Coslett
Encyclopedia
Coslett is an uncommon surname
with origins in 16th Century Wales
. Main spelling variants are Cosslett and Coslet, though Corslet, Coslette and other spellings have been recorded.
(OED) gives the following first definition of corslet
/ corselet: “A piece of defensive armour
covering the body.” Secondary definitions include “a soldier armed with a corselet”, “a garment (usually tight-fitting) covering the body as distinct from the limbs” and, used in combination, as a “corslet-maker” or “corslet-man”, the latter meaning “a soldier armed with a corslet.” The word is of French
origins, and its etymology is given by the OED as “double dim. of cors, or body."
Not surprisingly given its etymology, the apparent first Corslet, and many of the Cosletts, Cossletts and Coslets who followed, were skilled iron workers. This first 'Corslet' came to Wales
to work with iron. The Company of Mineral and Battery Works
(hereafter “the Company”) was one of two mining monopolies created by Queen Elizabeth I in the mid 1560s, the other being the Society of Mines Royal
. The Company’s rights were based on a patent awarded to William Humfrey on 17 September 1565. On 28 May 1568, this patent was replaced by a “patent of incorporation,” making the Company an early joint stock company. The patent of incorporation provided the Company with monopoly rights to manufacture various products including, in particular, iron wire.
Iron wire had many uses, perhaps none more important than the making of wool cards which were essential to Britain’s important wool industry. However, at this time, the methods for producing iron wire in England
were traditional ones, inferior to methods that had been long been in use on the European Continent. The main technical barrier was a lack of knowledge about how to produce ‘Osmond iron,’ a high-quality iron essential to producing fine, relatively thin and malleable iron wire.
Humfrey was intent on introducing these ‘modern’ techniques. Beginning in November 1566, in Tintern
, a village along the River Wye
in Monmouthshire
, he oversaw the construction of England’s first wireworks operated by water power. What was now needed was a steady supply of high-quality iron
from which the wire could be manufactured. In 1567, Humfrey succeeded in obtaining the services of an expert in the production of Osmond iron from the south-western part of Westphalia
, in northern Germany. This expert arrived in Wales in 1567 and began working at a forge located in Rhyd-y-Gwern, a hamlet in the Glamorganshire part of the parish of Machen
, about 20 miles southwest of the Tintern
wireworks. The expert’s name was later provided in Humfrey’s letter of 24 August 1577:
According to historian H.R. Schubert, the full name of this expert was Corslett Tinkhaus of Westphalia
, Germany
.
(especially Glamorgan
), England
, USA, Canada
, New Zealand
, South Africa
, Australia
.
Dennis Coslett Commandant FWA
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
with origins in 16th Century Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. Main spelling variants are Cosslett and Coslet, though Corslet, Coslette and other spellings have been recorded.
Origin of the surname
The Oxford English DictionaryOxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
(OED) gives the following first definition of corslet
Corslet
A corslet is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as "a piece of defensive armour covering the body." In Ancient Greek armies, the 'hoplite', or heavy infantryman, wore a bronze corslet or known as the thorax to protect his upper body. The corslet consisted of two plates connected on the sides...
/ corselet: “A piece of defensive armour
Armour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
covering the body.” Secondary definitions include “a soldier armed with a corselet”, “a garment (usually tight-fitting) covering the body as distinct from the limbs” and, used in combination, as a “corslet-maker” or “corslet-man”, the latter meaning “a soldier armed with a corslet.” The word is of French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
origins, and its etymology is given by the OED as “double dim. of cors, or body."
Not surprisingly given its etymology, the apparent first Corslet, and many of the Cosletts, Cossletts and Coslets who followed, were skilled iron workers. This first 'Corslet' came to Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to work with iron. The Company of Mineral and Battery Works
Company of Mineral and Battery Works
The Company of Mineral and Battery Works was, , one of two mining monopolies created by Queen Elizabeth I of England in the mid-1560s. The Company's rights were based on a patent granted to William Humfrey on 17 September 1565. This was replaced on 28 May 1568 by a patent of incorporation, making...
(hereafter “the Company”) was one of two mining monopolies created by Queen Elizabeth I in the mid 1560s, the other being the Society of Mines Royal
Society of Mines Royal
The Society of Mines Royal was one of two mining monopoly companies incorporated by royal charter in 1568, the other being the Company of Mineral and Battery Works.-History:...
. The Company’s rights were based on a patent awarded to William Humfrey on 17 September 1565. On 28 May 1568, this patent was replaced by a “patent of incorporation,” making the Company an early joint stock company. The patent of incorporation provided the Company with monopoly rights to manufacture various products including, in particular, iron wire.
Iron wire had many uses, perhaps none more important than the making of wool cards which were essential to Britain’s important wool industry. However, at this time, the methods for producing iron wire in 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...
were traditional ones, inferior to methods that had been long been in use on the European Continent. The main technical barrier was a lack of knowledge about how to produce ‘Osmond iron,’ a high-quality iron essential to producing fine, relatively thin and malleable iron wire.
Humfrey was intent on introducing these ‘modern’ techniques. Beginning in November 1566, in Tintern
Tintern
Tintern is a village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about 5 miles north of Chepstow...
, a village along the River Wye
River Wye
The River Wye is the fifth-longest river in the UK and for parts of its length forms part of the border between England and Wales. It is important for nature conservation and recreation.-Description:...
in Monmouthshire
Monmouthshire (historic)
Monmouthshire , also known as the County of Monmouth , is one of thirteen ancient counties of Wales and a former administrative county....
, he oversaw the construction of England’s first wireworks operated by water power. What was now needed was a steady supply of high-quality iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
from which the wire could be manufactured. In 1567, Humfrey succeeded in obtaining the services of an expert in the production of Osmond iron from the south-western part of Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, in northern Germany. This expert arrived in Wales in 1567 and began working at a forge located in Rhyd-y-Gwern, a hamlet in the Glamorganshire part of the parish of Machen
Machen
Machen is a large village 3 miles east of Caerphilly, south Wales, situated in the Caerphilly borough within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire. It neighbours Bedwas and Trethomas, and forms a council ward in conjunction with those communities. It lies on the Rhymney River.-Mynydd...
, about 20 miles southwest of the Tintern
Tintern
Tintern is a village on the west bank of the River Wye in Monmouthshire, Wales, close to the border with England, about 5 miles north of Chepstow...
wireworks. The expert’s name was later provided in Humfrey’s letter of 24 August 1577:
'one Corslett, a German born who at his coming over into this realm first devised more commodius engines than ever before was known or used in England…engines, tools and devices as were first used and invented by the said Corslet, for the making and hoosing of Osmond ironOsmond ironOsmond iron was wrought iron made by a particular process. This is associated with the first European production of cast iron in furnaces such as Lapphyttan in Sweden....
…'
According to historian H.R. Schubert, the full name of this expert was Corslett Tinkhaus of Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Distribution of the name
WalesWales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
(especially Glamorgan
Glamorgan
Glamorgan or Glamorganshire is one of the thirteen historic counties and a former administrative county of Wales. It was originally an early medieval kingdom of varying boundaries known as Glywysing until taken over by the Normans as a lordship. Glamorgan is latterly represented by the three...
), 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...
, USA, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
People
Prominent or famous people having Coslett or a variant as a surname, first name or middle name are as follows:- Coslett Herbert Waddell
- Arthur Cosslett Smith
- Bruce CosletBruce CosletBruce Coslet is a former American college and professional football player and professional football coach. A tight end, he played for the University of the Pacific and in 1969 debuted with the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals...
- Darren Coslett-British chefhttp://www.new.facebook.com/home.php?ref=logo#/profile.php?id=714820404&ref=profile
Dennis Coslett Commandant FWA