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It was among those Anglo-Saxon tribes that once ruled over Britain that the name Cowlin was formed. The name was derived from the personal name Nicholas. A common diminutive of the name Nicholas was Colin. 1
Saint Collen was a 7th-century monk who gave his name to Llangollen, Denbighshire which translates from the Welsh as "church of the hazel-wood."
The surname Cowlin was first found in various counties throughout old Britain. By example, the Hundreorum Rolls of 1273 list William de Colince or Colunce as holding lands at Chadlington, Oxford, and Hugh de Culunce had custody of Pont Orson temp. King John, c. 1200. Ernis de Coulonces married a daughter of William de Warrenne, Earl of Surrey, temp. Henry I. and Hugh de Colonches in 1165, held a barony of four fees. Adam de Coulnce paid a fine to the King in Oxfordshire 1203, and Hugh de Coulnce confirmed lands to Mottisfont Priory 2
We must look to Somerset to view an early entry for an early phonetic match to the more popular spellings of today. For it is there that John Colyngs was listed as holding lands, 1 Edward III (during the first year of the reign of King Edward III.) 3
Down in Cornwall, the Halset manor in Lesnewth, "belonged to the family of Colyn but in the reign of James I. it was the property of Thomas Southcott, Esq. and Mr. Humphrey Brown." 4
Again in Cornwall, "the manor of Luxulian was in the family of Collins in the reign of Elizabeth, after which it became the property of the Kendalls." 4
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cowlin research. Another 105 words (8 lines of text) covering the years 1172, 1500, 1576, 1618, 1623, 1624, 1625, 1651, 1653, 1660, 1667, 1683, 1690, 1697, 1705, 1711 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Cowlin History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Until 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 Cowlin include Collins, Collin, Collings, Colling, Collis, Caullins, Caulling, Caullings, Caullis, Colins, Colings, Coliss and many more.
Distinguished members of the family include Samuel Collins (1576-1651), an English clergyman and academic, Regius Professor of Divinity at Cambridge and Provost of King's College, Cambridge; and his son, John Collins (1624-1711), an English academic and politician; Abraham Cowley (1618-1667), an English poet born in the City of London; John Collinges (1623-1690), an English Presbyterian theologian, participant in the Savoy Conference, ejected minister, and prolific writer; John Collins (1625-1683), an...
Another 70 words (5 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Cowlin Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Another 72 words (5 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.