| ![Show Contents]() Cotty History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms
The Norman Conquest of England in 1066 brought much change, including many immigrants with new names. Cotty 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 chevrons form the main feature of the arms of both families, as well as of another English family named Archidecknie." 2 Early Origins of the Cotty familyThe surname Cotty 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, 3 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." 4 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." 4 "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." 4 William de le Archdeacon was listed in Norfolk in early times 5 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 Early History of the Cotty familyThis web page shows only a small excerpt of our Cotty research. Another 84 words (6 lines of text) covering the years 1300, 1619 and 1690 are included under the topic Early Cotty History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible. Cotty Spelling VariationsSpelling variations in names were a common occurrence in the eras before English spelling was standardized a few hundred years ago. In the Middle Ages, even the literate regularly changed the spellings of their names as the English language incorporated elements of French, Latin, and other European languages. Many variations of the name Cotty have been found, including Archdeacon, Archdekin, Archdekyne, Arcedeckne, Archdecon, Archdicken, Ercadkne, Erchdeacon, Erchdekine, Archdeakin and many more. Early Notables of the Cotty familyMore information is included under the topic Early Cotty Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.  Migration of the Cotty family to Ireland
Some of the Cotty 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.
| Cotty migration to the United States | + |
For many English families, the social climate in England was oppressive and lacked opportunity for change. For such families, the shores of Ireland, Australia, and the New World beckoned. They left their homeland at great expense in ships that were overcrowded and full of disease. Many arrived after the long voyage sick, starving, and without a penny. But even those were greeted with greater opportunity than they could have experienced back home. Numerous English settlers who arrived in the United States and Canada at this time went on to make important contributions to the developing cultures of those countries. Many of those families went on to make significant contributions to the rapidly developing colonies in which they settled. Early North American records indicate many people bearing the name Cotty were among those contributors:
Cotty Settlers in United States in the 17th Century- Robert Cotty, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1635 6
| Cotty migration to Australia | + |
Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include: Cotty Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century- Mr. John Cotty, (b. 1865), aged 26, Cornish settler travelling aboard the ship "Merkara" arriving in Queensland, Australia on 23rd November 1891 7
| Contemporary Notables of the name Cotty (post 1700) | + |
- William Frank "Bill" Cotty (1946-2016), American lawyer and politician
- Lewis F. Cotty, American politician, Delegate to Missouri State Constitutional Convention 12th District, 1875 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)
- Lower, Mark Anthony, Patronymica Britannica, A Dictionary of Family Names of the United Kingdom. London: John Russel Smith, 1860. Print.
- 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)
- Hutchins, Fortescue, The History of Cornwall, from the Earliest Records and Traditions to the Present Time. London: William Penaluna, 1824. Print
- Rye, Walter, A History of Norfolk. London: Elliot Stock, 62, Paternoster Row, 1885. 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)
- Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retreived 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_queensland.pdf
- The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, November 16) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html
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Cotty migration to the United States 
Cotty migration to Australia 
England
Ireland
