Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900/Godsalve, John
GODSALVE, Sir JOHN (d. 1556), clerk of the signet, and comptroller of the mint, was the son and heir of Thomas Godsalve (d. 1542), registrar of the consistory court at Norwich and an owner of landed property in Norfolk, by his first wife Joan, who was buried with her husband in St. Stephen's, Norwich. John Godsalve was clerk of the signet (appointed before January 1531) to Henry VIII. He was present at the operations at Boulogne in 1544. In November 1532 a grant in survivorship of the office of common meter of all cloths of gold and silver tissue, &c. in the city of London was given to him and William Blakenhall. In 1547 (Edward VI) he was created knight of the Carpet, and was appointed one of the crown visitors to inquire how far the bishops had obeyed the orders of Henry VIII. During the third year of Edward VI he was comptroller of the mint (RUDING, i. 37). In 1555 he is mentioned as belonging to the St. George's Company at Norwich. He died on 20 Nov. 1556, seised of the Norfolk manors of Loddon, Inglose (in Loddon), Hockingham, Minyet's in Sething, Cautley, Thurton, Langhale, Sething, Hasingham, and Bokenham Ferry. He married (before 1531) Elizabeth Widmerpole. They had two sons. The eldest son William died without issue; their second son Thomas (d. 1587) had a son and heir Roger.
A miniature representing Sir John Godsalve armed with spear and shield, and inscribed, ‘Captum in castris ad Boloniam’ [1544?], at one time belonged to Christopher Godsalve, clerk to the victualling office under Charles I, and is now in the Bodleian Library. Blomefield (Norfolk, vii. 214) mentions a portrait of John Godsalve as being 'in the closet' at Kensington Palace.
[Blomefield's Norfolk, v. 268, 426, vii. 213, 214, &c.; Froude's Hist. of Engl., iv. chap. xxiv.; Ruding's Annals of the Coinage, i. 37; Norfolk Tour, i. 3; Letters and Papers of Henry VIII (Brewer and Gairdner), vol. iv. pt. iii. p. 3048, vol. v. Nos. 302 (ii), 348, 514, 641, 743, 1118, 1245, g. 364(33), 1598(12), and p. 753; vol. vi. No. 299 (ii) and No. 576.]Dictionary of National Biography, Errata (1904), p.137
N.B.— f.e. stands for from end and l.l. for last line
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| 50 | i | 33-35 | Godsalve, Sir John: for Blomefield . . . Kensington Palace, read A fine drawing of Godsalve, by Holbein, is in the royal collection at Windsor, and was reproduced by Bartolozzi. |