Frederick Godber, 1st Baron Godber of Mayfield (6 November 1888 – 10 April 1976) was a British petroleum executive.

Early life

Godber was the third son, and youngest of five children, of carpenter Edward Godber, of

Camberwell Camberwell ( ) is an List of areas of London, area of South London, England, in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast of Charing Cross. Camberwell was first a village associated with the church of St Giles' Church, Camberwell, St Giles ...

, formerly of

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

, and Marion Louise, daughter of George Peach.Burke's Genealogical and Heraldic History of the Peerage, Baronetage, and Knightage, 103rd edition, ed. Peter Townend, Burke's Peerage Ltd, 1963, p. 11

Career

Godber was an executive in the petroleum industry, becoming Chairman and Managing Director of

Shell Shell may refer to: Architecture and design * Shell (structure), a thin structure ** Concrete shell, a thin shell of concrete, usually with no interior columns or exterior buttresses Science Biology * Seashell, a hard outer layer of a marine ani ...

. He was with the Asiatic Petroleum Company in 1904, became a director of Shell Union Oil Corporation in 1922, a director of Shell Transport and Trading Company in 1928, and appointed managing director in 1934. He was chairman of Shell Union Oil from 1937 to 1946, and of Shell Transport and Trading Company from 1946 to 1961. He also served as chairman of the Rhoxana Corporation from 1922 to 1928, and was chairman of the Commonwealth Development Finance Company from its inception until retiring in 1968. He was

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

7 July 1942. He was raised to the peerage as Baron Godber, of Mayfield in the County of

Sussex Sussex (Help:IPA/English, /ˈsʌsɪks/; from the Old English ''Sūþseaxe''; lit. 'South Saxons'; 'Sussex') is an area within South East England that was historically a kingdom of Sussex, kingdom and, later, a Historic counties of England, ...

, in 1956. He had already been made a Grand Officer of the

Order of Orange-Nassau The Order of Orange-Nassau () is a civil and military Dutch order of chivalry founded on 4 April 1892 by the queen regent, Emma of the Netherlands. The order is a chivalric order open to "everyone who has performed acts of special merits for ...

in 1947.

Personal life

In 1914, he married Violet Ethel Beatrice, daughter of George Lovesy, of

Cheltenham Cheltenham () is a historic spa town and borough adjacent to the Cotswolds in Gloucestershire, England. Cheltenham became known as a health and holiday spa town resort following the discovery of mineral springs in 1716, and claims to be the mo ...

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( , ; abbreviated Glos.) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Herefordshire to the north-west, Worcestershire to the north, Warwickshire to the north-east, Oxfordshire ...

: they had two daughters: Joyce Violet (1917-), who married in 1937 Andrew Agnew, of Sweethaw's Farm,

Crowborough Crowborough is a town and civil parish in East Sussex, England, in the Weald at the edge of Ashdown Forest and the highest town in the High Weald AONB, High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is located south-west of Royal Tunbridge ...

, son of Sir Andrew Agnew,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

, of Glenlee Park,

New Galloway New Galloway () is a town in the historical county of Kirkcudbrightshire in Dumfries and Galloway. It lies on the west side of the valley of the Water of Ken, north of the end of Loch Ken. Before the local government reform of 1975, it was the s ...

Kirkcudbrightshire Kirkcudbrightshire ( ) or the County of Kirkcudbright or the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright is one of the Counties of Scotland, historic counties of Scotland, covering an area in the south-west of the country. Until 1975, Kirkcudbrightshire was an ...

, Scotland, and had three daughters; and Daphne Joan (1923-2020), who married in 1942

Squadron Leader Squadron leader (Sqn Ldr or S/L) is a senior officer rank used by some air forces, with origins from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. Squadron leader is immediatel ...

(Archibald) Ian Scott Debenham, of Pollards Hill,

Limpsfield Limpsfield is a village and civil parish in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs close to Oxted railway station and the A25 road, A25.Surrey Surrey () is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South East England. It is bordered by Greater London to the northeast, Kent to the east, East Sussex, East and West Sussex to the south, and Hampshire and Berkshire to the wes ...

RAFVR The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (RAFVR) was established in 1936 to support the preparedness of the U.K. Royal Air Force (RAF) in the event of another war. The Air Ministry intended it to form a supplement to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force ( ...

, DFC, son of Archibald Scott Debenham, of Lightoaks,

Ingatestone Ingatestone is a village and former civil parish in Essex, England, with a population of 5,409 inhabitants at the United Kingdom 2021 Census, 2021 Census. Just north lies the village of Fryerning; the two now forming the parish of Ingatestone ...

Essex Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...

, and had four children. Lord Godber died in April 1976, aged 87, when the barony became extinct. He was buried at St Dunstan Churchyard, Mayfield, Sussex.

References

External links

*
Portrait of Lord Godber at the National Portrait Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Godber, Frederick 1888 births 1976 deaths Shell plc people People from Mayfield, East Sussex Hereditary barons created by Elizabeth II