More from Colclough papers

So now some more from the Beauchamp Colclough papers, it makes interesting reading regarding the origin of the name, in the absence of anything else at least it perperuates a family 'legend' which was in place in the 1800's -JC

Chapter 7. Legends, anecdotes pp90-108

Legends, Anecdotes, Etc.,

Colclough, originally spelled Coldcloughley, literally “The place of the Cold Rocky Valley”, descriptive there can be little doubt of the residence of the family at the time when surnames first came into use, as the following extract, treating of the composition of family names and taken from Elvin’s anecdotes of Heraldry page 172, will exemplify. “It is only in fact with respect to compound names that we are justified in saying that a family name is derived from that of a locality, for then the very composition in a manner defines the place, and if the natural characteristics of that place be mentioned in it, proof is at once afforded that the family name is posterior to the local term. Thus for instance the Arms of Ernle County Sussex, an Argent, on a bent sable, three eagles displayed or, and they have a reference to the family which is taken from a village so called from the Saxon ”Erne” an Eagle, and ”leye” a place or habitation. Now from the peculiar situation of this village, the propriety of the term “Eagles Place”, as applied to it is obvious and there can be no reasonable doubt that the Ernle family (being at first called William, John, or whatever the name might be ) de Ernleigh, gradually dropped the “de” and took the local appellation for their surname.

At what time the original spelling, ’Coldcloughley’ was altered and the letters of the final syllable dropped, it is now impossible to say; it must have been at an early period, but although the name has been variously spelled since, and sometimes phonetically as Cokely, Coakley or Cokelee, the original pronunciation has been invariably retained. Ward in his “History of the Borough of Stoke upon Trent” see page 359, fixes the locality from which the family name is derived, at Oldcot in the Parish of Wolstanton, Staffordshire. Whether this is so or not I am not now in a position to say, an examination of the locality might decide the point. But certain it is that there were Colclough families there at the time of Edward III as the family were possessed of considerable property in that neighbourhood and which was largely increased subsequently by the marriage of John Colclough of Bluerton Ist Edward V, with Agnes one of the co-heiress(es) of Lockwood. Sir Anthony, John’s grandson, inherited the great bulk of the estates, and might, one would suppose, have contented himself with enjoyment “like a fine old English gentleman” but he seems to have preferred a life of danger and turmoil in Ireland. He spent a long life in the service of the English Crown during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, Mary and Elizabeth, and it is evident that he played an important part in those troublous times. Amongst his other possessions in England were the Lordships of Hanley in Staffordshire and Hackney in Middlesex. He appears to have been an Engineer, as well as a Combatant officer, for he built a Fort, or fortified house at old Loughlin, for the protection of the English settlers. Sir Anthony had a lease from the Crown of Rosegarland (now the Leigh Estate) and must have made it his headquarters for a number of years, as most if not all of his children were born there. His first hold on Tintern Abbey was an assignment from Thomas Wood of his lease from the Crown for a term of years, and he subsequently got a lease in reversion for another term made to himself. He appears also to have a promise of the Barony of St. Molyns in the County Carlow, but tho’ their owner Cahir Art Kavanagh, having submitted and conformed to the Protestant Religion, was allowed to retain his Estates, and on Sir Anthony resignation of his claim to St. Mollins, and also his surrender of Rosegarland, he was rewarded by a Grant for ever of the Abbey and Lands of Tintern, he undertaking to fortify it and keep a sufficient force of retainers, for its defence against the “Wild Irish”.

Sir Anthony also acquired by purchase from the Sept of the Kavanaghs, a large tract of the country in the North of the County Wexford, known as the Duffrie. The deeds of sale are (or at least were a few years ago) still in the possession of the family, and are curious proofs of the instability of tenure which the “? Irish” held under their Brehon laws by which they had only a life interest. A large territory could thus be purchased at that period for very little, of course Sir Anthony got a confirmation of his rights from the commissioner. It is a curious coincidence surely that Sir Anthony, hailing from the ”Black Country” in Staffordshire, should become the owner of the Black Country (The Duffrie) in the County Wexford. He died at Tintern Abbey, and was buried there as appears by his monument in the old Church, which latter must have been built by himself or his son. He appears to have survived all his sons except two, viz. Sir Thomas, to whom he left by Will, the whole of his estates in England and Ireland, and Leonard, who was High Sheriff of Wexford in 1596 and is thus given amongst the “Chief Inhabiters” in the Queen’s County in 1599: “Colclough of Ballyknockane”. Leonard’s only son, Anthony, was of Old Ross, Co. Wexford. Sir Thomas, who thus succeeded to the immense Estates of his father, made further purchases from the Kavanaghs in the Duffrie, till that Estate comprising at one time between 80 and 90 Townslands, included nearly the whole of the Barony of Scarawalsh, and was commonly known as the Colclough principality. Like his father, he was honoured with a Knights Spurs (unfortunately for present writer (Beauchamp Colclough - he will of course have vested interest, or rather be a product of his age the 1800's so reader beware and read between the lines if you want to JC 2013), his male representative, he seems to have despised the hereditary rank, as with his immense possessions and great influence, there can be little doubt that the Institutor of the order, James 1st would have seen his way to the grant if it had been desired). He also purchased, or more properly got a confirmation of lands in the Duffrie, from Sir George Carew, who was the nominal owner of all the Kavanagh lands. Presumably Sir Thomas must have kept up a large retinue at Tintern, and whether for more room, or that the Abbot and Monks houses were not grand enough for him, or that he wished to show his contempt for their Religion, he converted the Chancel of the Abbey Church into a residence for his family. What would have been the feeling of the proud uncompromising old Protestant, if he could have foreseen, that three of his younger sons would become Papists, and that as a consequence of it, the whole of his great possessions in the Duffrie, would so soon be parcelled out among the followers of the “Usurper”. Happily for himself he died not living to see it. He built a small Church in the Demesne, which continued to be used as up to 1830, when it fell into disrepair and is now a ruin. Most of the family are buried within its walls. Whatever opinions there maybe as to turning the chancel to a dwelling house, there can however be but one, as to his continuing to utilise the splendid Mill constructed by the monks. The remains of massive dam was still visible in 1880.