Background
He was born the eldest son of The Honorary In 1712 his father succeeded as 2nd Earl of Godolphin (Lord Godolphin had been promoted in 1706).
He was born the eldest son of The Honorary In 1712 his father succeeded as 2nd Earl of Godolphin (Lord Godolphin had been promoted in 1706).
He was educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge.
As heir-apparent to the earldom, William assumed the courtesy title Viscount Rialton. Lord Rialton was elected to the House of Commons in his place on 24 June 1720, sitting as a Whig. Rialton represented Penryn for the remainder of the Parliament and was not re-elected in the general election of 1722.
William Godolphin was now heir-apparent to his mother"s dukedom as well as his father"s earldom, and adopted the higher courtesy title of Marquess of Blandford.
He returned to Parliament at the general election of 1727, being elected for Woodstock on 21 August. On 25 April 1729 Lord Blandford married Maria Catherina de Jong, the daughter of Peter de Jong, a Mayor of Utrecht.
Lady Blandford"s sister Isabella was wife of the Earl of Denbigh. On 30 August 1730 he was made an honorary Doctor of Civil Laws by the University of Oxford.
Lord Blandford died at Oxford of apoplexy on 24 August 1731.
Lord Egmont noted in his diary that this was probably brought on by a drinking bout. Lord Sunderland"s brother John Spencer was elected to Parliament in Blandford"s place on 22 January 1732. She was widowed again on 17 June 1740 and died at Sheen on 7 September 1779.
7th Parliament of Great Britain. 5th Parliament of Great Britain]
On 9 June 1720, Hugh Boscawen, the Member of Parliament for Penryn, was raised to the House of Lords as Viscount Falmouth. The Earldom of Godolphin now had no heir, but Lord Godolphin was granted a barony in 1735 that would allow more distant members of the Godolphin family to succeed.