The Cogswells in America - citizen hylbom blog

INTRODUCTION
THE COGSWELLS IN ENGLAND.
1580-1635.
It is not the object of this work to give any extended account of the
Cogswells in England, but merely as introductory to their record in America
to mention the birthplace and the more immediate ancestors of John Cur.s-
WELL, who with his family were the first immigrants of the name to this
country. Tradition and probability identify the name Cogswell with the old
English town of Coggeshall, which is located forty-four miles from London, in
the County of Essex. Coggeshall was the ancient Canonium of the Romans,
and held by them as a military trading post for several centuries, being surren-
dered only on their departure from Britain. Roman bricks, tiles, broken urns,
and coins, relics of Roman possession, have often been found in Coggeshall.
In the time of the Saxons it was called Coed Garr's Hall. When Canute.
the Dane, ruled Britain, Godwin, one of his favorites, who lived also under
Edward the Confessor, came into possession of Coggashael, whose daughter
Edward the Confessor married, and whose son was King Harold, the last of
the Saxon kings.
In 1046 Coggeshall was given to the Church of Christ for the support of
the Benedictine monks of Canterbury. In 1139 the Abbey of Coggeshall was
founded by King Stephen and Queen Matilda, the monks being of the Cister-
cian Order. The first Abbot of Coggeshall was William. In the reign of
Edward III., A. D. 1337, Johanus Coggeskale was M. P. from Gloucester,
England For further history of Coggeshall, rid. The .Annals of Coggeshall,
by Bryan Dak, M. D., and The Chronicles of Ralph De Cogges-
hall, in Latin.
It is the family tradition of the Cogswells now holding the ancient Cogswell
possessions in Westbury, County of Wilts, England, that their ancestors came
from the County of Essex, and were there known as Coggeshall, with the vari-
ous spellings which appear, viz. : Cogshall,
Coggeshall, Hoggeshale, Cogesholl,
Cogeshole, Coggashael, Cogshol. Coxhall, Cockshall, and Coggshale. Beside