When the ancestors of the Cottey family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066, they brought their name with them. It is a name for a person who held the religious office of Arch Deacon. [1]
"An eminent Cornish family in the XIV. cent. wrote themselves Archdekne. The cognate name Archidiacre occurs in France, from which country the English family would appear to have migrated, since three cheverons form the main feature of the arms of both families, as well as of another English family named Archidecknie." [2]
The surname Cottey was first found in the counties of Cornwall and Devon where they settled soon after the Norman Conquest of England by Duke William of Normandy in 1066 A.D. In Normandy, the family name was Archidiace, which seriously questions the popular concept that the family name is derived from the office of Archdeacon.
"The manor called Bodwen, [in Helland, Cornwall] was held at an early period by the family of Archdekne, under the prior of Bodmin, as connected with his large manor of Rialton. This passed from the Archdeknes to the Courtenays, in marriage with an heiress of the former family." [3]
The manor of Landegy, in the parish of Kea, Cornwall "belonged at a very early period to the family of the Archdeknes, for so early as the reign of Edward II. From this family it passed by female heirs to the Courtnays and Carews." [3]
"In the year 1335, a market was granted to John Archdekne, to be held at a place called Shepestall, which some have supposed to have been in this parish; and when Thomas Archdekne was summoned to parliament in the reign of Edward I. he is described as of Shepestall. It is well known that this ancient family had their residence and also considerable possessions in this parish; and a field not far from its borders still bears the name of Little Shepestall; but the name of the ancient seat seems to have been forgotten." [3]
William de le Archdeacon was listed in Norfolk in early times [4] and the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1370 listed Johannes Archedeken et uxor. [1]
The Hundredorum Rolls of 1273 listed Thomas le Arsdekene, Hertfordshire; and Adam Ercedekne, Suffolk. [1]
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cottey research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1619 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Cottey History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Endless spelling variations are a prevailing characteristic of Norman surnames. Old and Middle English lacked any definite spelling rules, and the introduction of Norman French added an unfamiliar ingredient to the English linguistic stew. French and Latin, the languages of the court, also influenced spellings. Finally, Medieval scribes generally spelled words according to how they sounded, so one person was often referred to by different spellings in different documents. The name has been spelled Archdeacon, Archdekin, Archdekyne, Arcedeckne, Archdecon, Archdicken, Ercadkne, Erchdeacon, Erchdekine, Archdeakin and many more.
More information is included under the topic Early Cottey Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Cottey family to IrelandSome of the Cottey family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 91 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Cottey migration to the United States +To escape the political and religious persecution within England at the time, many English families left for the various British colonies abroad. The voyage was extremely difficult, though, and the cramped, dank ships caused many to arrive in the New World diseased and starving. But for those who made it, the trip was most often worth it. Many of the families who arrived went on to make valuable contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. An inquiry into the early roots of North American families reveals a number of immigrants bearing the name Cottey or a variant listed above:
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England
France
Ireland
