[1] Sir William Godfrey was born at Kilcolman Abbey, Milltown on the family estate in County Kerry, Ireland.
[3] Throughout the 1830s, Sir William Godfrey managed the estates of both his brother-in-law, John Coltsmann of Flesk Castle and that of his cousin, Arthur Blennerhassett of Ballyseedy.
He lobbied the government in London on numerous occasions, warning in October 1846 that, "the people have endured their wants & privations with resignation and patience but if employment and relief are delayed much longer, the peace & tranquillity of this district must be seriously endangered.
"[4] Godfrey was a stalwart and committed supporter of the established Anglican Church of Ireland although his wife, Mary Teresa, was a devout Roman Catholic.
In 1850, in Milltown, County Kerry, Godfrey's daughter Christina married Richard Wood, British consul in Damascus,[5] and their descendants include the Wheler baronets.