Escheator Matthew Coker

 3802628. Escheator Matthew Coker

~1365, Matthew born in England.

2/23/1395, To the sheriff of Somerset. Writ of supersedeas, by mainprise of Matthew Coker, William Babynton and Hugh Cary of Somerset … (S) CCRs.

11/1395, IPM of Thomas son of Thomas Fichet, knight. At Somerset before Thomas Stawell, Matthew Coker and John Dopenford. (S) CIsPM.

1401, Communar’s Accounts: … Foreign expenses … Matthew Coker and John Grene, after Easter, £1 6s. 8d. (S) Cal. of Manu.’s of the Dean and Chapter of Wells, V2, 1914.

1402-03, Mathew Cokr and others acquiring multiple manors. [Matthew likely a trustee.]

11/18/1402, Mathew Cokyr appointed a collector of customs and subsidies in the ports and places of Bruggewater, Comwych, Uphill, Dimsterre and Askwrater. (S) CFRs.

3/28/1403, Mathew Cokyr appointed a collector of customs and subsidies in the ports and places of Bruggewater, Comwych, Uphill, Dimsterre and Askwrater. (S) CFRs.

1403, Matthew Coker ‘one of the household’ of Bishop Gifford of Bath and Wells.

11/26/1405, Memorandum of a like mainprise, under a pain of £300, by …, Roger Seymour and Matthew Coker of Somerset for Richard Cheddre, …, in regard to Richard bishop of Salisbury, … (S) CCRs.

1407, Matthew and James Coker were owners of land in Wembdon.

10/8/1408, Commitment to Mathew Coker and William Cranle … the keeping of 2 messuages, 9 shops with sollars, 5 cottages with chambers, and a wharf, situated in the parish of All Hallows the Great, London … (S) CFRs.

11/7/1409, Commitment of the office of the escheatry in the counties of Somerset and Dorset to Mathew Cokyr during pleasure, so that he answer at the Exchequer for the issues thereof. (S) CFRs. [Until 11/29/1410.]

1412, Matthew Coker holding Wembdon, West Bower, and Ebsely (in Spaxton), previously held by James Coker. (S) Hist. of Somerset, V6, 1992, Bridgwater.

3/20/1413, Henry V succeeded Henry IV as King of England.

10/1414, Matthew Coker and William Hastyngs querents, Robert Coker (son) and his wife Agnes deforciants: 24 messuages, 500a. land, 100s. meadow … [Apparently on the marriage of Robert & Agnes.] (S) CIsPM, 1904, P69.

11/12/1414, Mathew Coker appointed escheator in the counties of Somerset and Dorset. (S) CFRs.

5/8/1415, John Tiptoft knight of Cambridgeshire, John Tyrell of Essex, …, Matthew Coker of Somerset … to …, Ralph earl of Westmerland …. Recognisance for 500 marks. (S) CCRs.

11/10/1417, Mathew Coker appointed sheriff of Somerset and Dorset. (S) CFRs.

1/27/1420, Commission to Thomas Beauchamp, 'chivaler,' Richard Cheddre, John Stourton, Robert Hill of Spaxton, William Paulet and Mathew Coker, mayor of Bristol … (S) CFRs.

8/31/1422, Henry VI (an infant) succeeded Henry V as King of England.

1425-26, Reginald de Grey, of Ruthyn, …, John Streech, John Manyngford, Mathew Cokere, …, and Sir Mathew Gournay, and Philippa, his wife. The manor of Sheperton, and the advowson of the church of the same manor, in the county of Middlesex, and various manors and lands in the counties of Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Kent, Gloucester, and Buckingham. (S) Feet of Fines, London, 1892, 70.

1425-26, Matthew died.

(S) Hist. of Somerset, V6, 1992. (S) Annals of West Coker, Nathan, 1957.

Family notes:

·         1269, Robert Coker, described as chief lord of a fee in Wembdon.

·         1326 Matthew Coker had licence to alienate land in Wembdon and Chilton to provide a chaplain to celebrate in the church daily. (S) Hist. of Somerset, V6, 1992, Wembdon.

·         1327, Matthew Coker a substantial taxpayer in Wembdon tithing.

·         1335, Hugh Maslin  granted his lands in and near West Bower to Richard Coker.

·         1343, Richard Coker established his claim to c. 120 a. in Wembdon, Chilton, and Bridgwater.

·         1345, William Coker, s/o Richard, a MP for Bridgewater.

·         1348, William Coker of Wembdon. (S) CCRs. William de Coker died leaving 2 sons: William and Matthew.

·         1348, William Coker collector of wool in Somerset. [Total for England for the year was £60,000]

·         1348 & 1349, William Coker of Brenmarsh and Wemdon and Rolstone collector of the 15^th and 10^th in Somerset.

·         1350, James Coker held land in Pawlett.

·         1357, Son William who had married Eleanor, and succeeded to property in Bridgwater, died.

·         1362, James, son and heir of William, had a burgage in Bridgwater.

·         6/6/1368 at Montagu, Somerset. Proof of age of John son of John de Meriet … Robert Coker age 46 years and more … (S) CIsPM.

·         1370, Richard Coker held land at Moorland, which descended to James Coker.

·         1/1378, Proceedings in the King's Bench … Somerset to wit. A jury of 24 knights … before Robert Bealknap and others … Robert Coker … did not appear … (S) Liber Albus II: Fols. 221-40.

·         1382, Richard Coker holding Tuxwell manor in Spaxton.

·         11/12/1384, I John Stretch, sheriff, made known to Richard Seymour, kinsman and heir of Richard Lovell, that he should be before the lord king in his parliament … to do and receive whatsoever the court of the lord king would decide in the matter, by John Fauconer and Robert Coker. (S) Parliamentary Rolls, Richard II, 2005.

·         1402-07, Richard Coker [of 1335] succeeded by James Coker in holding West Bower.

·         6/25/1415 at Westminster, Robert Coker, ‘chivalier’, with others acquired the castle of Bruggewater, Somerset, … from Edmund, earl of March.

Children of Matthew and ?:

i. James Coker, born ? in England.

ii. John Coker, born ? in England.

1423, John Coker, esq., living at Worle.

1435, 1451 & 1458, John Coker presented to Sotkelynch Maudelen.

1439  John Coker, esq., sold lands to Robert Coker, on the marriage settlement of his son John to a d/o Robert Turges of Dorset.

1450, John Coker, esq., sold lands to Robert Coker.

1461, Margaret, heiress & d/o John Coker, and heiress of James Coker of Moorland, and of Mathew of West Bower and Ebsely, and Tuxwell of Richard Coker (see 1382), and Pawlet (see 1350). [Death of her first husband Alexander Hody.]

1463, John Coker, esq. died, leaving an heiress Margaret.

·         1464, A large and scattered estate including land in Wembdon had come to Margaret, daughter and heir of John Coker and wife of Sir Reynold Stourton.

·         1475-76, At Westminster, … querent(s); and Reginald Stourton knight and Margaret his wife daughter and heir of John Coker esquire and heir of James Coker, deforciants, for 37 messuages, … all of the heritage of Margaret wife of the said Reginald … reversion to Robert Phelps … for 600 marks silver. (S) Feet of Fines, V22, 1906, P146.

·         1489, Margaret, d/o John Coker, died, her heir was John Seymour (475328), grandson of her uncle Robert Coker.

iii. Robert Coker (1901314), born ~1395 in England. [Heir]

[See 10/1414, & 1489.]