The Coggeshall family

The Coggeshall family of Coggeshall

The details given here are taken from G. F. Beaumont's History of Coggeshall, published in 1890. It appears that the family bearing the name were not actually living in Coggeshall after the late 14th century, although they still owned land in Essex and the surrounding counties. A separate page gives details of the American Coggeshalls.

The arms of the Coggeshall family are described as Argent; a cross between four escallops sable.

The arms are decidedly typical of pilgrimage, one of the emblems of which is the escallop shell, and another the cross. Thinking back to the days of Richard I, one may picture an early knight of this family at the Crusades clad in his coat of mail, bearing a cross on his breast and shield.

The family does not appear to have had a crest until John Coggeshall, of Fornham, St. Genovese, Suffolk, procured in 1576, the right to bear " Upon the helme on a wreath argent, a buck couchant sable horned and cleved or., mantled gu., dubled silver ".

The following, according to Beaumont, is the pedigree of the early members of this family:—

1. Sir Thomas Coggeshall, of Coggeshall, Knight, was living in 1149 in the reign of King Stephen and had a son(2)

2. Sir Thomas Coggeshall, also of Coggeshall, Knight, who was living 1194. He had issue Sir Ralph (3) and Sir Roger.

3. Sir Ralph de Coggeshall, of Codham Hall, Wethersfield, Knight, was living in 1233 and died in 1305. He and his wife, Elizabeth, had issue:—

4. John de Coggeshall, who died in 1296, leaving son John (5) in addition to a son from whom descended the Coggeshalls of Hundon and Fornham, in Suffolk.

5. Sir John de Coggeshall, of Coggeshall, Knight, who was living in 1302, and married Sara, daughter of Jordan le Brun, Knight. Sir John died in 1319, leaving: —

6. Sir John de Coggeshall, Lord of Coggeshall, who was born in 1301 and was knighted in 1337. He was High Sheriff of Essex for several years and married Mary (? Margery), daughter and heiress of Henry (? Humphrey) de Stanton of Essex. She died in 1342. He died in 1361. He had issue John, Sir Henry(7) and Thomas.

Follow this link for John de Coggeshall: A 14th Century Knight

7. Sir Henry Coggeshall, Knight, was born in 1331, died in 1375 and was buried at Coggeshall. He married Joane, (daughter and heiress of William de Welles off Exning) who died 1375. They had issue Sir William(8) and Thomas of Sandon. Thomas died in 1422, having had one son and one daughter. His heir, Richard, was born in 1409 and died without children in 1432. Elizabeth, Thomas’ daughter married Thomas Philip.

8. Sir William de Coggeshall, of Codham Hall, Wethersfield, Knight, was born in 1357 and died 1424. He was High Sheriff in 1391 and he married Antiochia, daughter and heiress of Sir John Hawkwood, Knight, of Sible Hedingham, Essex. Her second husband was Sir John Tyrrell, Knight, of East Horndon, Essex. This Sir William Coggeshall held considerable estates in Essex, which for want of male heirs were divided amongst the daughters. He was living at Coggeshall in 1419. Sir Williamand his wife Antiochia, had no sons but four daughters: —

Blanch, who married John Doreward, Esq., of Bocking. (They became owners of Coggeshall Hall on death of William de Coggeshall. Their descendants had Coggeshall Hall for several generations)

Eleanor(? Alice), who married Sir John Tyrell, of Herons, Knight.

Margaret, who married, first, William Bateman, Esq. of Little Samford, and, secondly, John Roppeley, Esq.

Maud, who married, first, Robert Dacres, Esq.and, secondly, John St. George.

Those marked in red appear to have owned the manor of Coggeshall Hall

The Manor of Coggeshall Hall was for several generations one of the possessions of this family, and it is probable that it was their principal seat. There were also branches of the family settled at Boreham and Sandon .

This is a modern picture of Coggeshall Hall

It can be seen that members of the Coggeshall family were spread out over Essex, Suffolk and Norfolk, and although the Coggeshall family descendants through the female line were at Coggeshall Manor, the name of Coggeshall actually ceased to exist in the Coggeshall locality.

From a younger brother of Sir John Coggeshall(4)is descended John Coggeshall, of Hundon, in Suffolk, whose descendants lived at Gosfield and then at Fornham Saint Genovese, in Suffolk. From this branch was Henry Coggeshall, a man of great ingenuity. He improved the art of measurement, and in 1677, published a book called "Timber Measure by a line of more ease and exactness than any other." He also invented a Sliding Rule which was called after his name. He had a son, William Coggeshall, of Diss, in Norfolk.

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