Cotterell History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Cotterell is one of the names that was brought to England in the wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. It is a name for a serf or bond tenant who held a cottage by service. The name is derived from the Old English cote, which means "shelter," or "cottage."
"In feudal times, 'the coterellus held in absolute villenage and had his person and goods disposed at the pleasure of the Lord.' Kennet's Paroch. Antiq. He was probably so called, like the Cotmanni, or Cottarii of Domesd. from residing in a cottage. Another origin may be from the cotarelli, costeraux, cotemux, mercenary soldiers and freebooters whose trade was war and pillage, (Conf. Brabazon) and who were so called from the coterel, a large knife they carried. Cotgrave defines cotereaux as 'a certaine crue of peasantly outlawes who in old time did much mischiefe unto the nobilitie and clergie.' " 1
Early Origins of the Cotterell family
The surname Cotterell was first found in Somerset where Stephan Coterel and Walter Coterel were both listed 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 2
The Pipe Rolls listed William Coterel in 1130 in London and Gerard Coterel in Berkshire in 1170. Later the Assize Rolls on 1288 listed Honde Cotrell. 3
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Richard Coterell, Devon; Alice Coterel, Cambridgeshire; and Henry Coterel, Bedfordshire. 4
In Devon, John Coterell was Warden of St Mary's College, Ottery St Mary in 1379.
Early History of the Cotterell family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cotterell research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1572, 1615, 1621, 1624, 1631, 1641, 1654, 1686, 1691, 1701, 1710, 1758 and 1847 are included under the topic Early Cotterell History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cotterell Spelling Variations
The English language only became standardized in the last few centuries. For that reason, spelling variations are common among many Anglo-Norman names. The shape of the English language was frequently changed with the introduction of elements of Norman French, Latin, and other European languages; even the spelling of literate people's names were subsequently modified. Cotterell has been recorded under many different variations, including Cotterell, Cotterel, Cotteral, Cotteril, Cotterill, Cottral, Cottrall, Cottrell, Cottrel, Coterall, Coterel, Coteril, Coterill, Cotrall, Cotrell, Cottrle, Cotral, Cotraul, Cotrelly and many more.
Early Notables of the Cotterell family
Outstanding amongst the family at this time was
- John Cotterell DCL (died 1572), from Wiltshire, an English clergyman and academic at the University of Oxford, one of the founding fellows of Jesus College, Oxford
- Sir Clement Cotterell (died 1631), an English courtier and politician, Member of Parliament for Grantham (1621-1624) and for Boston in 1624
Migration of the Cotterell family to Ireland
Some of the Cotterell 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.
Cotterell migration to the United States +
To escape the uncertainty of the political and religious uncertainty found in England, many English families boarded ships at great expense to sail for the colonies held by Britain. The passages were expensive, though, and the boats were unsafe, overcrowded, and ridden with disease. Those who were hardy and lucky enough to make the passage intact were rewarded with land, opportunity, and social environment less prone to religious and political persecution. Many of these families went on to be important contributors to the young nations of Canada and the United States where they settled. Cotterells were some of the first of the immigrants to arrive in North America:
Cotterell Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Edward Cotterell, who arrived in Virginia in 1635 5
- Edward Cotterell, who landed in Virginia in 1635 5
- Walter Cotterell, who landed in Maryland in 1640 5
- Ambrose Cotterell, who landed in Virginia in 1649 5
- Mary Cotterell, who landed in Virginia in 1649 5
- ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Cotterell Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Rose Cotterell, who arrived in Virginia in 1701 5
- Thomas Cotterell, who landed in Virginia in 1714 5
- Richard Cotterell, who landed in Virginia in 1714 5
Cotterell Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- W D Cotterell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1850 5
- R Cotterell, who arrived in San Francisco, California in 1851 5
Cotterell migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Cotterell Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Miss Ann Cotterell, (b. 1781), aged 29, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Canada" in March 1810, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
- John Cotterell, who arrived in Adelaide, Australia aboard the ship "Lloyds" in 1838 7
- Mr. Samuel Cotterell, English convict who was convicted in Stafford, Staffordshire, England for 10 years, transported aboard the "Barossa" on 8th December 1839, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 8
- Miss Mary Cotterell, (b. 1829), aged 17, English convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the "Elizabeth and Henry" on 14th September 1846, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 9
Cotterell migration to New Zealand +
Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:
Cotterell Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- John S Cotterell, who landed in Nelson, New Zealand in 1842 aboard the ship Fifeshire
Contemporary Notables of the name Cotterell (post 1700) +
- Leo Cotterell (1974-1993), English football defender who played from 1993 to 1998
- Sir John Henry Geers Cotterell (b. 1935), 6th Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford, English peer
- Sir Richard Charles Geers Cotterell CBE (1907-1978), 5th Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford, English peer
- Sir John Richard Geers Cotterell (1866-1937), 4th Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford English peer, Lord Lieutenant of Herefordshire
- Sir Geers Henry Cotterell (1834-1900), 3rd Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford, English peer
- Sir John Henry Cotterell (1830-1847), 2nd Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford, English peer
- Sir John Geers Cotterell (1757-1845), 1st Baronet of Garnons in the County of Hereford, English peer
- Thomas Paul Cotterell (b. 1977), English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire as a left-handed tail-end batsman and a left-arm slow bowler
- William Cotterell (d. 1744), Irish bishop of Ferns and Leighlin, grandson of Sir Charles Cotterell, and the third son of Sir Charles Lodowick Cotterell 10
- Reginald Cotterell Butler (1913-1981), English sculptor
Historic Events for the Cotterell family +
HMS Dorsetshire
- Fred Cotterell, British aboard the HMS Dorsetshire (1945) when she was struck by air bombers and sunk; he survived the sinking 11
Senghenydd colliery
- Mr. Francis Pitt Cotterell (b. 1892), Welsh coal miner from Senghenydd, Caerphilly, Wales who was working at the Senghenydd colliery when there was an explosion on the 14th October 1913; he died
Citations +
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- Dickinson, F.H., Kirby's Quest for Somerset of 16th of Edward the 3rd London: Harrison and Sons, Printers in Ordinary to Her Majesty, St, Martin's Lane, 1889. Print.
- Hanks, Patricia and Flavia Hodges, A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print. (ISBN 0-19-211592-8)
- Bardsley, C.W, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames: With Special American Instances. Wiltshire: Heraldry Today, 1901. Print. (ISBN 0-900455-44-6)
- 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)
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 9th December 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/canada
- State Records of South Australia. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) LLOYDS from London 1838. Retrieved from http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/BSA/1838Lloyds.htm
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 24th September 2020). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/barossa
- Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th March 2022). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/elizabeth-and-henry
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020
- Force Z Survivors HMS Dorsetshire Crew List, (Retrieved 2018, February 13th), https://www.forcez-survivors.org.uk/biographies/listdorsetshirecrew.html