Thomas Clarence Edward Goff JP DL (28 May 1867 – 13 March 1949) was an

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the State rel ...

landowner, farmer, and politician who was a great-grandson of

King William IV William IV (William Henry; 21 August 1765 – 20 June 1837) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death in 1837. The third son of George III, William succeeded hi ...

Early life

Goff 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 ...

on 28 May 1867. He was the son of Thomas William Goff (1829–1876) and Dorothea (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

FitzClarence The FitzClarence family was an illegitimate branch of the House of Hanover. Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews, who later became William IV of the United Kingdom, King William IV of the United Kingdom, had at least ten children with ...

) Goff (1845–1870). His mother died when Goff was only three. His father, a Member of Parliament for

Roscommon Roscommon (; ; ) is the county town and the largest town in County Roscommon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is roughly in the centre of Ireland, near the meeting of the N60 road (Ireland), N60, N61 road (Ireland), N61 and N63 road (Irelan ...

and a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

in the

7th Dragoon Guards The 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards was a cavalry regiment in the British Army, first raised in 1688 as Lord Cavendish's Regiment of Horse. It was renamed as the 8th Horse in 1694 and the 7th (The Princess Royal's) Dragoon Guards for ...

, died when Goff was aged nine. Goff's maternal grandparents were the Rev.

Lord Augustus FitzClarence Lord Augustus FitzClarence (1 March 1805 – 14 June 1854), was the youngest illegitimate son of William IV of the United Kingdom and his long-time mistress Dorothea Jordan. Like his siblings, he had little contact with his mother after his pare ...

, an illegitimate son of King William IV, and Sarah Elizabeth Catharine Gordon, a granddaughter of

George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly George Gordon, 9th Marquess of Huntly, (28 June 1761 – 17 June 1853), styled Lord Strathavon until 1795 and Earl of Aboyne from 1795 to 1836, was a Scotland, Scottish peer and soldier. Early life George was the son of Charles Gordon, 4th Ear ...

. His paternal grandparents were the Reverend Thomas Goff and Anne (née Caulfeild) Goff, a granddaughter of the Ven.

John Caulfeild Colonel John Caulfeild (1661–1707), styled The Honourable from birth, was an Irish soldier and politician. He was the fourth son of the 1st Viscount Charlemont and his wife Hon. Sarah Moore, second daughter of Charles Moore, 2nd Viscount Mo ...

Archdeacon of Kilmore The Archdeacon of Kilmore is a senior ecclesiastical officer within the Diocese of Kilmore, Elphin and Ardagh. The archdeaconry can trace its history from Maelisa Mac Gillco Erain, the earliest known incumbent, who died in 1199, to the current in ...

, a niece of Lt.-Gen. James Caulfeild, and a great-granddaughter of the 1st Earl of Glandore. Goff was educated at

Eton Eton most commonly refers to Eton College, a public school in Eton, Berkshire, England. Eton may also refer to: Places *Eton, Berkshire, a town in Berkshire, England *Eton, Georgia, a town in the United States *Éton, a commune in the Meuse depa ...

and

Christ Church, Oxford Christ Church (, the temple or house, ''wikt:aedes, ædes'', of Christ, and thus sometimes known as "The House") is a Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Founded in 1546 by Henry V ...

. After leaving Oxford, "he travelled extensively abroad, both in Europe and America, and returned with a determination to devote himself to political life." His elder sister was Ethel Anne Goff, who married Henry de Courcy Agnew, a son of

Sir Andrew Agnew, 8th Baronet Sir Andrew Agnew, 8th Baronet Deputy Lieutenant, DL (2 January 1818 – 25 March 1892) was a Scottish politician and baronet. Early life Agnew was born in Edinburgh, Scotland on 2 January 1818 into the Scottish Lowlands Clan Agnew.George Edward ...

, of Lochnaw, and grandson of Charles Noel, 1st Earl of Gainsborough.Mosley, Charles, editor. ''Burke's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage, 107th edition, 3 volumes''.

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

, U.S.A.: Burke's Peerage (Genealogical Books) Ltd, 2003. p. 48.Sir Bernard Burke, editor, ''Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Landed Gentry, 7th edition'', (

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

: Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1886), volume 1, page 745

Career

Goff was a landowner in four Irish counties and farmed about 800 acres of his own land. He was a Justice of the Peace, and High Sheriff of Roscommon in 1891 and was also a

London County Council The London County Council (LCC) was the principal local government body for the County of London throughout its existence from 1889 to 1965, and the first London-wide general municipal authority to be directly elected. It covered the area today ...

lor.Bernard Burke, ''A genealogical and heraldic history of the landed gentry of Ireland'', 1912 In

1895 Events January * January 5 – Dreyfus affair: French officer Alfred Dreyfus is stripped of his army rank and sentenced to life imprisonment on Devil's Island (off French Guiana) on what is much later admitted to be a false charge of tr ...

, he was an unsuccessful Unionist candidate to represent

Buckrose Buckrose was a wapentake of the historic East Riding of Yorkshire, England consisting of the north-west part of the county; its territory is now partly in the modern East Riding and partly in North Yorkshire. Established in medieval times, it ...

in Yorkshire in the

House of Commons The House of Commons is the name for the elected lower house of the Bicameralism, bicameral parliaments of the United Kingdom and Canada. In both of these countries, the Commons holds much more legislative power than the nominally upper house of ...

, losing to the

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

candidate Angus Holden by a margin of 90 votes. In 1899, he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for

County Roscommon County Roscommon () is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the province of Connacht and the Northern and Western Region. It is the List of Irish counties by area, 11th largest Irish county by area and Li ...

. In 1890, Goff was living at Carrowroe Park in Roscommon, Ireland, a substantial limestone country house with a Doric portico, which had been occupied by the Rev. William Battersby (who held the property from the

Earl of Essex Earl of Essex is a title in the Peerage of England which was first created in the 12th century by King Stephen of England. The title has been recreated eight times from its original inception, beginning with a new first Earl upon each new cre ...

) in the 1850s. Battersby was married to Mary Maud Caulfeild, a daughter of the Ven.

and an aunt of Goff's grandmother Anne. In 1921, towards the close of the

Irish War of Independence The Irish War of Independence (), also known as the Anglo-Irish War, was a guerrilla war fought in Ireland from 1919 to 1921 between the Irish Republican Army (1919–1922), Irish Republican Army (IRA, the army of the Irish Republic) and Unite ...

, Goff purchased

The Courts The Courts Garden is an English country garden in Holt, near Trowbridge Trowbridge ( ) is the county town of Wiltshire, England; situated on the River Biss in the west of the county, close to the border with Somerset. The town lies south ...

, an early Georgian house in Holt, Wiltshire, where the Goffs further developed the gardens, which had been laid out by Sir George Hastings in the early 1900s. The gardens feature an

arboretum An arboretum (: arboreta) is a botanical collection composed exclusively of trees and shrubs of a variety of species. Originally mostly created as a section in a larger garden or park for specimens of mostly non-local species, many modern arbor ...

, working vegetable garden and orchard, a

Sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

Lawn, and a

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

temple. Queen Mary visited the Goffs at Holt. They gave the whole property to the

National Trust The National Trust () is a heritage and nature conservation charity and membership organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Trust was founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Hardwicke Rawnsley to "promote the ...

in 1943, subject to a life tenancy for their daughter, Moyra Goff, who lived in the main house until her death in 1990.

Military service

Goff served in the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

between 1915 and 1920, becoming

in The Royal Scots (Lothian Regiment). During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, Goff commanded the Holt and Staverton

Local Defence Volunteers The Home Guard (initially Local Defence Volunteers or LDV) was an unpaid armed citizen militia supporting the 'Home Forces' of the British Army during the Second World War. Operational from 1940 to 1944, the Home Guard comprised more than 1.5 ...

Personal life

On 15 April 1896, Goff married Lady Cecile Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby (1874–1960), at

St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge, is an English Grade II* listed Anglican church of the Anglo-Catholic tradition located at 32a Wilton Place in Knightsbridge, London. History and architecture The church was founded in 1843, the first in London t ...

, with John Egerton, Viscount Brackley, eldest son of the

Earl of Ellesmere Earl of Ellesmere ( ), of Ellesmere in the County of Shropshire, is a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created in 1846 for the Conservative politician Lord Francis Egerton. He was granted the subsidiary title of Viscount B ...

, acting as his best man. The wedding reception was held at 12,

Belgrave Square Belgrave Square is a large 19th-century garden square in London. It is the centrepiece of Belgravia, and its architecture resembles the original scheme of property contractor Thomas Cubitt who engaged George Basevi for all of the terraces for ...

, the Ancaster residence in London. Lady Cecile was the fourth daughter of

Gilbert Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster Gilbert Henry Heathcote-Drummond-Willoughby, 1st Earl of Ancaster, (born Heathcote 1 October 1830 – 24 December 1910), known as Lord Aveland from 1867 to 1888 and as Lord Willoughby de Eresby from 1888 to 1892, was a British Liberal politic ...

and Lady Evelyn Elizabeth Gordon, a daughter of

Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly Charles Gordon, 10th Marquess of Huntly (4 January 1792 – 18 September 1863), styled Lord Strathavon from 1794 to 1836 and Earl of Aboyne from 1836 to 1853, was a Scottish peer, politician, courtier, and cricketer. He was a Member of Parlia ...

. Their London residence was at 46

Pont Street Pont Street is a fashionable street in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, central London, London, traversing the areas of Knightsbridge and Belgravia. The street is not far from the Knightsbridge department store Harrods to its north ...

in the

Royal Borough of Kensington The Metropolitan Borough of Kensington was a metropolitan borough in the County of London from 1900 to 1965, which since 1901 was known as the Royal Borough of Kensington, following the death of Queen Victoria, in accordance with her wishes. His ...

, and they were the parents of: * (Elizabeth) Moyra Goff (1897–1990), who never married, travelled to America, and lived at

until her death in 1990; she was the subject of a 1902 portrait by

Mary Lemon Waller Mary Lemon Waller (born Mary Lemon Fowler) (1851–1931) was a British portrait painter, who specialised in child portraits. Biography Mary Lemon was born to Rev. Hugh Fowler of Burnwood, Gloucestershire. She began her education in art at a ...

. * Thomas Robert Charles Goff (1898–1975), who was educated at

and

, and studied the piano with

Irene Scharrer Irene Scharrer (2 February 188811 January 1971) was an English classical pianist. Early life and education Irene Scharrer was born in London, the daughter of Herbert Tobias Scharrer and Ida Henrietta Samuel Scharrer. She studied at the Royal ...

; he fought in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

and was admitted to the

Middle Temple The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, commonly known simply as Middle Temple, is one of the four Inns of Court entitled to Call to the bar, call their members to the English Bar as barristers, the others being the Inner Temple (with whi ...

in 1922, from where he was called as a

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

. In 1933 he formed a partnership with J. C. Cobby, a master cabinet maker, to make

clavichord The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance music, Renaissance, Baroque music, Baroque and Classical period (music), Classical eras. Historically, it was most ...

harpsichord A harpsichord is a musical instrument played by means of a musical keyboard, keyboard. Depressing a key raises its back end within the instrument, which in turn raises a mechanism with a small plectrum made from quill or plastic that plucks one ...

s and

lutes A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted. More specifically, the term "lute" commonly r ...

. He served as '' aide-de-camp'' to the

Governor-General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the advice of his or her Ca ...

and in 1959 was appointed an Officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

. In 1899, Goff's wife Lady Cecile travelled to India. In 1930 her book ''A Woman of the Tudor Age'', about her ancestress Katherine Brandon, Duchess of Suffolk, was published. Goff died on 13 March 1949, and his widow on 27 July 1960.

Arms

References

;Notes ;Sources {{DEFAULTSORT:Goff, Thomas William 1867 births 1949 deaths FitzClarence family People educated at Eton College Alumni of Christ Church, Oxford High sheriffs of Roscommon Deputy lieutenants of Roscommon Royal Scots officers Irish justices of the peace Military personnel from London British Army personnel of World War I British Home Guard officers