56 Facts About Benjamin Godwin

Reverend Benjamin Godwin was a Baptist clergyman, abolitionist and activist.

Benjamin Godwin was a pastor at Dartmouth, Great Missenden, Bradford, and Oxford as well as a teacher of classics.

Benjamin Godwin became involved in debates on the ethics of slavery and a schism in the Baptist missionary community.

Benjamin Godwin's mother was about forty, but he was given the biblical name Benjamin because his father was 70 and a keen Baptist.

Benjamin Godwin's father had been married before and Benjamin had two adult siblings.

Benjamin Godwin's family were poor but he was sent to a Dame school until his education and upkeep was undertaken by the charity that ran the Bluecoat School in Bath This school was free and included the supply of uniforms.

When Benjamin Godwin finished school he was apprenticed to a shoemaker.

Benjamin Godwin was unhappy during his apprenticeship and this resulted in the fifteen-year-old running away with a friend on a ship bound for the Mediterranean.

Benjamin Godwin jumped ship in Palermo and he was able to find work as a cabin boy bound for London.

Benjamin Godwin continued to serve in the British navy during the War of the Second Coalition until the Treaty of Amiens was signed.

Benjamin Godwin renewed his religious interests attending his family's Baptist Church with his, much older, half-sister.

Benjamin Godwin lodged with his half sister and her husband.

Benjamin Godwin initially tried his hand at building with his brother-in-law before realising that his poor skills as a cobbler were superior to his ability to be a builder.

In line with the Baptist faith, Benjamin Godwin confirmed his faith when he was baptised with five other adults.

Benjamin Godwin was inspired by his wife who he regarded as "the name of a powerful spell".

Benjamin Godwin was sure now that he wanted to be a minister and he was given a probationary year looking after a Cornish congregation at Chacewater.

Betsy had to remain in Bath as the money was poor, but Benjamin Godwin's was helping at the local school and completing his own education.

Benjamin Godwin was a Baptist but gave his support to the evangelical ideas of Andrew Fuller and his Baptist Missionary Society.

Benjamin Godwin became a minister at Great Missenden where he wrote the memoirs of the pastor he had replaced.

Benjamin Godwin worked well with his Anglican counterpart raising money for missionary work, but he was disappointed to find that he was gaining some of his diminishing congregation.

Benjamin Godwin was paid well but the money failed to arrive on time.

Benjamin Godwin arrived at his new position in Bradford in 1822.

The academy was training Baptist ministers and Benjamin Godwin initially turned down an offer to join the staff.

Steadman had persevered as he was impressed by Benjamin Godwin's first published sermon.

Horton Academy was teaching adults and Benjamin Godwin was concerned that his education was not sufficient.

In 1824 a new Sion Chapel was built in Bradford and Benjamin Godwin became its minister on 31 October 1824 when he had the honour of Robert Hall giving a sermon.

Benjamin Godwin was pleased with the autonomy that this new position allowed him.

In 1830 Benjamin Godwin launched himself on what he, and his wife, believed was their next challenge and that was to oppose slavery.

Benjamin Godwin had not only prepared transparencies he had hired an artist to prepare large paintings that could illustrate the results of slavery.

Benjamin Godwin believed that the truth would make its own argument and he just needed to make sure that the information was presented and that it was accessible.

Benjamin Godwin wanted minds to be persuaded so he had Thomas Richmond prepare a second series of panels that illustrated the benefits of an egalitarian and multi-racial world that result from the abolition of slavery.

The proposal was too ambitious, but Benjamin Godwin did deliver the four illustrated lectures in York and Scarborough and the texts were summarised in the local papers.

Benjamin Godwin arranged for a grand petition to be assembled in Yorkshire to persuade the British Anti-Slavery movement to be more active.

Benjamin Godwin offered active assistance to Henry Brougham who was standing for parliament with an abolitionist agenda.

Benjamin Godwin wanted to help and he devised and funded posters that appealed to Yorkshire.

Benjamin Godwin knew that voters had supported the famous abolitionist William Wilberforce and he appealed to them to repeat their choice with the new candidate, Henry Brougham.

Petitions were again organised across Bradford and Benjamin Godwin was one of the delegates sent to Exeter Hall in London to attend a meeting to organise the lobbying of parliament.

On 24 April 1834 Benjamin Godwin was awarded a testimonial dinner for his leadership during the anti-slavery campaign.

Benjamin Godwin was given thanks and presents including tea sets and silver plate at a celebration that was attended by members from both houses of parliament.

Benjamin Godwin was one of several people who led this initiative.

Benjamin Godwin proposed that the newspaper needed to aim for a general appeal which meant that it should not exclusively champion the Liberal cause but should attempt to demonstrate the common interests of both employer and employees.

The newspaper was a success and Benjamin Godwin organised a local group to support parliamentary reform and another group against slavery.

When Benjamin Godwin became dissatisfied and he resigned his position in 1836 there was a campaign to raise money to keep him in Bradford.

Benjamin Godwin relented, but within a few months he again felt that he was not enjoying the support he deserved.

Benjamin Godwin had given up his role at the Horton Academy to concentrate on his ministry but still he heard criticism.

Benjamin Godwin resigned again and despite having nowhere to go he did not give in to those who asked him to retract again.

Benjamin Godwin was at a loose end and he became involved in a schism between the Baptist Missionary Society and the missionaries in charge of the mission to Serampore in India.

Benjamin Godwin's role was employed in Liverpool to talk his way around Britain explaining the misunderstandings that were in circulation and to try to arrange a visit to the splintered missionaries in India.

Benjamin Godwin acted outside his remit and he organised a difficult two-day meeting in November 1836 which agreed a merger between the two splintered groups.

In 1838 Benjamin Godwin became the Baptist minister in New Street Church in Oxford.

Benjamin Godwin was included in a large commemorative painting of the 1840 convention where he can just be seen behind the head of Joseph Sturge who organised the conference.

Benjamin Godwin was meeting and mixing with the international anti-slavery activists.

Benjamin Godwin was invited to meet French abolitionists in Paris the following year.

Benjamin Godwin resigned his Oxford position in 1845 due to his failing health and the following year he and his wife returned to Bradford.

Benjamin Godwin continued to work for the Baptist Missionary Society as well as lecturing at Horton College again in 1850.

On 23 December 1855, on his son's birthday, Benjamin Godwin presented to his son 58 autobiographic letters which he had agreed to write nearly twenty years before.