Our Medieval History
Using evidence from 1066 to 1551 the names of Coxon, Coxen and Coxson are researched in an attempt to define the year that each was first used in any official document.
Invasion by the Normans
Building new churches and cathedrals
French is the language of the Court
Use of family names and structure
The defeat of the Saxons by William the Conqueror in 1066 formed the basis of family names and structure. Saxon names disappeared to be replaced by Norman names; even in the indigenous population for reasons of personal safety or fashion. In the same family, children could have a Saxon name or a Norman name.
Research Method
Eleven similar sounding names were researched
Only official documents were reviewed to provide references
Names
Coq, Coc, Cock, Cocks, Cockson, Kockson, Cox, Coxe, Coxson, Coxon, Coxen
Research Results
Earliest reference date for each name
The first time that a name appears in an official document
Coxson 1475
Gregory Gebon v Thomas Coxson. Court litigation over land in North Clenchewarton, Norfolk
Coxon 1538
Court case Coxon v Parke
Coxen 1551
Baptism Alice Coxen, Wooton Glanville, Dorset
Second reference date for each name
The three names are now nearly date aligned
Coxson 1557
Nycholas Coxson, Baptism. St. Benet, Fink, London (Nycholas Kockson had appeared briefly in 1552)
Coxon 1552
Joan Coxon received a calf (value 6s 8d) in the will of John Nettlyton, Sudbourne, Suffolk
Coxen 1564
Dorothea Coxen, Baptism. Handsworth St. Mary, Staffordshire
Third reference date for each name
Coxson 1558
Awgustyn Coxson, Baptism. St. Benet, Fink, London
Coxon 1555
John Coxon, Baptism. Christ Church, Greyfriars, London
Coxen 1598
John Coxen, referred to in Robert Heyricke family papers at Oxford University
THE EARLIER NAMES
1066-1485
Coc
From 1066 - 1485 the name Coc (a derivation of Coq) is by far the most common name and is likely the basis of all the names
Cock
First appears in 1201 but is then infrequent
Cockson
First appears in 1273 but is less frequent than Coc
Cocks, Cox
Cocks appears in 1293 and Cox in 1318
The early Coc records
1086 - Aluuinus Coc of Cambridgeshire recorded in the Domesday Book
1086 - Alwine Coc the Beadle (court official) of Cambridgeshire recorded in the Domesday Book
1150 - Nicholas Coc, title deeds relating to the Derbyshire and Staffordshire estates of the Okeover family
1216 - Nicholas Coc, Rector of St Peters, Westute. Grant to Bartholomew Buchenet of a messuage and croft in the parish of St Mary, Westute (Lewes)
1250 - Mark Coc, lease of land near Lostwithiel, Cornwall
1250 - William Coc, lease of land near Hengrave, Suffolk
1250 - John Coc of Wootton, dispute with William Schynard of Henley of land in Wootton
1257 - William Coc of Hammingeherste, witness in land deed
1260 - Lewin le Coc, purchase with others of land in Hailsham and Jevington, East Sussex
1265 - Sir Thomas Coc, witness to a deed, Wakefield, Yorkshire
Summary & Conclusions
Summary
We have reviewed the development from 1066 to 1551 of eleven similar names – Coq, Coc, Cock, Cocks, Cockson, Kockson, Cox, Coxe, Coxson, Coxon and Coxen based on documentary evidence dating from 1086 through to the end of Medieval England and into the Tudor period.
A group of names appear earlier than the others Coc (1066), Cock (1201), Cockson (1273), Cocks (1293) and Cox (1318)
The earliest dates for Coxson (1475), Coxon (1538) and Coxen (1551)
Conclusion
The research concludes that our names are derived from the Norman Conquest of England in 1066 and from the Coc families who came from France with William I.
The Coc name then evolved through three possible lines.
First Line
Coc → Cockson → Coxson → Coxon → Coxen
Second Line
Coc → Cock → Cockson → Coxson → Coxon → Coxen
Third Line
Coc → Cock → Cocks → Cox → Coxson → Coxon → Coxen
We have concluded that primarily Coc goes through the first line because of the low frequency of the name Cock during the Medieval period – it is much less frequent than both Coc and Cockson. The derivation Cockson also appears before Cocks and Cox.
Research Sources
Court of the Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law which sat at the royal Palace of Westminster, from the late 15th century to the mid-17th century
The Court of Chancery
The Chancery had jurisdiction over all matters of equity, including trusts, land law, the estates of lunatics and the guardianship of infants.
Quarter Sessions
The courts of quarter session were local courts traditionally held at four set times each year in the Kingdom of England (including Wales) from 1388 until 1707,
Prerogative Courts
The term applied to the English provincial courts of Canterbury and York having jurisdiction over the estates of deceased persons
The Kings Remembrancer
Records of the King’s Remembrancer (or Queen’s Remembrancer), one of the two major Exchequer officials concerned with the accounting and audit procedures and also in the wider administrative functions of the Court of Exchequer from the twelfth century to the nineteenth. The records are therefore extensive and diverse.
Acknowledgements
British National Archives, Wikipedia, Pexels, Pinterest