William Cockayne
Encyclopedia
Sir William Cockayne (1561 – 20 October 1626), London
, England
, was a seventeenth-century London merchant, alderman
, and, in 1619, Lord Mayor.
, Warwickshire
, merchant of London, sometime governor of the Eastland Company
, by Elizabeth, daughter of Roger Medcalfe of Meriden
, Warwickshire; and was descended from William Cokayne of Sturston
, Derbyshire
, a younger son of Sir John Cokayne of Ashbourne
in that county. Apprenticed at Christmas 1582 to his father, he was made free of the Skinners' Company by patrimony 28 March 1590. On his father's death, 28 November 1599, he succeeded to his business.
He was sheriff
of London in 1609, and alderman of Farringdon Without
in 1609–13, of Castle Baynard
; in 1613–18, of Lime Street
1618–25, and of Broad Street
from 1625 till his death.
was begun, he was the first governor of the colonists, and under his directions the city of Londonderry was established.
On 8 June 1616 the king James I
honoured him with his presence at dinner at his house in Broad Street (Cokayne House, exactly opposite St. Peter's Church), where he dubbed him a knight.
, when the marriage was celebrated between Charles, Lord Howard, baron of Effingham, and Mary, Cockayne's daughter. The king frequently consulted him, both in council and privately.
of English merchants, Cockayne devised a plan to dye and dress English cloth, England's main export at the time, before shipping it abroad. Cockayne convinced James I to grant him a monopoly
on cloth exports as a part of this plan, intended to increase the profits of English merchants, Cockayne's in particular, while boosting royal customs duties through bypassing Dutch
merchants. The scheme failed as the Dutch refused to purchase finished cloth, and the English cloth trade was depressed for decades as a result.
was equipped for one of his northern voyages by him and others of the Merchant Adventurers' Company and, in his honour a harbour in Greenland
, called on the admiralty chart ‘Cockin's Sound,’ was named.
He purchased estates at Elmesthorpe
, Leicestershire
and Rushton
which was later the residence of his descendants. He gave each of his numerous daughters £10,000 on marriage, leaving his son an annual rent roll of above £12,000. He died on 20 October 1626, in his sixty-sixth year, at his manor house at Comb Nevill in Kingston, Surrey, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, where a monument was erected to him. His funeral sermon was preached by John Donne
.
and they had issue:
Other daughters married Sir Hatton Fermor, ancestor of the Earls of Pomfret; John Ramsay, created Earl of Holdernesse; Thomas Fanshawe, created Viscount Fanshawe; and Hon. James Sheffield, son of the Earl of Mulgrave.
His widow remarried, 6 July 1630, Henry Carey, 4th Baron Hunsdon, 1st Earl of Dover, and, dying 24 December 1648, was buried with her first husband at St. Paul's.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, was a seventeenth-century London merchant, alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
, and, in 1619, Lord Mayor.
Life
He was the second son of William Cokayne of Baddesley EnsorBaddesley Ensor
Baddesley Ensor is a village and civil parish in the district of North Warwickshire in Warwickshire, England, about three miles west of Atherstone. It runs into to the village of Grendon, which forms a parish itself.-History:...
, Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, merchant of London, sometime governor of the Eastland Company
Eastland Company
The Eastland Company, or North Sea Company, was an English crown-chartered company, founded in 1579 to foster trade with Scandinavia and Baltic Sea states. Like the better-known Russia Company, this was an attempt by the English to challenge the Hanseatic League's dominance in the commerce of...
, by Elizabeth, daughter of Roger Medcalfe of Meriden
Meriden, West Midlands
-External links:*****...
, Warwickshire; and was descended from William Cokayne of Sturston
Sturston, Derbyshire
Sturston is a small area of settlement in Derbyshire, England. It is located on the A517 road, east of Ashbourne.Sturston Hall is mentioned in the Domesday Book as one of two manors held by Ulfkell and Wodi, each manor being of half a carucate each. The two manors were given to Henry de Ferrers...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
, a younger son of Sir John Cokayne of Ashbourne
Ashbourne, Derbyshire
Ashbourne is a small market town in the Derbyshire Dales, England. It has a population of 10,302.The town advertises itself as 'The Gateway to Dovedale'.- Local customs :...
in that county. Apprenticed at Christmas 1582 to his father, he was made free of the Skinners' Company by patrimony 28 March 1590. On his father's death, 28 November 1599, he succeeded to his business.
He was sheriff
Sheriff
A sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
of London in 1609, and alderman of Farringdon Without
Farringdon Without
Farringdon Without is a Ward in the City of London, England. The Ward covers the western fringes of the City, including the Middle Temple, Inner Temple, Smithfield Market and St Bartholomew's Hospital, as well as the area east of Chancery Lane...
in 1609–13, of Castle Baynard
Castle Baynard
Castle Baynard is one of the 25 wards of the City of London, the historic core of the English capital. It covers an irregular shaped area, somewhat akin to a tuning fork bounded on the east by the wards of Queenhithe and Bread Street, the River Thames to the south and Farringdon Without to the...
; in 1613–18, of Lime Street
Lime Street (ward)
Lime Street is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.It is divided into four precincts; and it is worthy a remark that, though the ward includes parts of several parishes, there is not even a whole street in it. John Noorthhouck...
1618–25, and of Broad Street
Broad Street (ward)
Broad Street is one of the 25 ancient wards in the City of London.In mediaeval times it was divided into ten precincts and contained six churches, of which only two, St Margaret Lothbury and All Hallows-on-the-Wall now survive: St Bartholomew-by-the-Exchange was demolished in 1840, St Benet Fink...
from 1625 till his death.
Governor of Londonderry
In 1612, when the plantation of UlsterPlantation of Ulster
The Plantation of Ulster was the organised colonisation of Ulster—a province of Ireland—by people from Great Britain. Private plantation by wealthy landowners began in 1606, while official plantation controlled by King James I of England and VI of Scotland began in 1609...
was begun, he was the first governor of the colonists, and under his directions the city of Londonderry was established.
On 8 June 1616 the king James I
James I of England
James VI and I was King of Scots as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the English and Scottish crowns on 24 March 1603...
honoured him with his presence at dinner at his house in Broad Street (Cokayne House, exactly opposite St. Peter's Church), where he dubbed him a knight.
Mayor of London
During Cockayne's mayoralty (1619–20) King James visited St. Paul's Cathedral with a view to raising money to complete the spire, and was received by Cockayne in great state. A pageant entitled ‘The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity’ was performed; the entertainments, which started at Cockayne's house on Monday and Tuesday in Easter week 1620, terminated on Saturday with service for the lords of the privy councilPrivy council
A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a nation, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the monarch's closest advisors to give confidential advice on...
, when the marriage was celebrated between Charles, Lord Howard, baron of Effingham, and Mary, Cockayne's daughter. The king frequently consulted him, both in council and privately.
The Cockayne project
In 1614, while serving as governor of the Eastland CompanyEastland Company
The Eastland Company, or North Sea Company, was an English crown-chartered company, founded in 1579 to foster trade with Scandinavia and Baltic Sea states. Like the better-known Russia Company, this was an attempt by the English to challenge the Hanseatic League's dominance in the commerce of...
of English merchants, Cockayne devised a plan to dye and dress English cloth, England's main export at the time, before shipping it abroad. Cockayne convinced James I to grant him a monopoly
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
on cloth exports as a part of this plan, intended to increase the profits of English merchants, Cockayne's in particular, while boosting royal customs duties through bypassing Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
merchants. The scheme failed as the Dutch refused to purchase finished cloth, and the English cloth trade was depressed for decades as a result.
Later life
William BaffinWilliam Baffin
William Baffin was an English navigator and explorer. Nothing is known of his early life, but it is conjectured that he was born in London of humble origin, and gradually raised himself by his diligence and perseverance...
was equipped for one of his northern voyages by him and others of the Merchant Adventurers' Company and, in his honour a harbour in Greenland
Greenland
Greenland is an autonomous country within the Kingdom of Denmark, located between the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Though physiographically a part of the continent of North America, Greenland has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for...
, called on the admiralty chart ‘Cockin's Sound,’ was named.
He purchased estates at Elmesthorpe
Elmesthorpe
Elmesthorpe is a village and civil parish in the Blaby district of Leicestershire, England. It is situated to the south-east of Earl Shilton, near to Hinckley on the A47 road. In 2004, the parish had an estimated population of 520....
, Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
and Rushton
Rushton, Northamptonshire
Rushton is a small village and civil parish in Northamptonshire. It is north-east of Rothwell. At the time of the 2001 census, the parish's population was 452 people. The village has a primary school and a pub opposite the village cricket pitch. The village is home to Rushton Triangular Lodge.-...
which was later the residence of his descendants. He gave each of his numerous daughters £10,000 on marriage, leaving his son an annual rent roll of above £12,000. He died on 20 October 1626, in his sixty-sixth year, at his manor house at Comb Nevill in Kingston, Surrey, and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral, where a monument was erected to him. His funeral sermon was preached by John Donne
John Donne
John Donne 31 March 1631), English poet, satirist, lawyer, and priest, is now considered the preeminent representative of the metaphysical poets. His works are notable for their strong and sensual style and include sonnets, love poetry, religious poems, Latin translations, epigrams, elegies, songs,...
.
Family
He married Mary Morris on 22 June 1596 in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and they had issue:
- Charles Cockayne, 1st Viscount CullenViscount CullenBaron Cullen redirects here. For the 1920 creation see Baron Cullen of Ashbourne.Viscount Cullen of Tipperary was a title in the Peerage of Ireland created on 11 August 1642, along with the title Baron Cullen, for Charles Cokayne....
- Anne Cockayne (b. 1604)
- Martha Cockayne (1605–1641), who married first John Ramsay, 1st Earl of HoldernessJohn Ramsay, 1st Earl of HoldernessJohn Ramsay, 1st Earl of Holderness was an important Scottish aristocrat of the Jacobean era, best known in history as the first favourite of James I when he became king of England as well as Scotland in 1603....
, second Montagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of LindseyMontagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of LindseyMontagu Bertie, 2nd Earl of Lindsey, 15th Baron Willoughby de Eresby, KG, PC was the eldest son of Robert Bertie, 1st Earl of Lindsey and his wife Elizabeth Montagu, daughter of Edward Montagu, 1st Baron Montagu of Boughton.-Early life:... - Jane Cockayne (b. 1609)
- Abigail Cockayne (1610–1687), who married John Carey, 2nd Earl of DoverJohn Carey, 2nd Earl of DoverJohn Carey, 2nd Earl of Dover was an English peer, styled Viscount Rochford from 1628 to 1666. He was a descendant of the Boleyn family through Mary Boleyn and was the son of Henry Carey, 1st Earl of Dover and Judith Pelham, daughter of Sir Thomas Pelham, 1st Baronet.In 1640, he was summoned to...
- Mary Cockayne, who married Charles Howard, 2nd Earl of NottinghamCharles Howard, 2nd Earl of NottinghamCharles Howard, 2nd Earl of Nottingham was the son of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham. His mother was the former Katherine Carey. From 1596 to 1624 he was styled Lord Howard of Effingham....
Other daughters married Sir Hatton Fermor, ancestor of the Earls of Pomfret; John Ramsay, created Earl of Holdernesse; Thomas Fanshawe, created Viscount Fanshawe; and Hon. James Sheffield, son of the Earl of Mulgrave.
His widow remarried, 6 July 1630, Henry Carey, 4th Baron Hunsdon, 1st Earl of Dover, and, dying 24 December 1648, was buried with her first husband at St. Paul's.