Coggeshall
Encyclopedia
Coggeshall is a small market town
of 3,919 residents (in 2001) in Essex
, England
, situated between Colchester
and Braintree
on the Roman road
of Stane Street (the drainage aqueducts of which are still visible in the cellar of the Chapel Inn today), and intersected by the River Blackwater
. It is known for its almost 300 listed buildings and formerly extensive antique trade. Many local businesses, such as the White Hart Hotel and the Chapel Inn (The Chapel Inn became a legally licensed premises in 1554) have been established for hundreds of years. A market has been run every week on Market Hill since 1256, when a charter to do so was granted by Henry III
.
Coggeshall won the Essex Best Kept Village award in its category in 1998 and 2001–03; it was named the Eastern England & Home Counties Village of the Year
in 2003.
from 1086 addresses the town as Cogheshal and it is mentioned elsewhere as Cogshall, Coxal and Gogshall. Beaumont brought together several theories in his 1890, A History of Coggeshall, in Essex.
Post Beaumont, Margaret Gelling
associated the name with the landscape in which the town is situated, claiming that hall comes from Anglo-Saxon halh, meaning a nook or hollow, thus rendering the name as 'Cogg's nook', corresponding to Coggeshall's sunken position in the 150-foot contour line.
There are several towns throughout Britain with similar names: Uggeshall, Cockfield, Cogshull, Cogges, Coxhall Knoll. Part of the Parish was known as Crowland, the Parish of Crowland in Lincolnshire has an area within it called Gogguslands.
Coggeshall has been called Sunnydon, referenced in 1224 as an alias for the town.
settlement. There is evidence of a Roman
villa or settlement before then and the town lies on Stane Street, which may have been built on a much earlier track. Roman coins dating from 31 BC to AD 395 have been found in the area and Coggeshall has been considered the site of a Roman station mentioned in the Itineraries of Antoninus. Coggeshall is situated at a ford of the River Blackwater, part of another path running from the Blackwater Valley to the Colne Valley
. Where these paths crossed a settlement started. The area around Coggeshall has been settled since the Mesolithic
period.
Coggeshall is mentioned in the Domesday Book
as Cogheshal. The Manor of Coggeshall was owned by a Saxon freeman named Cogga, and at the time of its entry there was "a mill; about 60 men with ploughs and horses, oxen and sheep; woodland with swine and a swineherd, four stocks of bees and one priest". William the Conqueror gave the Manor to Eustace, the Count of Boulogne
.
The modern history of Coggeshall begins around 1140 when King Stephen
and his queen Matilda
, founded a large Savigniac abbey with 12 monks from Savigny
in France, the last to be established before the order was absorbed by the Cistercians in 1147. Matilda visited the Abbey for the last time in 1151 and asked for the Abbot's blessing, "If thou should never see my face again, pray for my Soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this World dreams of."
Flint and rubble were the main materials used in the construction of the monastery, and the buildings were faced with stone punted up the Blackwater and locally produced brick. Brick making had died out in Britain since the Romans left and the monks may have been instrumental in its re-establishment around this time. They built a kiln
in the North of the town at a place called Tile Kiln, an area now known as Tilkey. The bricks from Coggeshall are some of the earliest known bricks in post Roman Britain. Long Bridge, in the south of the town was probably built in the 13th century using these bricks and the kiln in Tilkey continued to produce bricks until 1845. The Church was completed to a sufficient extent to be dedicated by the Bishop of London
in 1167.
The estate commanded by the monastery was extensive. The monks farmed sheep, and their skilled husbandry
developed a high quality wool that formed the foundation of the town's prosperous cloth trade during the 15th to mid-18th centuries, when it was particularly renowned for its fine Coggeshall White cloth. The monastery also had fishponds with strict fishing rights — a Vicar of Coggeshall was imprisoned in Colchester for stealing fish. However the monastery could not produce all that it required and sold produce at an annual fair
to buy the things they did not have. In 1250 the Abbot of Coggeshall was allowed by Royal Charter to hold an eight day fair commencing on the thirty first of July — the feast of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, to whom the Parish Church was dedicated. In 1256, a Saturday market was granted as long as it didn't interfere with its neighbours. Colchester
complained in 1318 that Coggeshall was a hindrance, and their complaint, being upheld, resulted in the market being moved to Thursday, where it remains to this day.
The Black Death hit the Abbey hard, with the number of monks and conversi much reduced. Revenues across Essex fell to between one third to one half of pre plague rates, the abbey suffered financially with tenented and cultivated lands heavily decreased. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 the Abbey was broken into and pillaged. The sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire, John Sewall was targeted by rioters at his Coggeshall house, now the Chapel Inn. By the early 15th century a new church was begun at the Abbey called St. Mary's, it was completed by the start of the 16th century but the Dissolution of the Monasteries
brought an end to the prosperity of Monks. In 153] Abbot Love was demoted with a list of complaints raised against him, though some of them may have been fabricated it appears that standards at the monastery were dropping. It was common method at the time, that Abbot's unsympathetic to the will of the King were replaced with more favourable ones, in this case Abbot More was implanted by Dr. T. Leigh. Coggeshall survived the Act of Suppression in 1536 and the Abbot of St. Mary Grace's, London, invested in its future. However the political situation was opposed to the monasteries and Coggeshall succumbed in 1538 on the fifth of February, handed over by Abbot More. The monks were sent back to their families or into the community, with many becoming priests, Abbot Love became vicar of Witham
where he stayed until his death in 1559. The monastery's possessions and lands, totalling nearly 50,000 acres (200 km²), were seized; King Henry VIII
granted them to Sir Thomas Seymour. They remained into his possession until 1541 when they were split up.
and velvet
, with over half of the population employed in its production. The cloth trade is first linked with the town in 1557 as a well established industry but the onslaught of various trade laws brought about the decline of the trade. The last book order entry for cloth production is listed as November 14, 1800.
The 1851 census
showed Coggeshall to be one of the most industrialised places in Essex. However, the English silk industry was being artificially supported by a ban on imported silk goods; Continental silk was cheaper and of a higher quality. When Parliament repealed the ban in 1826 and later reduced and finally removed duties on French silk, English weavers were unable to compete and Coggeshall's economy was devastated.
The town again found fame in Tambour lace
, a form of lace-making introduced to Coggeshall around 1812 by a Monsieur Drago and his daughters. The production of this lace continued through the 19th century before dying out after the Second World War. Examples of Coggeshall lace have been worn by Queen Mary
and Queen Elizabeth II
.
Coggeshall was noted for the quality of its Brewing
, in the late 19th century having four well established institutions. In 1888 Gardner and Son were awarded the Diploma of Honour at the National Brewer's Exhibition. The brewery buildings have undergone alternative use in recent years, with several now used a residential buildings and another used as the Coggeshall Village Hall. In 2008 the Red Fox Brewery was opened near Coggeshall
By the end of the 19th century gelatine and isinglass
production was well established at a site on West Street, production continued until ceasing in the late 1980s.
In the mid 19th century John Kemp King established seed growing in the area where it continues to this day.
in continuous succession from its Congregational and Independent past. The modern Christ Church which meets in the building is now a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP); a new single congregation coming together from a union of the three village chapels in 1989 and uniting members from the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, and the United Reformed Church.
The Quakers were active in Coggeshall as early as 1655, with Fox stating "I came to Cogshall, and there was a meeting of about 2,000 people". That same year James Parnell, a local Quaker caused a disturbance at the church and was sentenced to prison at Colchester Castle
where he died whilst imprisoned in 1656. A meeting house was purchased on Stoneham Street in 1673 with a new building constructed in 1878. A graveyard was purchased on Tilkey Road in 1856 but now forms part of a private garden attached to 'Quaker Cottage'. The meeting house is now home to Coggeshall Library.
Coggeshall has proven an important place in the local Baptist
Ministry. For many years congregations met in a house just off Hare Bridge, and in 1797 the first annual meeting of the Essex Baptist Association was held in the Independent Meeting House. A permanent meeting house was constructed in 1825 along Church Street. This building is now used as business offices.
The Methodists have been present in Coggeshall since 1811, worshipping first at a house on Stoneham Street, then a chapel on East Street. A permanent chapel was constructed in 1883 on Stoneham Street to seat 250 people and now hosts a local children's nursery.
. The main river is the Blackwater
with the local Robin's Brook feeding into it. Beaumont mentions that there are good bore holes
intact, albeit converted into a barn. Subsequently restored in 1863, it is the oldest surviving post-Roman brick building in the country (c. 1220). The original bricks from the ruins of the abbey are older still, and were made by the monks themselves. These were previously believed to be the oldest post-Roman bricks in the country, however newer evidence suggests that brick making was not reintroduced to Britain by the Cistercians, but that there was already a brick making industry around Coggeshall in the early 12th century, prompted by the exhaustion of the supply of recyclable Roman bricks.
The Church of St. Peter-ad-Vincula
(St. Peter in chains) is built on an earlier Norman
church. It is one of the largest churches in Essex (internal dimensions of 134 ft 6 in by 62 ft 9 in, the tower reaches a height of 72 ft) and was considered as a possible choice for Cathedral, with Chelmsford Cathedral
eventually being chosen. The present church was built in the perpendicular style with 'wool money' during the first quarter of the 15th century, its unusual size is testament to the affluence of the town at the time. Restoration work was carried out during the 19th century. During the Second World War, on 16 September 1940, the Luftwaffe
bombed the church causing the roof of the nave to collapse and significant structural damage, repairs were completed in 1956. To celebrate the millennium
two new bells
were purchased, bringing the total to ten, Coggeshall hosts the heaviest peal
in Essex.
Paycocke's is a house built in or around 1500 by John Paycocke (d. 1505), it is thought it was built as a wedding present for his son Thomas and daughter in law Margaret as the initials T.P. and M.P. appear in the wood carvings that decorate the house. The house features elaborate wood panelling
and carvings, a testament to the wealth generated by the Wool trade in East Anglia, it also features gates which some think were taken from the Abbey at the time of its dissolution. The Paycocke family moved into Coggeshall in the 15th century and exemplified a trend for successful butchers to acquire large flocks of their own sheep which would produce wool as well as meat. The wool could be used to make cloth and often the 'grazing butchers' would eventually evolve into clothier
s. These merchants frequently became very wealthy during this process. Thomas was the last Paycocke to live in Coggeshall, dying in 1580. It was the sold to the Buxton family who were clothiers and from 1746 changed hands several times eventually being bought by Lord Noel-Buxton, a descendant of the original Buxtons, and given to The National Trust
in 1924. Restoration work was carried out in the 1960s and the house is now open to the public.
Grange Barn was built by the Cistercians in the 13th century to serve the abbey, it is one of the oldest surviving timber-framed buildings in Europe. It was located a quarter of a mile from the Abbey and underwent significant structural alteration in the 14th Century. It survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries, remaining in continual agricultural use up until 1960 when it was left derelict. It was compulsorily purchased in 1982 by Braintree District Council
, who initiated the restoration of the barn, with the work being completed in 1985. In 1989 the barn was given to The National Trust for its future preservation. Although it has undergone extensive reconstruction and its original thatch roof has been replaced with tile, the barn today represents that which existed in the 14th century. Grange Barn is now open to the public showing a collection of farm carts and wagons, and is available to hire for special events.
which follows the original road. Around 1982 a bypass was built around Coggeshall.
The saying "A Coggeshall job" was used in Essex from the 17th to the 19th century to mean any poor or pointless piece of work, after the reputed stupidity of its villagers. There were numerous stories of the inhabitants' ridiculous endeavours, such as chaining up a wheelbarrow
in a shed after it had been bitten by a rabid
dog, for fear it would go mad. John Ray
's 1670 Collection of English Proverbs gives the following rhyme:
Other jobs included winching up a cow onto the church roof to eat the grass growing there, knocking down one of two windmills as there would not be enough wind for both of them, attempting to divert the course of the river with hurdles
, hanging sheets over roads to prevent the wind from blowing disease into the town, chopping the head off a lamb to free it from a gate, removing stairs from a house to stop flood water entering and some appropriated from other 'fool centres', for example the classic 'fishing for the moon'.
, currently play in the Essex & Suffolk Border League
and were previously members of the Essex Senior League
.
of Coggeshall's abbey (from 1207–1218), Lord Ralph was one of the most important chroniclers of his time, described by the historian E. L. Cutts as "a man of polished erudition, as well as of temperance and arrived at such a degree of excellence in literature as to be esteemed by far the first of the brethren of his convent." He is known particularly for his work in the Chronicon Anglicanum (Chronicle of English Affairs). It is from that work that much of the early history of Coggeshall is known. Due to ill health he ceded his title to the seventh abbot, Lord Benedict de Straford in 1218, living quietly in the Abbey until his death in 1228.
, Cressing and Bradwell
. Their crimes were often brutal and mainly directed at the elderly. Dell's hole in nearby Earls Colne
is named after Mr. Dell who was attacked by the gang. Such was the interest in the gang that when finally caught and brought to trial, the galleries of the courtroom were filled with fashionably dressed women. One of the members was hanged, with several others being transported.
series Lovejoy
.
Coggeshall band The Whoppers (band) provide musical entertainment regularly at local venues and have performed at the Coggeshall carnival.
Sir Robert Hitcham's School was founded in 1636 as part of the will of Sir Robert Hitcham
a Member of Parliament and Attorney General
. The school was to educate 20 or 30 of the poorest children of the town and to give them funding for apprenticeships. The school functioned until the mid 20th Century, being rebuilt in 1858 on land opposite Paycockes.
A national school
was started in 1838–39 when the old work house on Stoneham Street was given to the Vicar and Churchwardens.
The British school
was built on land adjoining the Independent Chapel (current day Christ Church) in 1841 for education of the poor.
In the late 20th century St. Peter's School Church of England Primary School was opened in the land opposite St. Peter ad Vincula
Church. It was rebuilt in the 1980s.
In 2008 a Montessori School was founded in the rooms above Christ Church.
Coggeshall has one comprehensive secondary school called Honywood Community Science School
.
The Coggeshall Museum was founded in the 1990s.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of 3,919 residents (in 2001) in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, 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...
, situated between Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
and Braintree
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
on the Roman road
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
of Stane Street (the drainage aqueducts of which are still visible in the cellar of the Chapel Inn today), and intersected by the River Blackwater
River Blackwater, Essex
The River Blackwater is a river in England. It rises in the northwest of Essex as the River Pant and flows to Bocking, near Braintree, from where its name changes to the Blackwater. Its course takes it near Stisted, and then via Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall and near Witham where it is...
. It is known for its almost 300 listed buildings and formerly extensive antique trade. Many local businesses, such as the White Hart Hotel and the Chapel Inn (The Chapel Inn became a legally licensed premises in 1554) have been established for hundreds of years. A market has been run every week on Market Hill since 1256, when a charter to do so was granted by Henry III
Henry III of England
Henry III was the son and successor of John as King of England, reigning for 56 years from 1216 until his death. His contemporaries knew him as Henry of Winchester. He was the first child king in England since the reign of Æthelred the Unready...
.
Coggeshall won the Essex Best Kept Village award in its category in 1998 and 2001–03; it was named the Eastern England & Home Counties Village of the Year
Calor Village of the Year
The Calor Village of the Year comprised 4 annual competitions organised by gas provider Calor to identify the villages that best met the following criteria: "a well-balanced, pro-active, caring community which has made the best of local opportunities to maintain and enhance the quality of life for...
in 2003.
Etymology
The meaning of the name Coggeshall is much debated. Different pronunciations and spellings have been used throughout its history and many theories as to the name's origin have arisen. The earliest mention of the name is in a grant from around 1040 where it is called Coggashael. The Domesday BookDomesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
from 1086 addresses the town as Cogheshal and it is mentioned elsewhere as Cogshall, Coxal and Gogshall. Beaumont brought together several theories in his 1890, A History of Coggeshall, in Essex.
- Weever 1631 wrote about a monument found on 'Coccillway' , thought that Coccill was a lord of the area in Roman days and a corruption of the name lead to Coggeshall
- Dunkin thought that it was a concatenation of two Celtic words - Cor or Cau with Gafael, enclosure hold; or Coed and Caer or Gaer, camp in a wood, 'Cogger', the person owning this camp may have had a hall, therefore Coggershall. Beaumont largely rejects this.
- Philip MorantPhilip MorantPhilip Morant was an English clergyman, author and historian.He was educated at Abingdon School and Pembroke College, Oxford, eventually taking his Masters Degree at Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge in 1729.Ordained in 1722, he began his association with the county of Essex with a curacy at Great...
opined that the name was a corruption of Cocks-hall, with the seal of the Abbey featuring three cockerels. This may also be supported by Beaumonts suggestion that the first parish church, like the current one, was dedicated to Saint Peter, and the Cockerel was used as a sign of this dedication. - Beaumont also reasons that the name may have come from the red coloured shrub, the Coccus, whose colour is pronounced Coch and many Ancient Britains had names related to colours.
Post Beaumont, Margaret Gelling
Margaret Gelling
Margaret Joy Gelling, OBE was an English toponymist, Fellow of St Hilda's College, Oxford, and member of the Society of Antiquaries of London and the British Academy....
associated the name with the landscape in which the town is situated, claiming that hall comes from Anglo-Saxon halh, meaning a nook or hollow, thus rendering the name as 'Cogg's nook', corresponding to Coggeshall's sunken position in the 150-foot contour line.
There are several towns throughout Britain with similar names: Uggeshall, Cockfield, Cogshull, Cogges, Coxhall Knoll. Part of the Parish was known as Crowland, the Parish of Crowland in Lincolnshire has an area within it called Gogguslands.
Coggeshall has been called Sunnydon, referenced in 1224 as an alias for the town.
History
Coggeshall dates back at least to an early SaxonAnglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
settlement. There is evidence of a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
villa or settlement before then and the town lies on Stane Street, which may have been built on a much earlier track. Roman coins dating from 31 BC to AD 395 have been found in the area and Coggeshall has been considered the site of a Roman station mentioned in the Itineraries of Antoninus. Coggeshall is situated at a ford of the River Blackwater, part of another path running from the Blackwater Valley to the Colne Valley
Colne Valley
The Colne Valley is a steep sided valley on the east flank of the Pennine Hills in the English county of West Yorkshire. It takes its name from the River Colne which rises above the town of Marsden and flows eastward along the floor of the valley....
. Where these paths crossed a settlement started. The area around Coggeshall has been settled since the Mesolithic
Mesolithic
The Mesolithic is an archaeological concept used to refer to certain groups of archaeological cultures defined as falling between the Paleolithic and the Neolithic....
period.
Coggeshall is mentioned in the Domesday Book
Domesday Book
Domesday Book , now held at The National Archives, Kew, Richmond upon Thames in South West London, is the record of the great survey of much of England and parts of Wales completed in 1086...
as Cogheshal. The Manor of Coggeshall was owned by a Saxon freeman named Cogga, and at the time of its entry there was "a mill; about 60 men with ploughs and horses, oxen and sheep; woodland with swine and a swineherd, four stocks of bees and one priest". William the Conqueror gave the Manor to Eustace, the Count of Boulogne
Count of Boulogne
The county of Boulogne was a historical region in the Low Countries. It consisted of a part of the present-day French département of the Pas-de-Calais , in parts of which there is still a Dutch-speaking minority....
.
The modern history of Coggeshall begins around 1140 when King Stephen
Stephen of England
Stephen , often referred to as Stephen of Blois , was a grandson of William the Conqueror. He was King of England from 1135 to his death, and also the Count of Boulogne by right of his wife. Stephen's reign was marked by the Anarchy, a civil war with his cousin and rival, the Empress Matilda...
and his queen Matilda
Matilda of Boulogne
Matilda I was suo jure Countess of Boulogne. She was also queen consort of England as the wife of King Stephen.-Biography:...
, founded a large Savigniac abbey with 12 monks from Savigny
Savigny
-In France:*Savigny, Manche, in the Manche département*Savigny, Haute-Marne, in the Haute-Marne département*Savigny, Rhône, in the Rhône département*Savigny, Haute-Savoie, in the Haute-Savoie département...
in France, the last to be established before the order was absorbed by the Cistercians in 1147. Matilda visited the Abbey for the last time in 1151 and asked for the Abbot's blessing, "If thou should never see my face again, pray for my Soul. More things are wrought by prayer than this World dreams of."
Flint and rubble were the main materials used in the construction of the monastery, and the buildings were faced with stone punted up the Blackwater and locally produced brick. Brick making had died out in Britain since the Romans left and the monks may have been instrumental in its re-establishment around this time. They built a kiln
Kiln
A kiln is a thermally insulated chamber, or oven, in which a controlled temperature regime is produced. Uses include the hardening, burning or drying of materials...
in the North of the town at a place called Tile Kiln, an area now known as Tilkey. The bricks from Coggeshall are some of the earliest known bricks in post Roman Britain. Long Bridge, in the south of the town was probably built in the 13th century using these bricks and the kiln in Tilkey continued to produce bricks until 1845. The Church was completed to a sufficient extent to be dedicated by the Bishop of London
Bishop of London
The Bishop of London is the ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of London in the Province of Canterbury.The diocese covers 458 km² of 17 boroughs of Greater London north of the River Thames and a small part of the County of Surrey...
in 1167.
The estate commanded by the monastery was extensive. The monks farmed sheep, and their skilled husbandry
Sheep husbandry
Sheep husbandry is a subcategory of animal husbandry specifically dealing with the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. Sheep farming is primarily based on raising lambs for meat, or raising sheep for wool. Sheep may also be raised for milk or to sell to other farmers.-Shelter and...
developed a high quality wool that formed the foundation of the town's prosperous cloth trade during the 15th to mid-18th centuries, when it was particularly renowned for its fine Coggeshall White cloth. The monastery also had fishponds with strict fishing rights — a Vicar of Coggeshall was imprisoned in Colchester for stealing fish. However the monastery could not produce all that it required and sold produce at an annual fair
Fair
A fair or fayre is a gathering of people to display or trade produce or other goods, to parade or display animals and often to enjoy associated carnival or funfair entertainment. It is normally of the essence of a fair that it is temporary; some last only an afternoon while others may ten weeks. ...
to buy the things they did not have. In 1250 the Abbot of Coggeshall was allowed by Royal Charter to hold an eight day fair commencing on the thirty first of July — the feast of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, to whom the Parish Church was dedicated. In 1256, a Saturday market was granted as long as it didn't interfere with its neighbours. Colchester
Colchester
Colchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
complained in 1318 that Coggeshall was a hindrance, and their complaint, being upheld, resulted in the market being moved to Thursday, where it remains to this day.
The Black Death hit the Abbey hard, with the number of monks and conversi much reduced. Revenues across Essex fell to between one third to one half of pre plague rates, the abbey suffered financially with tenented and cultivated lands heavily decreased. During the Peasants' Revolt of 1381 the Abbey was broken into and pillaged. The sheriff of Essex and Hertfordshire, John Sewall was targeted by rioters at his Coggeshall house, now the Chapel Inn. By the early 15th century a new church was begun at the Abbey called St. Mary's, it was completed by the start of the 16th century but the Dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
brought an end to the prosperity of Monks. In 153] Abbot Love was demoted with a list of complaints raised against him, though some of them may have been fabricated it appears that standards at the monastery were dropping. It was common method at the time, that Abbot's unsympathetic to the will of the King were replaced with more favourable ones, in this case Abbot More was implanted by Dr. T. Leigh. Coggeshall survived the Act of Suppression in 1536 and the Abbot of St. Mary Grace's, London, invested in its future. However the political situation was opposed to the monasteries and Coggeshall succumbed in 1538 on the fifth of February, handed over by Abbot More. The monks were sent back to their families or into the community, with many becoming priests, Abbot Love became vicar of Witham
Witham
Witham is a town in the county of Essex, in the south east of England with a population of 22,500. It is part of the District of Braintree and is twinned with the town of Waldbröl, Germany. Witham stands between the larger towns of Chelmsford and Colchester...
where he stayed until his death in 1559. The monastery's possessions and lands, totalling nearly 50,000 acres (200 km²), were seized; King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
granted them to Sir Thomas Seymour. They remained into his possession until 1541 when they were split up.
Economy and Industry
After the decline of the wool trade, Coggeshall's economy centred around cloth, silkSilk
Silk is a natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles. The best-known type of silk is obtained from the cocoons of the larvae of the mulberry silkworm Bombyx mori reared in captivity...
and velvet
Velvet
Velvet is a type of woven tufted fabric in which the cut threads are evenly distributed,with a short dense pile, giving it a distinctive feel.The word 'velvety' is used as an adjective to mean -"smooth like velvet".-Composition:...
, with over half of the population employed in its production. The cloth trade is first linked with the town in 1557 as a well established industry but the onslaught of various trade laws brought about the decline of the trade. The last book order entry for cloth production is listed as November 14, 1800.
The 1851 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
showed Coggeshall to be one of the most industrialised places in Essex. However, the English silk industry was being artificially supported by a ban on imported silk goods; Continental silk was cheaper and of a higher quality. When Parliament repealed the ban in 1826 and later reduced and finally removed duties on French silk, English weavers were unable to compete and Coggeshall's economy was devastated.
The town again found fame in Tambour lace
Tambour lace
Tambour lace refers to a family of lace made by stretching a fine net over a frame and creating a chain stitch using a fine hook to reach through the net and draw the working thread through the net....
, a form of lace-making introduced to Coggeshall around 1812 by a Monsieur Drago and his daughters. The production of this lace continued through the 19th century before dying out after the Second World War. Examples of Coggeshall lace have been worn by Queen Mary
Mary of Teck
Mary of Teck was the queen consort of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Empress of India, as the wife of King-Emperor George V....
and Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
.
Coggeshall was noted for the quality of its Brewing
Brewing
Brewing is the production of beer through steeping a starch source in water and then fermenting with yeast. Brewing has taken place since around the 6th millennium BCE, and archeological evidence suggests that this technique was used in ancient Egypt...
, in the late 19th century having four well established institutions. In 1888 Gardner and Son were awarded the Diploma of Honour at the National Brewer's Exhibition. The brewery buildings have undergone alternative use in recent years, with several now used a residential buildings and another used as the Coggeshall Village Hall. In 2008 the Red Fox Brewery was opened near Coggeshall
By the end of the 19th century gelatine and isinglass
Isinglass
Isinglass is a substance obtained from the dried swim bladders of fish. It is a form of collagen used mainly for the clarification of wine and beer. It can also be cooked into a paste for specialized gluing purposes....
production was well established at a site on West Street, production continued until ceasing in the late 1980s.
In the mid 19th century John Kemp King established seed growing in the area where it continues to this day.
Nonconformist Chapels
The first independent place of worship in Coggeshall was a converted barn on East Street, put to use in 1672. In 1710 a permanent chapel was built on Stoneham Street for "Protestant Dissenters from the Church of England, commonly called Independents". By 1716 there were 700 hearers including some of the wealthiest and most influential people from the local area. In 1834 the chapel was enlarged and again in 1865. Today the building continues to be part of the United Reformed ChurchUnited Reformed Church
The United Reformed Church is a Christian church in the United Kingdom. It has approximately 68,000 members in 1,500 congregations with some 700 ministers.-Origins and history:...
in continuous succession from its Congregational and Independent past. The modern Christ Church which meets in the building is now a Local Ecumenical Partnership (LEP); a new single congregation coming together from a union of the three village chapels in 1989 and uniting members from the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church, and the United Reformed Church.
The Quakers were active in Coggeshall as early as 1655, with Fox stating "I came to Cogshall, and there was a meeting of about 2,000 people". That same year James Parnell, a local Quaker caused a disturbance at the church and was sentenced to prison at Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle
Colchester Castle in Colchester, Essex is an example of a largely complete Norman castle. It is a Grade I listed building.-Construction:At one and a half times the size of the Tower of London's White Tower, Colchester's keep is the largest ever built in Britain and the largest surviving example in...
where he died whilst imprisoned in 1656. A meeting house was purchased on Stoneham Street in 1673 with a new building constructed in 1878. A graveyard was purchased on Tilkey Road in 1856 but now forms part of a private garden attached to 'Quaker Cottage'. The meeting house is now home to Coggeshall Library.
Coggeshall has proven an important place in the local Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Ministry. For many years congregations met in a house just off Hare Bridge, and in 1797 the first annual meeting of the Essex Baptist Association was held in the Independent Meeting House. A permanent meeting house was constructed in 1825 along Church Street. This building is now used as business offices.
The Methodists have been present in Coggeshall since 1811, worshipping first at a house on Stoneham Street, then a chapel on East Street. A permanent chapel was constructed in 1883 on Stoneham Street to seat 250 people and now hosts a local children's nursery.
Geography
Coggeshall is situated on top of a large deposit of London ClayLondon Clay
The London Clay Formation is a marine geological formation of Ypresian age which crops out in the southeast of England. The London Clay is well known for the fossils it contains. The fossils from the Lower Eocene indicate a moderately warm climate, the flora being tropical or subtropical...
. The main river is the Blackwater
River Blackwater, Essex
The River Blackwater is a river in England. It rises in the northwest of Essex as the River Pant and flows to Bocking, near Braintree, from where its name changes to the Blackwater. Its course takes it near Stisted, and then via Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall and Coggeshall and near Witham where it is...
with the local Robin's Brook feeding into it. Beaumont mentions that there are good bore holes
Demography
| 1861 | 1881 | 1901 | 1921 | 1941 | 1961 | 1981 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 4198 | 3361 | 3919 | |||||
| Number of houses | 765 |
Landmarks
St. Nicholas' Chapel, Coggeshall Abbey's gatehouse chapel, survived the Dissolution of the MonasteriesDissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
intact, albeit converted into a barn. Subsequently restored in 1863, it is the oldest surviving post-Roman brick building in the country (c. 1220). The original bricks from the ruins of the abbey are older still, and were made by the monks themselves. These were previously believed to be the oldest post-Roman bricks in the country, however newer evidence suggests that brick making was not reintroduced to Britain by the Cistercians, but that there was already a brick making industry around Coggeshall in the early 12th century, prompted by the exhaustion of the supply of recyclable Roman bricks.
The Church of St. Peter-ad-Vincula
St Peter ad Vincula, Coggeshall
St Peter ad Vincula Church in Coggeshall, Essex, is one of a group of over-sized churches built following the success of the early wool-trade in the East Anglia area. It is Grade I listed...
(St. Peter in chains) is built on an earlier Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
church. It is one of the largest churches in Essex (internal dimensions of 134 ft 6 in by 62 ft 9 in, the tower reaches a height of 72 ft) and was considered as a possible choice for Cathedral, with Chelmsford Cathedral
Chelmsford Cathedral
Chelmsford Cathedral in the county town of Chelmsford, Essex, England is dedicated to St Mary the Virgin, St Peter and St Cedd. It became a cathedral when the Anglican Diocese of Chelmsford was created in 1914 and is the seat of the Bishop of Chelmsford....
eventually being chosen. The present church was built in the perpendicular style with 'wool money' during the first quarter of the 15th century, its unusual size is testament to the affluence of the town at the time. Restoration work was carried out during the 19th century. During the Second World War, on 16 September 1940, the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
bombed the church causing the roof of the nave to collapse and significant structural damage, repairs were completed in 1956. To celebrate the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
two new bells
Church bell
A church bell is a bell which is rung in a church either to signify the hour or the time for worshippers to go to church, perhaps to attend a wedding, funeral, or other service...
were purchased, bringing the total to ten, Coggeshall hosts the heaviest peal
Peal
A peal is the name given to a specific type of performance of change ringing. The precise definition of a peal has changed considerably over the years...
in Essex.
Paycocke's is a house built in or around 1500 by John Paycocke (d. 1505), it is thought it was built as a wedding present for his son Thomas and daughter in law Margaret as the initials T.P. and M.P. appear in the wood carvings that decorate the house. The house features elaborate wood panelling
Panelling
Panelling is a wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials....
and carvings, a testament to the wealth generated by the Wool trade in East Anglia, it also features gates which some think were taken from the Abbey at the time of its dissolution. The Paycocke family moved into Coggeshall in the 15th century and exemplified a trend for successful butchers to acquire large flocks of their own sheep which would produce wool as well as meat. The wool could be used to make cloth and often the 'grazing butchers' would eventually evolve into clothier
Clothier
Clothier may refer to one of the following professions:*Tailor - the most common modern usage*Cloth merchant*A cloth manufacturer - see cloth productionAs a surname, Clothier may refer to one of the following individuals:...
s. These merchants frequently became very wealthy during this process. Thomas was the last Paycocke to live in Coggeshall, dying in 1580. It was the sold to the Buxton family who were clothiers and from 1746 changed hands several times eventually being bought by Lord Noel-Buxton, a descendant of the original Buxtons, and given to The National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
in 1924. Restoration work was carried out in the 1960s and the house is now open to the public.
Grange Barn was built by the Cistercians in the 13th century to serve the abbey, it is one of the oldest surviving timber-framed buildings in Europe. It was located a quarter of a mile from the Abbey and underwent significant structural alteration in the 14th Century. It survived the Dissolution of the Monasteries, remaining in continual agricultural use up until 1960 when it was left derelict. It was compulsorily purchased in 1982 by Braintree District Council
Braintree (district)
Braintree is a local government district in the English county of Essex. Its main town is Braintree.The main centres of population are Braintree, Witham and Halstead....
, who initiated the restoration of the barn, with the work being completed in 1985. In 1989 the barn was given to The National Trust for its future preservation. Although it has undergone extensive reconstruction and its original thatch roof has been replaced with tile, the barn today represents that which existed in the 14th century. Grange Barn is now open to the public showing a collection of farm carts and wagons, and is available to hire for special events.
Bus
- 1881 - Moore's Bus - 3 times a day to Kelvedon station
- 1982–present - Coggeshall Community Bus - Weekday service to Kelvedon station, local services.
- 19?? - 2008 the First Group number 70 bus from Braintree to Colchester stops in the town every hour, and from Colchester to Braintree once an hour.
- 2008–Present the First Group number 70 bus from Chelmsford to Colchester stops in the town every 30 minutes, and from Colchester to Chelmsford every 30 minutes.
Road
Coggeshall lies on the ancient route of Stane Street. It is now serviced by the A120 roadA120 road
The A120 is an important trunk road in southern England. It follows the course of Stane Street, a Roman road from Standon, Hertfordshire at its western terminus to Colchester...
which follows the original road. Around 1982 a bypass was built around Coggeshall.
Coggeshall jobs
- See also: Wise Men of GothamWise Men of GothamWise Men of Gotham is the early name given to the people of the village of Gotham, Nottinghamshire, in allusion to their reputed simplicity. If tradition is to be believed, the people of Gotham were not so very simple.- Legend :...
The saying "A Coggeshall job" was used in Essex from the 17th to the 19th century to mean any poor or pointless piece of work, after the reputed stupidity of its villagers. There were numerous stories of the inhabitants' ridiculous endeavours, such as chaining up a wheelbarrow
Wheelbarrow
A wheelbarrow is a small hand-propelled vehicle, usually with just one wheel, designed to be pushed and guided by a single person using two handles to the rear, or by a sail to push the ancient wheelbarrow by wind. The term "wheelbarrow" is made of two words: "wheel" and "barrow." "Barrow" is a...
in a shed after it had been bitten by a rabid
Rabies
Rabies is a viral disease that causes acute encephalitis in warm-blooded animals. It is zoonotic , most commonly by a bite from an infected animal. For a human, rabies is almost invariably fatal if post-exposure prophylaxis is not administered prior to the onset of severe symptoms...
dog, for fear it would go mad. John Ray
John Ray
John Ray was an English naturalist, sometimes referred to as the father of English natural history. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after "having ascertained that such had been the practice of his family before him".He published important works on botany,...
's 1670 Collection of English Proverbs gives the following rhyme:
- Braintree for the pure,
- Bocking for the poor;
- Coggeshall for the jeering town,
- And Kelvedon for the whore.
Other jobs included winching up a cow onto the church roof to eat the grass growing there, knocking down one of two windmills as there would not be enough wind for both of them, attempting to divert the course of the river with hurdles
Hurdles (agricultural)
Hurdles are a form of rural crafts. They are lightweight portable fencing structures that are used to enclose animals such as sheep . In England & Wales they have often been woven from ash tree, willow or hazel withies, and made windproof with wattle, and so called 'wattle hurdles'. There are...
, hanging sheets over roads to prevent the wind from blowing disease into the town, chopping the head off a lamb to free it from a gate, removing stairs from a house to stop flood water entering and some appropriated from other 'fool centres', for example the classic 'fishing for the moon'.
Local tales
- Thomas Hawkes burned to death in 1555 during the Marian PersecutionsMarian PersecutionsThe Marian Persecutions were carried out against religious reformers, Protestants, and other dissenters for their heretical beliefs during the reign of Mary I of England. The excesses of this period were mythologized in the historical record of Foxe's Book of Martyrs...
rather than allow his son to be baptised into the Roman Catholic ChurchRoman Catholic ChurchThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. Responding to Edmund BonnerEdmund BonnerEdmund Bonner , Bishop of London, was an English bishop. Initially an instrumental figure in the schism of Henry VIII from Rome, he was antagonized by the Protestant reforms introduced by Somerset and reconciled himself to Roman Catholicism...
, the Bishop of London, who urged him to return to Catholicism, he is reported to have said: "No my lord, that I will not, for if I had a hundred bodies I would suffer them all to be torn in pieces rather than I will abjure and recant." As he burned, Hawkes threw up his hands and clapped them three times, a sign to his friends that the pain could be endured. Hawkes' death and the circumstances leading up to it are recorded in detail in John FoxeJohn FoxeJohn Foxe was an English historian and martyrologist, the author of what is popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs, , an account of Christian martyrs throughout Western history but emphasizing the sufferings of English Protestants and proto-Protestants from the fourteenth century through the...
's Book of Martyrs. - Mary Honywood of nearby Mark's Hall, in an age of religious uncertainty, dashed a wineglass to the floor declaring "I shall be damned as surely as this is smashed". The wineglass rebounded, unbroken and she lived to the age of 93 years, having 19 children. She is commemorated in the church for having a total of 365 descendants at the time of her death.
- Coggeshall is supposedly located at a crossing of ley lines.
- The town clock was built to celebrate Queen VictoriaVictoria of the United KingdomVictoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
's jubileeDiamond JubileeA Diamond Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 60th anniversary in the case of a person or a 75th anniversary in the case of an event.- Thailand :...
in 1887 and the clockhouse was at one point a school for the poor children of the town. - Coggeshall is one of the many sites claimed to be the burial place of BoudicaBoudicaBoudica , also known as Boadicea and known in Welsh as "Buddug" was queen of the British Iceni tribe who led an uprising against the occupying forces of the Roman Empire....
. - One of the latest recorded witch-huntWitch-huntA witch-hunt is a search for witches or evidence of witchcraft, often involving moral panic, mass hysteria and lynching, but in historical instances also legally sanctioned and involving official witchcraft trials...
s in England took place in Coggeshall. It is known from the diary of Joseph Bufton, a resident of the town, that in 1699 the widow Common was tried three times for witchcraft, each time by 'swimming' - binding her limbs and putting her in the river to see if she would sink. She was found guilty on each occasion but died, probably from influenzaInfluenzaInfluenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, before she could be hanged. Another account is found in the records of the Reverend James Boys, the Vicar of Coggeshall - During the Napoleonic WarsNapoleonic WarsThe Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
Coggeshall was required to raise a company of men for the defence of the country. This they did, although the Coggeshall Volunteers famously consisted of 20 officersOfficer (armed forces)An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and only 3 privatesPrivate (rank)A Private is a soldier of the lowest military rank .In modern military parlance, 'Private' is shortened to 'Pte' in the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries and to 'Pvt.' in the United States.Notably both Sir Fitzroy MacLean and Enoch Powell are examples of, rare, rapid career...
. One resident of the town, the schoolmaster Thomas Harris, was so amused by the situation he was inspired to write a short, satirical play entitled "The C*******ll Volunteer Corps". In the play he lampooned the surfeit of officers ("As the Corps at present consists mostly of officers no more will be admitted; but should any neighbouring Corps be in want of a few it may be accommodated at the rate of one officer for one private, and in every dozen so exchanged an officer will be thrown in extra. God save the King"), the quality of the troops and the courage of their commanders (in the event that the nearby town of ColchesterColchesterColchester is an historic town and the largest settlement within the borough of Colchester in Essex, England.At the time of the census in 2001, it had a population of 104,390. However, the population is rapidly increasing, and has been named as one of Britain's fastest growing towns. As the...
was invaded the corps would move to defend BraintreeBraintree, EssexBraintree is a town of about 42,000 people and the principal settlement of the Braintree district of Essex in the East of England. It is northeast of Chelmsford and west of Colchester on the River Blackwater, A120 road and a branch of the Great Eastern Main Line.Braintree has grown contiguous...
, and if Braintree were to be attacked they would defend Colchester, etc.) The play was so popular it reached four editions. Unfortunately, despite Harris' insistence that it was not so, many of the town's citizens believed that they were being personally caricatured and, taking offence, withdrew their children from his school. - Mr. Nunn, a former blacksmithBlacksmithA blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
, is well known for his local deeds. Knowing the Grange Hill to be too steep for horses with heavy loads, proceeded with others to lower the top and was removed by the police. His most famous deed is the construction of an iron bridge that spans the Blackwater.
Sport
The local football club, Coggeshall TownCoggeshall Town F.C.
Coggeshall Town F.C. is an English football club based in Coggeshall, Essex. The club are currently members of Division One of the Essex & Suffolk Border League and play at The Crops.-History:...
, currently play in the Essex & Suffolk Border League
Essex and Suffolk Border Football League
The Essex and Suffolk Border Football League is a football competition based in England. The league has a total of two divisions headed by the Premier Division which sits at step 7 of the National League System. The top club may apply for promotion to Division One of the Eastern Counties League...
and were previously members of the Essex Senior League
Essex Senior Football League
The Essex Senior Football League is an English football league covering Essex, northeast Greater London and the eastern part of Hertfordshire. It is a feeder to Division One North of Isthmian League and has a single division which sits at step 5 of the National League System.There is no automatic...
.
Notable people
- John Godard — c. 1250 MathematicianMathematicianA mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and protégé of Ralph joined the order at Coggeshall where he wrote many treatiseTreatiseA treatise is a formal and systematic written discourse on some subject, generally longer and treating it in greater depth than an essay, and more concerned with investigating or exposing the principles of the subject.-Noteworthy treatises:...
s including Concerning the threefold method of calculating - John JegonJohn JegonJohn Jegon was an English academic and Bishop of Norwich. He supported uniformity of Anglican doctrine and worship, and strong government. This led him into conflict with John Robinson, later of the Mayflower. On the other hand, he made efforts to satisfy local Puritans by the appointment of...
— born in Coggeshall in 1550, Bishop of Norwich 1602 - John RogersJohn Rogers (Harvard)John Rogers was an English academic in early Colonial America. Eldest son of minister Nathaniel Rogers, he was born in Coggeshall, a small town in Essex, and immigrated to New England with his family in 1636. In 1649, at age 19, in the recent settlement of Cambridge , he earned a B.A...
- born in Coggeshall January 11, 1630. Emigrated in 1636 and became President of Harvard UniversityPresident of Harvard UniversityThe President of Harvard University is the chief administrator of the university. Ex officio the chairman of the Harvard Corporation, he or she is appointed by and is responsible to the other members of that body, who delegate to him or her the day-to-day running of the university...
. - John OwenJohn Owen (theologian)John Owen was an English Nonconformist church leader, theologian, and academic administrator at the University of Oxford.-Early life:...
- Vicar of Coggeshall (1646–1651), Theologian, Chaplain to Oliver CromwellOliver CromwellOliver Cromwell was an English military and political leader who overthrew the English monarchy and temporarily turned England into a republican Commonwealth, and served as Lord Protector of England, Scotland, and Ireland....
, Dean of Christ Church, OxfordChrist Church, OxfordChrist Church or house of Christ, and thus sometimes known as The House), is one of the largest constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England... - Richard MantRichard Mant-Life:He was born at Southampton and educated at Winchester College and at Trinity College, Oxford.He was elected fellow of Oriel in 1798, and afterwards took orders, holding a curacy at Southampton in 1802...
— Vicar of Coggeshall (1810–1820), later Bishop of Down and ConnorBishop of Down and ConnorThe Bishop of Down and Connor is an episcopal title which takes its name from the town of Downpatrick and the village of Connor in Northern Ireland...
, wrote a history of the Church of IrelandChurch of IrelandThe Church of Ireland is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion. The church operates in all parts of Ireland and is the second largest religious body on the island after the Roman Catholic Church... - Henry Doubleday - (1810–1902). Scientist and Horticulturist
- John CarterJohn Carter (mouth artist)John Carter was an English silk weaver and artist, who, after an accident left him paralysed from below the neck, learnt to draw, paint and write by holding the pencil, pen or brush in his mouth...
(1815-1850), silk weaver who became a celebrated mouth artist after an accident paralysed him from the neck down. - William UnwinWilliam UnwinWilliam Cawthorne Unwin FRS was a British civil and mechanical engineer. He is noted for his extensive work on hydraulics and engines as well as his close association with William Fairbairn. He is one of only a few men who have served as president of both the Institution of Civil Engineers and the...
- born in Coggeshall December 12, 1838. Engineer - Dr. Edward Lewes Cutts — CurateCurateA curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
of Coggeshall (1850–1857), author of many works on Church history - Tony NewtonTony NewtonAntony Harold "Tony" Newton, Baron Newton of Braintree, PC, OBE , is a British Conservative politician and former Cabinet member...
- Baron Newton of Braintree, Conservative Politician and Peer
Ralph of Coggeshall
The sixth abbotAbbot
The word abbot, meaning father, is a title given to the head of a monastery in various traditions, including Christianity. The office may also be given as an honorary title to a clergyman who is not actually the head of a monastery...
of Coggeshall's abbey (from 1207–1218), Lord Ralph was one of the most important chroniclers of his time, described by the historian E. L. Cutts as "a man of polished erudition, as well as of temperance and arrived at such a degree of excellence in literature as to be esteemed by far the first of the brethren of his convent." He is known particularly for his work in the Chronicon Anglicanum (Chronicle of English Affairs). It is from that work that much of the early history of Coggeshall is known. Due to ill health he ceded his title to the seventh abbot, Lord Benedict de Straford in 1218, living quietly in the Abbey until his death in 1228.
Coggeshall Gang
In the 1840s a gang of criminals terrorised Coggeshall, their headquarters were on Stoneham Street and their success due to the unpaid and untrained, spare-time Parish constables' inability to deal effectively with crime in their local area. The gang committed burglaries and violent robberies across Coggeshall, Great TeyGreat Tey
Great Tey is a village and a civil parish near the villages of Marks Tey and Little Tey in the Colchester District in Essex, England, located approximatelly six miles west of Colchester.- Location :...
, Cressing and Bradwell
Bradwell, Essex
Bradwell Juxta Coggeshall is a village and civil parish in Essex, England. It is located on the River Blackwater, approximately east of Braintree and is north-northeast from the county town of Chelmsford. The village is in the district and parliamentary constituency of Braintree...
. Their crimes were often brutal and mainly directed at the elderly. Dell's hole in nearby Earls Colne
Earls Colne
Earls Colne is a village in Essex, England named after the River Colne, on which it stands, and the Earls of Oxford who held the manor of Earls Colne from before 1086 to 1703.-Manor of Earls Colne:...
is named after Mr. Dell who was attacked by the gang. Such was the interest in the gang that when finally caught and brought to trial, the galleries of the courtroom were filled with fashionably dressed women. One of the members was hanged, with several others being transported.
Cultural references
The town was featured in the BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
series Lovejoy
Lovejoy
Lovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer and faker based in East Anglia, a less than scrupulous yet likeable rogue. The episodes were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
.
Coggeshall band The Whoppers (band) provide musical entertainment regularly at local venues and have performed at the Coggeshall carnival.
Education
The Cistercian's maintained a library at the Abbey. Scholarly works were produced such as Ralph of Coggeshall's Chronicon Anglicanum and John Godard's Concerning the threefold method of calculating alongside the ecclesiastical. There was also a school at the Abbey before 1464, in contravention of Cistercian Rule.Sir Robert Hitcham's School was founded in 1636 as part of the will of Sir Robert Hitcham
Robert Hitcham
Sir Robert Hitcham was a Member of Parliament and Attorney General.Robert was born of lowly origin and educated at the Free School at Ipswich and later Pembroke College, Cambridge, studying law...
a Member of Parliament and Attorney General
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
. The school was to educate 20 or 30 of the poorest children of the town and to give them funding for apprenticeships. The school functioned until the mid 20th Century, being rebuilt in 1858 on land opposite Paycockes.
A national school
National school (England and Wales)
A national school was a school founded in 19th century England and Wales by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education.These schools provided elementary education, in accordance with the teaching of the Church of England, to the children of the poor.Together with the less numerous...
was started in 1838–39 when the old work house on Stoneham Street was given to the Vicar and Churchwardens.
The British school
British and Foreign School Society
The British and Foreign School Society offers charitable aid to educational projects in the UK and around the world by funding schools, other charities and educational bodies...
was built on land adjoining the Independent Chapel (current day Christ Church) in 1841 for education of the poor.
In the late 20th century St. Peter's School Church of England Primary School was opened in the land opposite St. Peter ad Vincula
St Peter ad Vincula, Coggeshall
St Peter ad Vincula Church in Coggeshall, Essex, is one of a group of over-sized churches built following the success of the early wool-trade in the East Anglia area. It is Grade I listed...
Church. It was rebuilt in the 1980s.
In 2008 a Montessori School was founded in the rooms above Christ Church.
Coggeshall has one comprehensive secondary school called Honywood Community Science School
Honywood Community Science School
Honywood Community Science School is a secondary school in Coggeshall, Essex.It is in the village of Coggeshall in the Braintree district area and its current Headmaster, Simon Mason, was pleased to announce that the school had obtained an 'Outstanding' Ofsted report...
.
The Coggeshall Museum was founded in the 1990s.
External links
- Coggeshall Parish Council
- Coggeshall, and the Coggeshalls, in England A member of the Coggeshall family's account of his visit to the town.
- D Turner's Coggeshall Community bus timetable and other useful information.