History Forum / General / British History / September 2007

Excellent Post, Douglas!

Absolutely Top Drawer.

People will attack certain points you have made and data you have posted but
YOU started the DIALOGUE by laying out a Template.

THAT'S What Counts...

DSH

Lux et Veritas et Libertas

Dear Newsgroup ~

Complete Peerage, 5 (1926): 589-591 (sub Furnivalle) has a good
account of the life of Thomas Neville,  Knt., Lord Furnival (died
1407).  Sir Thomas Neville is known to have married twice and had one
daughter by each marriage.  Full coverage is given in Complete Peerage
to Sir Thomas' elder daughter, Maud Neville, who was the wife of John
Talbot, K.G., 1st Earl of Shrewsbury.  Reference to Sir Thomas'
younger daughter, Joan Neville, by his second wife, Ankaret le
Strange, however, consists of a mere mention of her buried in a
footnote in the quotation of the Latin text of Sir Thomas' inquisition
post mortem.  There Joan is stated to have been ages 2-1/2, 3, or
3-1/2 in April 1407 when the various inquests were taken.  No further
information is given regarding Joan Neville's subsequent history.

Checking around for further information regarding Joan Neville, I've
learned that Joan Neville was in fact a legatee in the 1407 will of
her father, Sir Thomas Neville, who bequeathed her £400 sterling for
her marriage [Reference: Testamenta Eboracensia 3 (Surtees Soc. 45)
(1865): 40-43].   For a copy of the abstract of the will of Sir Thomas
Neville, see the following weblink:

http://books.google.com/books?id=PNkKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA41&dq=Hugh+Cokesey+Joan#PPA40,M1

In a footnote on page 41 of this text, the editor of Testamenta
Eboracensia states that Joan Neville, daughter of Sir Thomas, "married
Sir Hugh de Cokesey, or, as some say, Hamo Belknap. (Hunter's
Hallamshire, 31, 40-43)."  So, we have a clue to Joan Neville's
possible marriage, but that is all.

That Joan Neville married Sir Hugh Cokesey, not Hamo Belknap, is
confirmed, however, by two contemporary records.  The first record is
the inquisition post mortem of Sir Adam de Peshale taken 28 November
1419, an abstract of which was published in Colls. Hist. Staffs. n.s.
2 (1899): 92-93.  A copy of this material can be viewed at the
following weblink:

http://books.google.com/books?id=zOkGAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA92&dq=Hugh+Cokesey+Joan

The inquisition indicates that at the time of his death, Sir Adam
Peshale held the manor of Shifnal, Shropshire "by the law of England
of the right of Elizabeth lately his wife," and that the reversion of
the manor "after the death of the said Adam" belonged to the daughters
and heirs of Thomas Neville, lately Lord Furnival, deceased, they
being Maud, wife of John Talbot, Knt., lord of Furnival, and Joan, the
wife of Hugh Cokesey, knight."  The inquisition further states that
the reversion of the said manor was previously granted by the king to
Sir Thomas Neville and his heirs forever.  Thus, it appears that Joan
Neville definitely married Sir Hugh Cokesey sometime before 28
November 1419, the date of the above cited inquisition.  The Sir Hugh
Cokesey in question is of the individual of that name of Great Cooksey
(in Upton Warren), Caldwell (in Kidderminster), and Great Witley,
Worcestershire, who was Knight of the Shire for Worcestershire in
1442.

As for Joan Neville's later history, further reference to her is found
in Transaction of the Thoroton Society, 17 (1913): 126, which gives
the following information regarding her monument brass:

"I enclose you a copy of the Merchants Mark of Edmund Sheffeld
Citizen and Vintner of London of the date of 1445 from a Brass at West
Burton Co. Notts which seems to have escaped your notice. The
inscription is as follows: 'Hic jacet Edmundus Sheffeld, quondam civis
et Vinutario Londin, qui obiit xviii die Februarii, anno dni. milmo
ccccxlv cuius Anime ppicietur deus Amen' 1441. The brass on which the
above inscription is cut had already done duty, and that only 13 years
previously. On the other side we find the following:  'Hic jacet Dna
Johna qndm ux Hugonis Cokesey Militis filia dni de Ffornyvale Militis
qe obiit xxvi° die Augusti Ano M°ccc°xxxiii° [sic] cuius aie ppicietur
deus.  Amen.'  This I take to be Joan one of the daughters and coheirs
of Thomas de Nevill (brother to Ralph, first Earl of Westmoreland)
Treasurer of England and in right of his first wife Joane (the only
daughter of William Lord Furnival), by whom he had a daughter Maud.
He married secondly Ankaretta daughter of John le Strange of Blackmere
(widow of Richard son of Gilbert Talebot and mother of the famous John
Talbot) by whom he had this daughter Joan, who married Sir Hugh
Cokesey being his third wife.  Dodsworth saw in Sheffield Parish
Church, 1620, in the second window on the north side 'Pray ye for the
soule of Hugh Coke-and for the soules of Agnes Ellen and Jone his
wives.'  Arms quarterly-Furnival and Nevil."  END OF QUOTE.

Thus, it appears that Joan Neville, wife of Sir Hugh Cokesey, died 26
August 1433.

Research in other sources indicates that Sir Hugh Cokesey himself died
without issue in 1445, his heir being his sister, Joyce Cokesey, wife
successively of John Greville, Esq., Leonard Stapleton, Esq., and
Walter Beauchamp, Knt.  At the time of his death, Sir Hugh Cokesey was
survived by a second wife, Alice, who afterwards remarried Sir Andrew
Ogard.

For further details of Joan Neville and her husband, Sir Hugh Cokesey,
please see below.  All my sources are provided.

Best always, Douglas Richardson, Salt Lake City, Utah

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I. JOAN NEVILLE, born about 1403 or 1404 (aged 2-1/2, 3, or 3-1/2 in
April 1407).  She was a legatee in the 1407 will of her father, who
bequeathed her £400 sterling for her marriage.  She married before 28
Nov. 1419 (date of inquisition) HUGH COKESEY (or COOKSEY), Knt., of
Tetbury, Gloucestershire, Bramley and Little Cookham, Surrey,
Bidlington (in Bramber), Sussex, and Great Cooksey (in Upton Warren),
Caldwell (in Kidderminster), and Great Witley, Worcestershire, Knight
of the Shire for Worcestershire, 1442, son and heir of Walter Cokesey,
of Great Cooksey (in Upton Warren), Caldwell (in Kidderminster), and
Great Witley, Worcestershire, by Maud, probable daughter of Thomas
Harcourt, Knt.  He was born about 1404 (aged 15 in 1419).  They had no
issue.  He was heir in 1419 to his great-grand-uncle, George Brewes,
Esq.  His wife, Joan, died 26 August 1433.  He married (2nd) before
1441 (date of settlement) Alice _____.  He presented to the church of
Great Witley, Worcestershire in 1443.  SIR HUGH COKESEY died in 1445.
His widow, Alice, married (2nd) (as his 2nd wife) Andrew Ogard, Knt.,
of Buckenham, Norfolk, and Rye (in Stanstead Abbots), Hertfordshire,
King's knight, Captain of Vire and Caen, Chamberlain and Councillor to
John, Duke of Bedford, Constable of Prudhoe Castle, Ambassador to
France, Knight of the Shire for Norfolk, 1453-1454, son of Peder
Nielson, of Aagaard, Denmark.  He was born in Denmark, and received
letters of denization in England in 1436.  They had one son, Henry,
and one daughter, Anne (wife of Remfrey Arundel and Robert Crane,
Esq.).  Sir Andrew Ogard died shortly before 17 October 1454.  He left
a will requesting burial in the north side of the high altar in St.
Mary's monastery in Wymondham, Norfolk.  His widow, Alice, presented
to the church at Attleborough, Norfolk in 1456.  In the period, 1456-
1460, his widow, Alice, and the executors of his will including John
Bourghchier, Knt., Lord Berners, were sued in Chancery by William
Oldhall, Knt., regarding a payment under a statute of the staple at
Westminster.  His widow, Alice, died in 1460.  Lysons, Magna Britannia
5 (1817): 129-142.  Coll. Top. et Gen. 3 (1836): 105 (will of Andrew
Ogard); 6 (1840): 74-75.  Napier, Hist. Notices of the Parishes of
Swyncombe & Ewelme (1858): 30-34, 46 (presents evidence that Sir John
Philip (died 1415) married (1st) _____ Botetourt, (2nd) Maud Harcourt
[widow of Walter Cokesey], (3rd) Alice Chaucer).  Ramsay, Paston
Letters (1859): 79 (transcript of letter of Dame Alice Ogard dated
1456 addressed to her cousin, John Paston, Esq., which mentions her
cousin, John Radcliff, of Attleborough).  Collectanea Archaeologica
1(1862): 221-222.  Testamenta Eboracensia 3 (Surtees Soc. 45) (1865):
40-43 (will of Sir Thomas Neville, Knt., Lord Furnival).  The East
Anglian 2 (1866): 250.  The Antiquary 1 (1871): 93-94.  Maudslay,
Notes & extracts respecting the Fam. of Bukenham or Bokenham (1884):
77-78.  Williams, Parliamentary His. of the County of Worcester
(1897): 28.  Colls. Hist. Staffs. n.s. 2 (1899): 92-93.  Desc. Cat. of
Ancient Deeds 3 (1900): 282.  Gairdner, The Paston Letters, A.D.
1422-1509 3 (1904): 80.  Papal Regs.: Letters 9 (1912): 313.  VCH
Hertford 3 (1912): 366-373; 4 (1971): 372-416.  C.P. 3 (1913): 308,
footnote b (sub Clifton).  Trans. Thoroton Soc. 17 (1913): 126 ("I
enclose you a copy of the Merchants Mark of Edmund Sheffeld Citizen
and Vintner of London of the date of 1445 from a Brass at West Burton
Co. Notts which seems to have escaped your notice. The inscription is
as follows: 'Hic jacet Edmundus Sheffeld, quondam civis et Vinutario
Londin, qui obiit xviii die Februarii, anno dni. milmo ccccxlv cuius
Anime ppicietur deus Amen' 1441. The brass on which the above
inscription is cut had already done duty, and that only 13 years
previously. On the other side we find the following:  'Hic jacet Dna
Johna qndm ux Hugonis Cokesey Militis filia dni de Ffornyvale Militis
qe obiit xxvi° die Augusti Ano M°ccc°xxxiii° [sic] cuius aie ppicietur
deus.  Amen.'  This I take to be Joan one of the daughters and coheirs
of Thomas de Nevill (brother to Ralph, first Earl of Westmoreland)
Treasurer of England and in right of his first wife Joane (the only
daughter of William Lord Furnival), by whom he had a daughter Maud.
He married secondly Ankaretta daughter of John le Strange of Blackmere
(widow of Richard son of Gilbert Talebot and mother of the famous John
Talbot) by whom he had this daughter Joan, who married Sir Hugh
Cokesey being his third wife.  Dodsworth saw in Sheffield Parish
Church, 1620, in the second window on the north side 'Pray ye for the
soule of Hugh Coke-and for the soules of Agnes Ellen and Jone his
wives.'  Arms quarterly-Furnival and Nevil.").  VCH Worcester 3
(1913): 158-173, 231-234; 4 (1924): 328-331 (Cooksey arms: Argent a
bend azure with three cinqfoils or thereon), 372-375.  VCH Warwick 6
(1951): 117-120.  VCH Gloucester 11 (1976): 264-269.  Richmond, The
Paston Family in the Fifteenth Century (1990): 177.