Stephen Goffe, C.O. (Gough) (b. 1605; d. at Paris,

Christmas Day Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A liturgical feast central to Christianity, Chri ...

, 1681), was a Royalist agent of the

Wars of the Three Kingdoms The Wars of the Three Kingdoms were a series of conflicts fought between 1639 and 1653 in the kingdoms of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland, then separate entities in a personal union un ...

, and later an Oratorian priest.

Life

Goffe was educated at

Merton College, Oxford Merton College (in full: The House or College of Scholars of Merton in the University of Oxford) is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 126 ...

, becoming M.A. in 1627. He took orders and became chaplain to Colonel Vere's regiment in the Low Countries. Subsequently,

Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of St Albans Henry Jermyn, 1st Earl of Saint Albans (25 March 1605 (Baptism, baptised) – January 1684) was an English Cavaliers, Royalist politician, diplomat, courtier and property developer. Jermyn sat in the House of Commons of England, House of Commo ...

obtained Goffe's appointment as one of the chaplains to

Charles I of England Charles I (19 November 1600 – 30 January 1649) was King of Kingdom of England, England, Kingdom of Scotland, Scotland, and Kingdom of Ireland, Ireland from 27 March 1625 until Execution of Charles I, his execution in 1649. Charles was born ...

, in which capacity he was created D.D. in 1636. He was often employed in secret negotiations in France, Flanders, and Holland. He was rector of Herstmonceaux from 1639. During the Civil War Goffe was arrested and charged with attempting to rescue the king, then a prisoner at

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Listed building, Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. Opened to the public, the palace is managed by Historic Royal ...

. After the execution of the king (whose death-warrant was signed by Stephen's brother William), he went to France, where he became a Catholic. Dodd and other Catholics have disproved the story that the Sorbonne admitted the validity of his Anglican orders. Goffe became a member of the Oratory of Jesus and Mary (French Oratory) 14 January 1651, at Notre-Dame-des Vertues near Paris, where he became superior in 1655. Here he helped English exiles, both Protestants and Catholics, using his influence with

Queen Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria of France ( French: ''Henriette Marie''; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until his execution on 30 January 1649. She was ...

on their behalf; and on her appointment he acted as tutor to the young

Duke of Monmouth Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they ar ...

. Goffe was a learned man and maintained a correspondence with Vossius and other scholars. Some of his letters were printed by Paulus Colomesius (Paul Colomiès) in 1690, and others, still in manuscript, are in the

British Museum The British Museum is a Museum, public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is the largest in the world. It documents the story of human cu ...

(Addit. MS. 6394).

Family

He was the son of Stephen Goffe, Protestant rector of Stanmer in

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, and brother of William Goffe. He outlived his wife Penelope Blount, daughter of Sir Saint John Blount KB.

References

Charles Dodd Hugh Tootell (1671/72 – 27 February 1743) was an English Catholic historian. He is commonly known under his pseudonym Charles Dodd. Life Tootell was born in Lancashire. He was tutored by his uncle, Christopher Tootle, before studying wi ...

, ''Church History'' (Brussels, 1737–41), III, 305 * Clarendon, ''History of the Rebellion'' (1702–04) *

John Lingard John Lingard (5 February 1771 – 17 July 1851) was an English people, English Catholic Church, Catholic priest and historian, the author of ''The History of England, From the First Invasion by the Romans to the Accession of Henry VIII'', an ei ...

, "History of England" (London, 1849), VIII, 191 *Edgar Edmund Estcourt, "Question of Anglican Orders Discussed" (London, 1973) *

Joseph Gillow Joseph Gillow (5 October 1850, Preston, Lancashire – 17 March 1921, Westholme, Hale, Cheshire) was an English Roman Catholic antiquary, historian and bio-bibliographer, "the Plutarch of the English Catholics". Biography Born in Frenchwood Ho ...

, "Bibl. Dict. Eng. Cath.", s.v. *

Thompson Cooper Thompson Cooper (8 January 1837 – 5 March 1904) was an English journalist, man of letters, and compiler of reference works. He became a specialist in biographical information, and is noted as the most prolific contributor to the Victorian e ...

in ''

Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

'', s.v. He also published in 1646 under the title ''The Lord George Digby's Cabinet and Dr. Goff's negotiations.''

Notes

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Goffe, Stephen 1605 births 1681 deaths 17th-century English Anglican priests Anglican priest converts to Roman Catholicism 17th-century English Roman Catholic priests Oratorians Alumni of Merton College, Oxford