Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey (23 December 1621 - 12 October 1678) was an English magistrate whose mysterious death caused anti-Catholic uproar in England. Contemporary documents also spell the name Edmundbury Godfrey. December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... Events February 9 - Gregory XV is elected pope. ... October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Royal motto (French): Dieu et mon droit (Translated: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ... A magistrate is a judicial officer with limited authority to administer and enforce the law. ...

Edmund Berry Godfrey was probably born in Sellinge, Kent, as a younger son of Thomas Godfrey, a member of an old Kentish family. He studied at Westminster school and at Christ Church, Oxford and after entering Gray's Inn became prominent wood and coal merchant. He became a justice of the peace for Westminster and received a knighthood in September 1666 for his services during the Great Plague when he had stayed in his post regardless of the circumstances. In 1669 Godfrey was briefly imprisoned for a few days because he had king's physician, Sir Alexander Fraizer, arrested for owing him money. Kent is a county in England, south-east of London. ... There are several people named Thomas Godfrey: Thomas Godfrey (inventor) was the inventor of the sextant Thomas Godfrey (writer) was an author and poet This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... Motto: Dat Deus Incrementum The Royal College of St. ... Christ Church is the name of various churches and cathedrals, usually Protestant, named after Jesus Christ himself. ... Oxford is a city and local government district in Oxfordshire, England, with a population of 134,248 (2001 census). ... Grays Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in around the Royal Courts of Justice in London, England to which barristers belong and where they are called to the bar. ... A Justice of the Peace (JP) is a magistrate appointed by a commission to keep the peace, dispense summary justice and deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions. ... Westminster is the area located immediately to the west of the ancient City of London, in the centre of the wider conurbation of London. ... A statue of an armoured knight of the Middle Ages For the chess piece, see knight (chess). ... Events September 2 - Great Fire of London: A large fire breaks out in London in the house of Charles IIs baker on Pudding Lane near London Bridge. ... Plague is usually understood as a generic term for Bubonic plague, the mortal disease caused by the bacillus Yersinia pestis, which is spread by fleas from rats and some species of mice to human beings. ...

Strictly Anglican in religion, Godfrey had number of Catholic acquaintances, including Samuel Pepys and Edward Coleman, Catholic secretary of the Duke of York, the future James II. The term Anglican describes those people and churches following the religious traditions of the Church of England, especially following the Reformation. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Edward Coleman (d. ... James II of England and VII of Scotland ( 14 October 1633–16 September 1701 ) became King of England, King of Scots, and King of Ireland from 6 February 1685. ...

In 1678 Godfrey become involved with the schemes of Titus Oates when Oates invented the Popish Plot and begun an anti-Catholic campaign. Titus Oates and Israel Tonge appeared before Godfrey and asked him to take their oath that the papers they presented as evidence were based on truth. Godfrey demanded first to know the contents of the papers and when he had received a copy on September 28, took their depositions. He might have warned Coleman of the content of the accusations. Titus Oates. ... The Popish Plot was an alleged Catholic conspiracy. ...

When Oates's accusations became known, the public became concerned. Godfrey has been supposed to have been concerned that he might be one of the victims of the scare but made no extra security precautions. On October 12, 1678 he did not return home and was found dead in a ditch in the Primrose Hill on October 17. Godfrey was lying face down and had been impaled with his own sword. October 12 is the 285th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (286th in leap years). ... Events August 10 - Treaty of Nijmegen ends the Dutch War. ... Primrose Hill is a hill located on the north side of Regents Park and giving a very fine view of central London. ... October 17 is the 290th (in leap years the 291st) day of the year according to the Gregorian calendar. ...

Two committees unsuccessfully investigated the murder. They received conflicting statements about Godfrey's whereabouts before the murder. There was no evidence of struggle in the spot where the body had been found and Godfrey still had his money and rings. On the other hand, curious people had already trampled the ground when investigators arrived. The body was covered with bruises and a circular mark around Godfrey's neck revealed that he had been strangled. The sword wound had not bled, meaning that Godfrey was already dead when he was impaled, maybe by 4-5 days. Authorities announced a reward of £500 for the information about the murderers. Asphyxia is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body. ...

Oates exploited the situation and encouraged the public perception that the murder was the work of Catholic plotters. There was a commemorative dagger and medal, sermons and pamphlets.

Later "Captain" William Bedloe, who claimed to be a "reformed" Catholic plotter, claimed that he had been taken to Somerset House on the night of October 14 to see the body of Godfrey (although in the previous day he had claimed just the opposite). He said he had seen two men, including Samuel Atkins, secretary to Samuel Pepys. Atkins was arrested but was able to prove that he had been on a yacht at Greenwich at that time. Bedloe claimed that Catholic plotters had killed Godfrey in order to steal his papers about the depositions (note that the witnesses whose words had been recorded were still alive). He changed his story several times afterwards but the House of Lords retained him as a witness. William Bedloe (April 20, 1650 - August 20, 1680), English informer, was born at Chepstow. ... Somerset House in London Somerset House in London Somerset House is a large building situated on the south side of The Strand in central London, overlooking the River Thames, just east of Waterloo Bridge. ... This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Greenwich (pronounced gren-itch , or by the locals) is a town, now part of the south eastern urban sprawl of London, on the south bank of the river Thames in the London Borough of Greenwich. ... This article is about the British House of Lords. ...

On December 21, Miles Prance, Catholic silversmith who had worked in the Somerset House, was arrested and taken to Newgate prison. His landlord John Wren testified that he had been away for the four nights before the Godfrey's body was discovered. Bedloe claimed to recognize him. December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

In December 23-24 Prance announced that he had had a part in the murder but that the main instigators were some Catholic priests. Three of the priests would have witnessed the murder in the courtyard of Somerset House where Godfrey had been lured. Godfrey would have been strangled and body taken to Hampstead. Prance named three men, Robert Green, Lawrence Hill and Henry Berry, who were arrested. December 23 is the 357th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (358th in leap years). ... December 24 is the 358th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (359th in leap years). ... Hampstead is a place in the London Borough of Camden and near to Hampstead Heath. ...

Prance later recanted his confession before the king and the council and was thrown back to prison. As a result he recanted his recantation and recanted two more times, ending up verifying his original story. The three men were sentenced to death February 5, 1679 and hanged at Greenberry Hill. February 5 is the 36th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 24 - King Charles II of England disbands Parliament August 7 - The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by René Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, is towed to the southern end of the Niagara River, to become the first ship to sail the upper Great Lakes. ...

Prance's story was later discredited and he pleaded guilty to perjury. Because the three men were executed on false evidence, the murder remains unsolved. Perjury is lying or making verifiably false statements under oath in a court of law. ...

There are many theories of what really happened to Sir Godfrey and who killed him. He might have been murdered either by Catholics, who could have been afraid that he knew some of their real secrets; supporters of Oates because of his contacts to Catholics or because he knew Oates was lying: or just by random muggers. Some claim suicide, either because Godfrey was in a quandary between Catholics and Anglicans and, due to his contacts to Coleman, possibly under suspicion or just because of his melancholy nature. L'Estrange (1687) claimed that Godfrey had hanged himself; his brothers would have concealed the evidence lest his estate had been forfeit. It has also been surmised that the Whig leaders were responsible, partly because they understood how much he knew of the falsehood of the plot, and partly because his death could so easily and so usefully be blamed on the Catholics. This page concerns suicide. ...