Cozens History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
Following the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, the name Cozens was first found in Britina. It was a name for 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 Cozens family
The surname Cozens 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 Cozens family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cozens 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 Cozens History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cozens Spelling Variations
It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Cozens are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Cozens include Cousin, Cousins, Cozens, Cossins, Couzins, Cossens, Cosin, Cosyns, Cousens, Couzens, Cossins, Cosin and many more.
Early Notables of the Cozens 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." 3
Benjamin 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 Cozens Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cozens family to Ireland
Some of the Cozens 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.
Cozens migration to the United States +
Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Cozens, or a variant listed above:
Cozens Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
- Dow Cozens, who landed in Virginia in 1648 4
Cozens Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- John Cozens, who landed in South Carolina in 1716 4
Cozens Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
- Bella Cozens, aged 28, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1899
- John Cozens, aged 28, who landed in America from Liverpool, in 1899
Cozens Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
- Alfred E. Cozens, aged 24, who settled in America from North Sheilds, in 1903
- Jessie Cozens, aged 24, who settled in America from Glasgow, in 1904
- David Cozens, aged 2, who immigrated to America from Bournemouth, England, in 1913
- Florence Cozens, aged 23, who immigrated to the United States from Harrow, England, in 1921
- Annie Cozens, aged 43, who immigrated to the United States from Harrow, England, in 1921
Cozens migration to Canada +
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Cozens Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century
- Mr. Joshua Y. Cozens U.E. who settled in Cornwall, Ontario c. 1783 5
- Mr. Samuel Cozens U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1783 5
Cozens Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century
- George Cozens, aged 31, who immigrated to Hamilton, Ontario, in 1910
- Dorothy Cozens, aged 24, who immigrated to Toronto, Canada, in 1922
Cozens migration to Australia +
Emigration to
Australia followed the
First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:
Cozens Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
- Thomas Cozens, aged 39, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 6
- George Cozens, aged 18, a labourer, who arrived in South Australia in 1854 aboard the ship "Star Queen" 6
- Sarah Cozens, aged 19, a nursemaid, who arrived in South Australia in 1855 aboard the ship "Oriental,"
Cozens 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:
Cozens Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
- William Cozens, aged 17, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Westminster" in 1843
- Miss Elizabeth Cozens, British settler travelling from London via Cobh aboard the ship "Sir George Pollock" arriving in Auckland, New Zealand on 5th September 1859 7
- Harriet Cozens, aged 34, a servant, who arrived in Auckland, New Zealand aboard the ship "Assaye" in 1874 8
- Miss Harriet Cozens, British settler travelling from London, UK with 1 child aboard the ship "Assaye" arriving in Auckland, North Island, New Zealand on 26th December 1874 8
Contemporary Notables of the name Cozens (post 1700) +
- Ernest B. Cozens (1888-1929), American football player and college administrator
- Frederick Warren Cozens (1890-1954), American college basketball, football, and boxing coach
- Alexander Cozens (d. 1786), English watercolor painter, a natural son of Peter the Great and an Englishwoman from Deptford 9
- John William Cozens (b. 1946), retired English professional footballer
- John Robert Cozens (1752-1797), British draftsman and painter of romantic watercolour landscapes, son of Alexander Cozens 9
- Brigadier Dame Florence Barbara Cozens DBE, RRC, DOStJ (1906-1995), British nurse and nursing administrator
- Peter Cozens, Director of the Centre for Strategic Studies New Zealand (2009)
- Chris Cozens (b. 1982), British two-time gold medalist freestyle swimmer
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)
- Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
- South Australian Register Monday 1st January 1855. (Retrieved 2010, November 5) Star Queen 1854. Retrieved http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/starqueen1854.shtml
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
- Wikisource contributors. "Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900." Wikisource . Wikisource , 4 Jun. 2018. Web. 30 June 2020