Show ContentsCockrele History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Cockrele is an ancient Norman name that arrived in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The Cockrele family lived in Gloucestershire. The family was originally from Cocquerel, near Evreux, Normandy, and it is from that location that their name derives.

Early Origins of the Cockrele family

The surname Cockrele was first found in Gloucestershire where Illyas de Kokerel held fiefs in 1165 from Bohun and Neumarché. [1] The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 list the following: Geoffrey Cokerell in Norfolk; John Cokerel in Yorkshire; and Reginald Kokerel in Cambridgeshire. [2] "In 1324 Sir William Cockerell was returned from Essex to attend a great council at Westminster." [1] The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 list the following: Matilda Cokrell; Elias Cokrell and Alicia Cokerell. [2]

Early History of the Cockrele family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cockrele research. Another 96 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1305, 1574, 1575, 1754, 1759, 1788, 1790, 1794, 1802, 1807, 1809, 1827, 1832, 1833, 1840, 1861, 1863 and 1878 are included under the topic Early Cockrele History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cockrele Spelling Variations

Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Cockerell, Cockerill, Cockrill, Cockrell and others.

Early Notables of the Cockrele family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Samuel Pepys Cockerell (1754-1827), English architect, son of John Cockerell of Bishop's Hall, Somersetshire. He was brother of Sir Charles Cockerell, M.P., of Sezincote, Gloucestershire, who was created a Baronet in 1809. His mother was daughter of John Jackson, the nephew and heir of Samuel Pepys, and through her Cockerell became the representative, and inherited many interesting relics, of the great diarist. One of his sons was Charles Robert Cockerell [q. v.], a far more distinguished architect than his father. [3]Charles Robert Cockerell (1788-1863), the English architect was the son of Samuel Pepys...
Another 246 words (18 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cockrele Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Ireland Migration of the Cockrele family to Ireland

Some of the Cockrele family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cockrele family

To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Cockrele or a variant listed above: William Cockerell who settled in Barbados in 1639; followed by Nicholas who also settled in Barbados in 1678; Thomas Cockerill settled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1845..



  1. The Norman People and Their Existing Descendants in the British Dominions and the United States Of America. Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing, 1975. Print. (ISBN 0-8063-0636-X)
  2. Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
  3. Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print


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