Elizabeth Godfrey, also known as Eliza Godfrey and Elizabeth Buteux (active c. 1720–1766), was an English gold- and

silversmith A silversmith is a metalworker who crafts objects from silver. The terms ''silversmith'' and ''goldsmith'' are not exact synonyms, as the techniques, training, history, and guilds are (or were, at least) largely the same but differed in that t ...

. She has been called "the most outstanding woman goldsmith of her generation."

Early life

The daughter of Simon Pantin, a renowned silversmith himself, Godfrey was born in

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and is believed to have been trained in her father's workshop.

Career

Despite obvious success as an artist in her own right, her work has been largely periodised by her marriages to men. Godfrey married twice, both times to silversmiths with whom she shared her business in London. In 1720 she wed Abraham Buteux. After his death eleven years later, Godfrey began to run the firm on her own. She later married Benjamin Godfrey, who is believed to have been in her employ. He died in 1741, at which point she again began to head the business by herself, a period in which her firm's skill at producing increasingly popular Rococo aesthetics garnered loyal clientele. Until recently, Godfrey was thought to have been active until 1758. However, recent research has revealed that she was active until at least 1766. This was a period when many women traders were active in London, and the luxury trades were a sector in which they were particularly successful. Godfrey was, for instance, a contemporary of

Hester Bateman Hester Bateman (baptism, bap. 1708 – 16 September 1794) was an English silversmith, renowned for her high quality flatware and ornamental silverware. A craftswoman working within the family business, she was succeeded in turn by her sons, daugh ...

. Her works were known for their high quality and sophisticated style. Godfrey described herself on

trade card A trade card is a small card, similar to a visiting card, formerly distributed to advertise businesses. Larger than modern business cards, they could be rectangular or square, and often featured maps useful for locating a business in the days ...

s as "Goldsmith, Silversmith, and Jeweller, homakes and sells all sorts of plates, jewels, and watches, in the newest taste at the most reasonable rates." Her patrons included a number of

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

s and their families— notably the

Duke of Cumberland Duke of Cumberland is a peerage title that was conferred upon junior members of the British royal family, named after the historic county of Cumberland. History The Earldom of Cumberland, created in 1525, became extinct in 1643. The dukedom w ...

. Her work was influenced by French Huguenot traditions of silversmithing.

Gallery

File:Godfrey Inkstand MIA 5615.jpg, ''Inkstand''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Godfrey, Elizabeth English goldsmiths English silversmiths British women artists Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown Year of birth uncertain Women silversmiths 18th-century English businesspeople 18th-century English businesswomen