Godolphin was third but eldest surviving son of Sir William Godolphin (1605–1663) of Spargor, Cornwall — the eldest son (by Judith Meredith) of John Godolphin (the younger brother of Sir William Godolphin (1567–1613) — and Ruth (died before 1658), daughter of Sir John Lambe of East Coulston, Wiltshire.
Godolphin was baptised 2 February 1634, and was educated at Westminster School and Christ Church, Oxford, gaining the degrees of Master of Arts in 1661 and Doctor of Civil Law in 1663.
In 1667, he took part in the negotiations under Sandwich which resulted in a commercial treaty with Spain. He was knighted in 1668, and in 1669 was sent as Envoy Extraordinary to Madrid, becoming Ambassador in 1672. Shortly before he died, he made a declaration empowering his spiritual advisers, including the procurator-general of the Jesuits, to make his will after his death.
An Acting of Parliament was passed in 1698 to declare this and other posthumous wills invalid.
Samuel Pepys, who met him in 1668, called Godolphin "a very pretty and able person, a man of very fine parts".
Royal Society; Cavalier Parliament.
