had stayed in his post regardless of the circumstances. In 1669 Godfrey was briefly imprisoned for a few days because he had king's physician, Sir Alexander Fraizer, arrested for owing him money.
Strickly Anglican, Godfrey had number of acquaintances, including Samuel Pepys and Edward Coleman, catholic secretary of the Duke of York, future James II.
In 1678 Godfrey become involved with the schemes of Titus Oates when Oates invented the Popish Plot and begun an anti-catholic campaign. Titus Oates and Israel Tonge appeared before Godfrey and asked him to take their oath that the papers they presented as evidence were based on truth.. Godfrey demanded first to know the contents of the papers and when he had received a copy on September 28, took their depositions. He might have warned Coleman of the content of the accusations.
When the Oates' accusations became public, public became concerned. Godfrey has been attributed to be concerned that he might be of the victims of the scare but made no extra security precautions. On October 12 1678 he did not return home and was found death in a ditch in the Primrose Hill on October 17. Godfrey was lying face down and had been impaled with his own sword.
Two committees unsuccessfully investigated the murder. They received conflicting statements about Godfrey's whereabouts before the murder. There was no evidence of struggle in the spot where the body had been found and Godfrey still had his money and rings. On the other hand, curious people had already trampled the ground when investigators arrived. Body was covered with bruises and circle around Godfrey's neck revealed that he had been strangled. The sword wound had not bled, meaning that Godfrey was already dead when he was impaled, maybe by 4-5 days. Authorities announced a reward of £500 for the information about the murderers.
Oates exploited the situation and encouraged the public perception that the murder was the work of catholic plotters. There was a commemorative dagger and medal, preaches and pamphlets.
Later "Captain" William Bedloe, who claimed to be "reformed" catholic plotter, claimed that he had been taken to Somerset House on the night of October 14 to see the body of Godfrey (although in the previous day he had claimed just the opposite). He said he had seen two men, including Samuel Atkins, secretary to Samuel Pepys. Atkins was arrested but was able to prove that he had been on a yacht at Greenwich at that time. Bedloe claimed that catholic plotters had killed Godfrey in order to steal his papers about the depositions (note that the witnesses whose words had been recorded were still alive). He changed his story several times afterwards but the House of Lords retained him as a witness.
On December 21, Miles Prance, Catholic silversmith who had worked in the Somerset House, was arrested and taken to Newgate prison. His landlord John Wren testified that he had been away for the four nights before the Godfrey's body was discovered. Bedloe claimed to recognize him.
In December 23-24 Prance announced that he had had a part in the murder but that the main instigators were some catholic priests. Three of the priests would have witnessed the murder in the courtyard of Somerset House where Godfrey had been lured. Godfrey would have been strangled and body taken to Hampstead. Prance named three men, Robert Green, Lawrence Hill and Henry Berry, who were arrested.
Prance later recanted his confession before the king and the council and was thrown back to prison. As a result he recanted his recantation and recanted two more times, ending up verifying his original story. The three men were sentenced to death February 5 1679 and hanged.
Prance's story was later discredited and he pled guilty to perjury. Because the three men were executed on false evidence, the murder remains unsolved.
There are many theories of what really happened to Sir Godfrey and who killed him. He might have been murdered either by Catholics, who could have been afraid that he knew some of their real secrets; Supporters of Oates because of his contacts to Catholics or because he knew Oates was lying: or just by random muggers. Some claim suicide, either because Godfrey was in a quandary between Catholics and Anglicans and, due to his contacts to Coleman, possibly under suspicion or just because of his melancholy nature. L'Estrange (1687) claimed that Godfrey had hanged himself; his brothers would have concealed the evidence lest his estate had been forfeit.
