Life
Thomas Goffe was born in Essex in 1591. He first studied at Westminster School where he was considered a Queen Scholar. Goffe received a scholarship on 3 November 1609 to attend Christ Church, Oxford. Here he received his bachelor of arts (B.A.) on 17 June 1613 and continued to get his master of arts (M.A.), on 20 June 1616. While involved with acting and writing plays at Christ Church, Goffe continued school. On 3 July 1623, he acquired his bachelor of divinity and became licensed to preach shortly after on 11 July 1623. Goffe was asked to be a rector of the church in East Clandon, Surrey after receiving his B.D., an offer worth about eight pounds a year.(1) However, Goffe began delivering Latin orations and writing poems in tribute to Sir Thomas Bodley and Queen Anne of Denmark as well as to the dean of Christ Church, William Godwin.
He lived alone the majority of his life because of his dislike for women. He was considered a women-hater and lived as a bachelor until he gave in to a woman and married her in East Clandon. This woman was the widow of Goffe’s predecessor and had pretended to fall in love with his preaching. He was warned by his good friend from Oxford, Thomas Thimble, that she will eventually break his heart and he would be better off without her. Unfortunately, Goffe went with his gut instinct, and was tortured by the marriage. She was consistently stubborn and disrespectful towards Goffe and his friend’s. For instance, when few of Goffe’s friends from Oxford stopped by Goffe’s house, his wife looked at them with an “ill Eye” and served then eggs and milk for dinner. Embarrassed by his Wife’s actions, Goffe ordered a better dinner for his friends the following night and gave them some wine. His wife and her children from her previous marriage continued to disrespect Goffe and are blamed for his death which occurred on 27 July 1629, shortly after his wedding day.
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