Ambrose Godfrey

Who was Ambrose Godfrey?

Ambrose Godfrey-Hanckwitz, also known as Gottfried Hankwitz, also written Hanckewitz, or Ambrose Godfrey as he preferred to be known, was a German-born British phosphorus manufacturer and apothecary. He was one of the first phosphorus manufacturers and was one of the best and most successful in his time.

Godfrey was born in Nienburg in Saxony. In 1679 aged 19 he and his wife travelled to London where he was to work as an assistant to Robert Boyle, trying to produce phosphorus. Boyle is remembered as the first chemist, but his earliest interests were in alchemy, and he wanted to learn about the then new phosphorus. Boyle had employed German alchemist Johann Becher who was in London looking for work. Becher recommended Ambrose Godfrey as an assistant.

Boyle knew from hints given by Daniel Kraft that it was made from human urine or maybe faeces, but neither Boyle's first employee Bilger nor then Becher and Godfrey were able to make it. But Becher knew that its first discoverer Hennig Brandt had the secret. Godfrey was sent to Hamburg to see Brandt and came back with the missing key: that very high temperatures were needed.