Sir William Cokayne, of Rushton, Lord Mayor
of London 1619-1620, (1559-1626)
son of William Cokayne, of Baddesley Ensor and Elizabeth Medcalfe
Born circa 1559
Died 20 October 1626 Comb Nevill, Surrey
Buried London, St.Paul's Cathedral
Married Mary Morris
baptised 10 May 1573 St.Leonard's, Eastcheap
Buried 8 January 1649 London, St.Paul's Cathedral
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In 1582 he became apprenticed to his father; on 28 March 1590 he was
made free of the Skinners' Company by patrimony. On 28 November 1599 his
father died and he succeeded to his father's business. In 1609 he became
sheriff of London and, from 1609 till 1613, alderman of Farringdon Without,
from 1613 till 1618 of Castle Baynard, from 1618 till 1625 of Lime Street
and, from 1625 till he died, of Broad Street. In 1612, when the plantation
of Ulster was commenced, he was the first governor of the colonists to
be sent there and, under his directions, the city of Londonderry was established.
On 8 June 1616 the king honoured him with his presence at dinner at his
house in Broad Street (Cokayne House, opposite St. Peter's Church) where
he dubbed him a knight. In 1619 and 1620, while he was Lord Mayor of London,
King James visited St.Paul's Cathedral with a view to raising
money to complete the spire, and was received by Cokayne in great state.
On 22 April 1620 a pageant entitled "The Triumphs of Love and Antiquity"
was performed at Cokayne's house because 'that noble marriage was celebrated
between Charles, Lord Howard, Baron of Effingham, and Mary, first daughter
of the said Sir William Cokaine'. The king frequently consulted with him
both in council and privately, speaking most highly of his method of handling
business, and of 'his language, accent, and manner of delivering himself'.
By Sir William and other of the Merchant Adventurers' Company the well-known
William Baffin was equipped for one of his northern voyages, and in his
honour a harbour in Greenland, called in the admiralty chart 'Cockin's
Sound,' was named. He purchased large estates in several counties, more
particularly Elmesthorpe, Leicestershire, and Rushton in Northamptonshire,
long the residence of his descendants. He gave each of his numerous daughters
œ10,000,- on marriage, leaving his son a rent roll of above œ12,000,- a
year. He died 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 stately
monument with an elaborate inscription was erected to him.
Source: Leo van de Pas |
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