Thomas Godfrey

Thomas Godfrey (4 December 1736 - 3 August 1763) was an American poet who died at age 26. He is known for writing The Prince of Parthia, the first play written by an American to be performed by a professional cast, as well for his tribute to Chaucer and Alexander Pope known as The Court of Fancy. His father, also called Thomas Godfrey, was the co-inventor of the first octant, known popularly as Hadley's quadrant. Biography Thomas Godfrey showed talent for artistic expression even at a young age. His father, a Philadelphia inventor, died when Thomas was only 13, and his relatives sent him away to a boarding school in England. Upon returning, he was apprenticed to a watchmaker in Philadelphia, despite his desire to become a painter. Even during this apprenticeship, some of his poems were published in American Magazine.