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.
