Clementine Jane Godby
NOTES ON SEA ADVENTURE AND MURDER OF THOMAS GODBEY
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Thomas Godby came to America on the Ill fated Sea Venture in 1609. He survived the Shipwreck of the Sea Venture on Bermuda and then he is listed among the living after the Indian massacre of 1622. Thomas's wife was Ann Beane. He died in a drunken brawl in 1628 at the foot of William Bentley!
According to information provided by the Replica Ship "Deliverence" brochure:
Cpt. Christopher Newport had made two trips to Va. from England to carry settlers and supplies there. On his third voyage he was in charge of the flagship "Sea Venture". Also, on board were several other important people- Sir George Somers as Admiral of the Fleet, Sir Thomas Gates, who had been appointed Lt. General in Va., and William Starchey, Secretary-elect for the Va. Co.
Barely seven weeks out of England, the fleet encountered a tremendous storm and the ships were widely scattered. Four days later, on July 28, 1609, the "Sea Venture" w/ its complement of 150 people was shipwrecked off St. Catherine's, St. George, Bermuda.
Miraculously, all souls were saved; not only that, but the "Sea Venture" wedged between two rocks and did not immediately sink. W/ the help of a longboat, many trips were made out to the ship to salvage everything that could be of use. Scouting parties sent out in search of food returned w/ news that the island was uninhabited, and there was an abundance of wild hogs, birds, berries, fish, tortoise, and their eggs. Although a great many survivors were content to settle on this lonely island, Sir Thomas Gates asserted his authority, insisting that a ship be built to carry them on to Jamestown.
Shortly thereafter, the keel of the ship "Deliverance" was laid at Building's Bay, near St. George. In building, "Deliverance", much of the salvage from the "Sea Venture" was used; not only carpenter's tools, but also the rigging and wood from the wreckage. However, the vessel was not large enough to carry all of the shipwrecked party, together w/ the neccesary provisions, so Sir George Somers took 20 men to another island, Ordnance Island; and built another smaller ship, called the "Patience".
On May 10, 1610, the two ships set sail for Va.---abt. 130 persons on the "Deliverance" and another 8 persons on the "Patience". Two people remained in Bermuda. Fourteen days later, on 24th May, the ships arrived in Jamestown, Va., where they found the struggling colony in terrible straits. Due to inexperience, fire, rats, and worms devouring the precious grain, and a hard winter, the colony was starving and had dwindled from 600 to 50 persons. As the colony was in dire need of food, Sir George Somers offered to return in the "Patience" to Bermuda to obtain fresh meat and supplies. He set sail in June 1610 accompanied by his nephew, Mathew Somers, and a week after arriving in Bermuda, Sir George died. His nephew buried his heart in Somer's Garden, St. George, Bermuda and his body was taken back to England for burial. What happen to the ship "Deliverence", after leaving Jamestown, has never been determined.
When William Strachey later returned to England he wrote a manuscript entitled: "Letter to a Noble Lady". This manuscript so impressed William Shakespeare that he was inspired to write: the play "The Tempest" which concerns itself with the storm, the shipwreck and the enchanted isle of bermuda.
In 1612 Govenor Moore landed in Bermuda w/ 60 settlers aboard the "Plough" and established a seat of government.
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His property was a 50 acre land grant in what is known today as Newport News Va, just North of Blunt Point.
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ABOUT THE MURDER OF THOMAS GODBEY from Godbey Ancestry.com message board:
On the night of Feb. 8, 1628 the events resulting in the death of Thomas Godby at the hands of William Bentley occurred leading to the trial of William Bentley.
The death of Thomas Godby, in the fourth year of the reign of King Charles, is a fascinating episode in Godby family history. An account of it survives in the
"Journal of Council and General Court of Virginia" (pp. 190-191). A transcription of this is found in The Middleton Family by Beth Engel. Over 370 years after Thomas
Godby’s death, his actual words and actions are preserved in the trial record as reported by two witnesses, Richard Peck and William Parker.
Godby was at William Parker’s house on Merry Point with five others including Richard Peck. After supper, the group shared a bottle of about 5 pints of burnt claret
wine and Thomas Godby had about four cups. William Parker admitted he was a little light headed after eleven o’clock when William Bentley ran aground in Mr.
Conges’ boat on the shoals against Parker’s house.
The impression given is that Bentley was floundering in the water shouting for help to a house of men too busy drinking to pay any attention to what was happening
outside.
In any case, Richard Peck said Bentley came into the house, probably wet and angry, and asked sarcastically if their orders were to hear men call and not come to help
them out of the water. Godby answered him, "Do you think we have nothing to do but to fetch you out of the water?" William Parker’s testimony was that Bentley had
asked why no one in the house had brought light to help him and that Thomas Godby had said, "Was anybody bound to bring you light to fetch you from the
water?" Both Peck and Parker said Bentley told Godby, "Hold your peace, nobody speaketh to you."
This apparently tense moment seemed to pass with all sitting by the fire and "many jesting words" passing between Bentley and Godby but Peck said that Godby "gave Bentley many provoking words" which led to harsher words. After many exchanges, Peck reported that Bently said "Shall we toss some balls?" whereupon Godby said, "If you toss balls to me I will toss the cup in your face." Parker said that Bently called Godby a "cuckold" to which Godby replied, "I would as soon be a cuckold as a cuckold maker." Both witnesses agreed that Godby called Bentley names such as a "rogue", "rascal", and "knave", and Peck said that Bentley replied in kind.
Both witnesses agree that Thomas Godby and William Bentley were sitting beside each other on a bench and at this point, Bentley hit Godby with his left hand on
Godby’s left ear knocking him into the floor. The incident perhaps would have only been a drunken fight except that Bentley then stood and kicked Godby until the
others separated the two.
Thomas Godby then set upon a chest or a chair but cried out, "Oh my belly and my side" and tried to walk two or three turns across the house. Probably in an attempt
to keep the two separate, William Parker advised Godby to go next door to Richard Peck’s house to sleep. Parker and Peck led Thomas Godby outside and Parker went
back to his house leaving Peck and Godby going to Peck’s house. Peck testified that on the way, Godby fell down crying out repeatedly, "Oh, Bentley, thou hast killed
me" and "I am cruelly fixed." Peck and some of the others then carried Godby back to Parker’s house.
Parker said they hadn’t been gone 15 minutes when Godby was brought back and laid on a bed still crying out, "Oh Mr. Bentley, you have killed me" repeatedly and
also saying "Lord have mercy upon us. Lord Jesus receive my soul" before finally laying very quietly. Parker, thinking Godby was now asleep left him but in the
morning found he was dead.
William Bentley was indicted for feloniously killing Thomas Godby against the peace of the King. Bentley pleaded "not guilty" but the 12 jurors convicted him of
manslaughter. When asked what he had to say for himself and why he shouldn’t die for his crime, Bentley demanded his Clergy. A person who could read could claim
"benefit of clergy" and after reading from the Bible as proof be freed from other punishment.
And so Thomas Godby was buried and William Bentley was freed. On October 16, 1629 William Bentley, representing Nuttmegg Quarter (listed next to Elizabeth City),
was seated in the Virginia House of Burgesses along with several of the jurors who convicted him including Richard Kingsmill, John Harris, Thomas Bagwell, and
Thomas Harwood.
Sources
"Lists of the Livinge and Dead in Virginia Febr: 16th 1623"
"Virginia Muster Jan 20-Feb 7, 1624-5"
Cavaliers and Pioneers, Vol. 1, 1623-1666 by Nell Nugent
Colonial Surry: Surry People Before the Council and General Court
Colonial Virginia Register Compiled by William G. and Mary N. Stanard
Journal of Council and General Court of Virginia
The Conquest of Virginia by Conway Sams
The First Seventeen Years: Virginia 1607-1624 by Charles Hatch, Jr.
The Middleton Family by Beth Engel
