| Title | Reverend Benjamin Godwin |
| Date | Undated |
| Location | Rawdon |
| Photo ID | E026 |
| Comment | See below… |
Reverend Benjamin Godwin is in the centre.
He lived in “The Cottage” adjacent to Micklefield House with his wife Elizabeth.
Their son, John Venimore Godwin lived at Micklefield House with his wife Rachel and their children.
Note the “stove-pipe” hats the three men are wearing!
W411 – Godwin Family, c1860.
Reverend Benjamin Godwin and Family – c1860
This lady was the wife of Benjamin Godwin who was a Doctor of Divinity and in active opposition to the slave trade with William Wilberforce.
The couple lived in the cottage adjacent to Micklefield House, which was occupied by their son John Venimore Godwin and his family.
E029 – Godwin Family, c1860.
John Venimore Godwin – c1860
John Venimore Godwin was the son of the Rev. Benjamin Godwin and his wife Elizabeth.
He lived with his wife Rachel (nee Ackworth) and children at Micklefield House for several years, he also owned the Crow Trees Inn property.
By trade he was a stuff merchant, at one point he was in a partnership with Robert Milligan and others trading as Milligan Forbes & Co.
This partnership was dissolved in 1851.
Godwin was founder and President of the Bradford Photographic Society, his family portraits possibly date back to the late 1850s.
He was Mayor of Bradford in 1865-66, Godwin Street is named after him.
E022 – Godwin Family, c1860.
Family of John Verimore Godwin – c1860
Family of John Venimore Godwin at Micklefield House.
On the left is John Arthur who went on to become the first Lord Mayor of Bradford in 1907.
Next, his sister Catherine, mother Rachel, sister Agnes and in the wheelchair Mary.
It is thought this child had cerebral palsy, she died aged 11, in 1861.
W399 – Godwin Family, Undated.
Mary Godwin – Undated
Mary was the daughter of John Venimore Godwin and his wife Rachel, she had been born with some physical health problem and died in December 1861, aged only 11 years.
E031 – Godwin Family, Undated.
Mary Godwin – Undated
Mary Godwin, daughter of Rachel and John Venimore Godwin.
She was thought to have cerebral palsy and died on December 8th 1861, aged 11.
E023 – Godwin Family, 1863.
Rachel Venimore Godwin – 1863
Born Rachel Ackworth in 1828, she married John Venimore Godwin, they lived in Micklefield House with their 4 children, Mary, Catherine, Agnes and John Arthur.
John Arthur became the first Lord Mayor of Bradford in 1909.
Rachel died in 1883.
W255 – Godwin Family, c1870.
Catherine Godwin – c1870
Catherine was the daughter of John Venimore Godwin and his wife Rachel.
For some years prior to 1870, the family lived at Micklefield House.
W339 – Godwin Family, Undated.
John Arthur Godwin – Undated
John Arthur was the son of John Venimore Godwin and his wife Rachel, he was born around 1848 and became the first Lord Mayor of Bradford when the office was instigated in 1909.
He is thought to have died in 1921.
E027 – Godwin Family, c1870.
John Arthur Godwin – c1870
Son of John Venimore Godwin and his wife Rachel (nee Ackworth), he became the first Lord Mayor of Bradford when the office was created in 1907.
W361 – Godwin Family, c1870.
John Arthur Godwin – c1870
Photo taken at Micklefield House where the Godwin family were living, John Arthur became the first Lord Mayor of Bradford.
Previous Comments:
Re W361
Joannestothard
My great gran lived to be 100 and 6 months. Filled me with great stories of Sir Arthur and Lady Godwin, when she was an upstairs maid, before she went in to munitions. She was called Ivy Alice Clark. Hope to get some answers. Thankyou.
03 May 2021.
AdminJack609
Sir John Arthur Godwin was the son of John Venimore Godwin and Rachel Ackworth, as a child the family lived at Micklefield House, moving to Crowtrees House around 1870. John Arthur was born in 1863, he graduated from Edinburgh University. He became active in Civic affairs, a Bradford Councillor in 1900, Alderman 1903 and became the 1st Lord Mayor of Bradford 1906/1907. He was knighted in 1913 and died in 1921, at that time he was living at a property in Grassington. He was of the Baptist persuasion but his funeral was held in Bradford Cathedral.
Looking at the dates Ivy Alice Clark could have been a maid at either Crowtrees or the house in Grassington. I have no information about her. There are several images of the Godwin family, including John Arthur as a boy, in Round & About Aireborough by Martin Rigg, also more background information about John Arthur’s parents. The book is available in local libraries.
Kind regards, Christine Lovedale. AHS.
05 May 2021.
Consolidated by Jack Brayshaw. 06 June 2022.
Last updated: 06 June 2022.
