Cozzens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England
Ireland

The Cozzens family has descended through the lines of the ancient Normans that came to England following their Conquest of England in 1066. The Cozzens name reveals that an early member was a person who was related to someone of note in the area. Further research showed the name was derived from the Old French, cusin, and the Old English, cousin, which means relative. 1

Early Origins of the Cozzens family

The surname Cozzens was first found in Norfolk and in the southern counties of England, where the first on record appears to be Roger Cusin, listed in the Pipe Rolls in that county in 1166. Robert Cusyn and his wife Joan were landowners in Ellisfield, Hampshire during the Reign of Henry III (1216-1272). Peter Cusin was a sheriff of London in 1273. A Galfridus Cusyn of Hardingham, Norfolk is mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for that county in 1327. 2

The Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379 lists: Johannes Cosyn, tiropour; Ricardus Cosyn; and Alicia Cosyn, 1379. 2

Early History of the Cozzens family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cozzens research. Another 51 words (4 lines of text) covering the years 1066, 1535, 1541, 1547, 1549, 1558, 1585, 1594, 1597, 1672, 1697, 1743 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cozzens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cozzens Spelling Variations

Before the advent of the printing press and the first dictionaries, the English language was not standardized. Sound was what guided spelling in the Middle Ages, so one person's name was often recorded under several variations during a single lifetime. Spelling variations were common, even among the names of the most literate people. Known variations of the Cozzens family name include Cousin, Cousins, Cozens, Cossins, Couzins, Cossens, Cosin, Cosyns, Cousens, Couzens, Cossins, Cosin and many more.

Early Notables of the Cozzens family

Outstanding amongst the family at this time was Edmund Cosin, Vice Chancellor of Cambridge University in 1558. He was "a native of Bedfordshire, entered King's Hall, Cambridge, as a bible clerk; proceeded B.A. early in 1535, M.A. in 1541, and B.D. in 1547." 3Benjamin Cosyn, probably a son of John Cosyn, who in 1585 published sixty psalms in six parts in plain counterpoint. He was eminent as a composer of lessons for virginals. Many of his pieces are extant. He flourished in the first half of the 17th century.John Cosin (1594-1672), was an English churchman...
Another 95 words (7 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cozzens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Migration of the Cozzens family to Ireland

Some of the Cozzens family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 69 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Cozzens migration to the United States +

To escape the political and religious chaos of this era, thousands of English families began to migrate to the New World in search of land and freedom from religious and political persecution. The passage was expensive and the ships were dark, crowded, and unsafe; however, those who made the voyage safely were encountered opportunities that were not available to them in their homeland. Many of the families that reached the New World at this time went on to make important contributions to the emerging nations of the United States and Canada. Research into various historical records has revealed some of first members of the Cozzens family to immigrate North America:

Cozzens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

W Cozzens, who landed in San Francisco, California in 1850 4

Cozzens Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

John B. Cozzens, aged 61, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Mauretania" from Cherbourg, France 5
John Broome Cozzens, aged 60, who arrived in New York in 1920 aboard the ship "Adriatic" from Southampton, England 5
Edwin Cozzens, aged 32, who arrived in New York in 1921 aboard the ship "Cedric" from Liverpool, England 5

Contemporary Notables of the name Cozzens (post 1700) +

Donald Cozzens (1939-2021), American Roman Catholic priest, author and lecturer, he died from complications from COVID-19
John H. Cozzens, American politician, U.S. Collector of Customs, 1881 6
Chuck Cozzens, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Senator from Montana, 1984 6
William Cole Cozzens (1811-1876), American politician, 28th Governor of Rhode Island in 1863
Frederick Swartwout Cozzens (1818-1869), American humorist who published his first volume Prismatics under the pen name Richard Haywarde in 1853
Andrew Cozzens (b. 1968), American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church, Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis (2013-)
James Gould Cozzens (1903-1978), American novelist awarded the 1949 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, best known for his 1948 novel Guard of Honor, which won the Pulitzer Prize
Lucius Cozzens Rice (1867-1953), American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Idaho, 1896; Idaho State Treasurer, 1899-1901 7

Citations +

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)
Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
Smith, George (ed), Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1885-1900. Print
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Ellis Island Search retrieved 15th November 2022. Retrieved from https://heritage.statueofliberty.org/passenger-result
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, January 27) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2016, February 24) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html