Cookment History, Family Crest & Coats of ArmsCookment is a name that was formed by the Anglo-Saxon society of old Britain. The name was thought to have been used for someone who once worked as a servant to a cook. The surname Cookment is derived from the Old English word cokman, which is comprised of the components coc, which means cook, and man, which means servant. 1 Another source claims the name was derived from 'Cockman, a cockfighter.' 2 Early Origins of the Cookment familyThe surname Cookment was first found in Somerset, where William Cokeman was recorded in the Assize Rolls for 1276. A few years later, Reynballus Cokeman was listed in Cornwall in 1297 and in Colchester, John Cookman was recorded in 1374. 3 Again in Somerset, we found William Cokeinan listed there, 1 Edward III (during the first year of Edward III's reign.) 4 Early History of the Cookment familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cookment research. Another 64 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1276, 1297, 1374, 1675, 1705, 1717, 1722, 1729, 1745, 1796 and 1800 are included under the topic Early Cookment History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cookment Spelling VariationsUntil the dictionary, an invention of only the last few hundred years, the English language lacked any comprehensive system of spelling rules. Consequently, spelling variations in names are frequently found in early Anglo-Saxon and later Anglo-Norman documents. One person's name was often spelled several different ways over a lifetime. The recorded variations of Cookment include Cookman, Cockman, Cokeman and others. Early Notables of the Cookment familyNotables of the family at this time include Reverend Dr Thomas Cockman, Doctor of Divinity (1675-1745), an Oxford academic and administrator. He was Master of University College... Migration of the Cookment familyThousands of English families boarded ships sailing to the New World in the hope of escaping the unrest found in England at this time. Although the search for opportunity and freedom from persecution abroad took the lives of many because of the cramped conditions and unsanitary nature of the vessels, the opportunity perceived in the growing colonies of North America beckoned. Many of the settlers who survived the journey went on to make important contributions to the transplanted cultures of their adopted countries. The Cookment were among these contributors, for they have been located in early North American records: Richard Cockman who sailed to Barbados in 1635; and R. Cookman sailed to Virginia in 1662.
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