Godfrey de Foljambe
Sir Godfrey de Foljambe was a landowner and politician in fourteenth-century England, who was a Baron of the Exchequer and chief steward of the duchy of Lancaster. He went on to have a successful career as an Irish judge, including three years as Lord [Chief Justice of Ireland]. He was initially a servant of Philippa of Hainault before becoming a prominent member of the affinity of her son, John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. His tomb can still be seen at All Saints Church, Bakewell.
Life
He was born in Tideswell, Derbyshire in 1317, the fourth son of Sir Thomas de Foljambe and Alice Foljambe. The Foljambe family were Lords of the Manor of Tideswell and also held lands at Darley Dale. Godfrey succeeded to the family estates after the death of his three elder brothers, Thomas de Foljambe, Lord John de Foljambe, and Hugh de Foljambe. He also acquired the manor of Bakewell, where he founded a chantry.He sat in the House of Commons as knight of the shire for Derbyshire in several of the Parliaments of King Edward III. In 1344 he went to Ireland as a Baron of the Court of Exchequer (Ireland), and was quickly transferred to the Court of [King's Bench (Ireland)]. He was very much the personal choice of Sir Ralph d'Ufford, the Justiciar of Ireland, who in his short period as Governor General sought to pack the Irish administration with his own men. He served as Lord Chief Justice of Ireland from 1351 to 1354.
On his return to England, he sat regularly on commissions for the peace in Derbyshire and Lancashire. He enjoyed the trust and confidence of John of Gaunt, for whom he acted in numerous administrative capacities, including steward for the Duchy of Lancaster. In his later years, he drew an annuity of £40 in addition to his salary from Gaunt. For a number of years he held a lease on a substantial part of Newcastle-under-Lyme for which he paid £127 p.a. to John of Gaunt. He died 29 May 1376, Bakewell, Derbyshire.