This article appeared in the January 2005 issue of Family History Vol.22, No.182, NS No. 158.

John Cockett of Ampton "Woolman" by Clive Alexander

It is a well documented fact that the economic engine of the middle ages was the wool industry. Part of the legacy of this once lucrative enterprise are the wool towns and their beautiful churches, particularly in east Anglia. The wealth generated by this industry has been the subject of much scholarly study in order to quantify the economic impact wool had upon the making of a nation.

But what of the people whose lives were inextricably tied to the rearing of sheep, the tending of flocks, the shearing of wool and marketing the same, year in year out. One such man was John Cockett of Ampton in Suffolk.

The achievements of John Cockett would have all but disappeared from the pages of history had it not been for several things. First, he was armigerous, secondly his wealth allowed him to have built a small Chantry Chapel in his parish church St Peters, and thirdly his extensive will, which attest to his wealth and generosity.

John Cockett was of Norman stock; research suggests that his forefathers came from Calvados in Normandy and owed allegiance to Bishop Bigot. The family received land in the great Norman carve up. An early record of land transactions shows in 1118 on Ernuphus Cocket selling his land in St Oysth Essex to the then Bishop of London, Richard de Belmeis, who in turn granted it to the Priory of St Oysth. This land today is still called Cockets Wick.

Research also attests to the importance of good marriage ties, one John Cocket of Tamworth married Beatrice Basset daughter of Henry Basset, son of Ralf Basset of Drayton. The Bassets, Osmond, Roul and Toustain fought at Hastings. While late Ralf distinguished himself at the siege of Calais in 1346 becoming one of the first knights of the Garter.

The Cocketts settled in Ampton about 1400 and founded a sheep farming dynasty. The accumulated wealth passes down several generations and with it a coat of arms. The picture unfolds upon the death of John Cocket’s father also called John. With his father’s death John acquired the family wealth. He applied for, and was granted a licence from the crown, 12 March 18 Edward IV (1478) to found a perpetual chantry for one priest to celebrate every day at the altar of the Blessed Virgin in the parish church of Ampton.

The Chantry Chapel he built at Ampton has two significant features. First, a small stained glass window panel showing the arms of Cocket - Per bend Sable and Argent Three Fleur de lis in bend counter charged. Secondly, unique to John Cocket is his personal woolmark painted upon the transom arch of the chapel.

There is no evidence to say when the arms came into existence but they were likely to have been adopted in earlier times when it was becoming fashionable for the ‘known’, the ‘noblis’, to adopt devices of recognition.

It is currently being researched to see if the arms derived from John Cocket of Tamworth who was an envoy to the French Court of Hainhault in 1332. The woolmark adds a dimension to this man, he can truly be described as a ‘woolman’. The woolmark would have been as important as any badge or logo. It was an assurance of his quality product and when it appeared upon documents and woolsacks it became a financial tracking device.

John Cocket died in 1483. The details of his will gives us a glimpse into medieval society.

To the high alter of St Peter’s church	20 pounds
To every priest at the funeral	12 pence
To every clerk	4 pence
To lesser clerks	4 pence
To the relief of the poor of
Bury St Edmonds	10 marks
To be disposed of among the poor
and prisoners of Bury Gaol	10 shillings
To every leper	4 pence
To every householder in the towns of:
Ampton, both Livermeres, Tymworth,
Ingham, Culford, Wordewell, Stow,
All three Fordhams, Barton, Troston,
Honweton & Fakenham	12 pence
Also a pair of blankets and a pair of sheets
Disposed to Priests for singing dirges
up to seven weeks after his death	100 marks
To every monk in Bury Abbey	20 pence
To the Prior	40 pence
To the Abbot	6 shillings and 8 pence
To every novice	6 pence
To the Parson of Weston	6 shillings and 8 pence
To every Priest in Bury	12 pence
To every Friar in Babwell	12 pence
To every Monk in the house of Thetford	20 pence
To every Novice	6 pence
To every Prior in this house	6 shillings and 8 pence
To every Friar, Preacher and Augustine in the
Town of Thetford	12 pence
To every Novice	4 pence
To Doctor Oldman	3 shillings and 4 pence
To every Canon in the houses of:
Thetford, Ixworth, Bromemyle, Westacre	12 pence
And every novice	4 pence
To every Friar in the houses of:
Norwich, Lynne, Ipswich, Sudbury, Clare
& Chelmsford	12 pence
To every novice	4 pence
To every priest in the Charter House in
London, Charter Houses at Shen & Syon	20 pence
To every Priest in the house at Houdslow
Fast by Sion	12 pence
To the Anchor in Bishopsgate Street London	20 pence
To every Priest in Melford An Lavenham	12 pence
To the house of Friars Babwell	5 marks
To the Old House at Thetford	40 shillings
To the Friars Augustine at Thetford	40 shillings
To the Canons at Thetford	20 shillings
To every Nun at Thetford	5 marks
To the common profit of the said nuns	12 pence
To the common profit of the Friars at Lynne	40 shillings
To the common profit of the
House of Houndslow	13 shillings and 4 pence
To every church Curate of the above parishes
For a period of seven years in that they will
Pray for my soul given annually	4 shillings and 4 pence
To two honest priests to pray for my soul
At Ampton four times a year for seven years	16 marks plus 8 marks per annum
To my friend derre John Attleburgh	6 shillings and 8 pence
To my wife Alice nee Bole all goods and
household chattels Not the silver salt
and 12 silver spoons	100 marks
Also all of his lambs and sheep
Little Livermere
To eldest son John all of the cattle and
sheep pastured on land in Norfolk, also
Berneham Manor leased from Ralf Shirly
Also those lands leased from William
Dorewood of Southacre
To son William the first option to purchase
sheep grazing on the above land from his brother
To my three daughters Agnes, Margaret and Alice	40 marks
To my godson Walter Cocket of Ingham
200 wethers (sheep) from the flock at Honeweton
To John Abthorp (Agnes’ husband) 200 wethers
from Honeweton
To my grandson Thomas Cocket 200 wethers
from the Flock at Iklingham
To Parson Robert Rickeman	40 shilllings
Alice Crofts Nun	6 shillings and 8 pence
Alice Thursby	40 marks
To charity (extensive specified List)	20 pounds
To 13 poor people of Ampton	13 pence
To the maintenance of poor highways	40 pounds
To be ordained by executors a coffer set up to collect monies from sale of good and rents.
This money be devided thus:
1. The poor to have gowns shirts sheets and smocks. Salted herring in Lent fuel in winter and help if they require in paying Tax
2. Relief to certain priests and poor scholars in Cambridge
3. Mending of foul highways. Marriages of virtuous maidens
4. The repair and up keep of poor churches and the paying of small debts of prisoners that they become not thieves.
To my exors and supervisors named	10 pounds each

P.C.C. Wills PRO/PROB 11/7, 22 Logge openings 171-173

By any stretch of the imagination this was a very wealthy man. His wealth seems to have been channelled into philanthropy rather than property. It gives a glimpse of medieval life where the hierarchy of the Church can clearly be seen and the importance of this to people’s spiritual well being.

It also allows us to ponder upon how seismic the soon to follow Reformation was in turning this all upon its head. We also see the religious house from Kings Lynn down to Syon extended their influence upon the minds and lives of people.

We see travel as being a concern, in the journeys that were made to London along foul highways, and hospitality received at the Anchor in Bishopsgate. We can also see how the plight of poor was alleviated by the generosity of the better off. Clearly the notion of winter fuel payments is not a new one. It is interesting to see how land was being leased across the counties for the pasturing of sheep and cattle,

John Cocket lies buried with his wife beneath the floor of St Peters in front of his Chantry Chapel. His woolmark appears upon a commemorative brass.

The arms of Cocket are found in other churches where they are marshalled with other families - Stuards and Buttes at Shoulderham Thorp parish church Suffolk, Hervey at Ickworth church Suffolk. Upon the visitations of 1613 they are recorded as being marshalled with Walden, Owgan, Froxmere, Fillingly and Joce.

The Cockett arms reappear in 1626 on the Tomb of Sir Edward Cocket Kt. at St Mary’s, Church Langley parish Buckinghamshire. The arms are to be seen used again by James Cocket of Reddings Tillingham Essex in 1714 when he buried his son, Charles aged 14, by the porch of St Nicholas, his parish church. After this the arms seem to fall into disuse.

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