The Cobham Family in the Administration of England, 1200-1400
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Rules
The Len Water-mills
r.chreologia nntiana
THE COBHAM FAMILY IN THE ADMINISTRATION
OF ENGLAND, 1200-1400
By :MRs. TERESA MAY
IN the government of medieval England landed families throughout
the country played a vital and necessary part. At the centre the king
had a staff of professional administrators, but an increase of trained
officials in the Crown's pay to cover the whole of the country was, as
yet, unthought of. Both when the central government wanted to pursue
a particular national policy and when it dealt with the day-to-day
administration of the shires, it relied not on a professional cadre of
civil servants but upon capable amateurs who were willing to leave their
own affairs and attend to whatever had to be done.
For the administrative work of the shires the cro,vn used
ecclesiastics, magnates and lawyers; magnates because the barons
were the king's natural advisers, lawyers because they knew the law
and had had a chance to prove themselves capable in the law-courts.
For less important work, such as collecting taxes or arraying shire
levies, where the commissioners would follo,v explicit directions from
the central government, prominent local gentry were also used. The
Cobhams, therefore, being both lawyers and local gentry, and later,
barons, were eminently suited for the work of local government. They
formed a valuable link between the central government and the
shires; as lawyers practising in the capital yet having extensive
possessions in the country, as local gentry attending parliament as
knights of the shire or barons or sergeants-at-law.
It seems that the rise of the family was due to their training in
law. The first Henry Cobham and his sons, John, Reginald and William
all acted as justices itinerant, though Henry's first recorded office
was the comparatively humble one of sergeant to the sheriff of Kent ( 1).
They must have shown their abilities in the law-courts, and the government
evidently thought they would prove equally capable in other
fields.
From this time, when three Cobham brothers were in the king's
1
THE COBHAM FAMILY IN ADMINISTRATION, 1200-1400
service, the family's reputation was high and its members employed
in a great variety of tasks. There was hardly any 'specialization' in
medieval government, and the same person was expected to do equally
well as a warden of a port, a justice in a court of law, a. knight leading
his contingent in battle or an ambassador treading the slippery paths
of diplomacy. It would be tedious to enumerate every work which the
Cobhams performed; there is, therefore, a summary of their commissions
in the tables at the end of this paper.
The summary, although imperfect, does indicate the nature of
the work performed by local gentry during the thirteenth and fourteenth
centuries. The offices they were called upon to fulfil most
frequently were: keepers of castles, cities, manors and tempora.lities;
justices itinerant, on circuit or for special cases; sheriffs; commissioners
of array; conservators of the peace; assessors and collectors of
taxes a.nd commissioners on every kind of commission. What did
these offices involve, what were their duties, their rewards, their
difficulties1
The most onerous office was undoubtedly that of sheriff, and it
was unusual for it to be held as Reginald Cobham held it, for nine years,
two or three years was the norm. It declined in importance during this
period; perhaps this is why no Cobham held it after 1261.
The volume of the sheriff's work makes only a rough outline of
it possible. Generally he was responsible for maintaining law and order
in his shire. Thus he held county and hundred courts, arrested and
imprisoned offenders, was responsible for the execution and return
of writs from the central government and the empanelling of juries,
aided other officials and official bodies, such as justices itinerant and
commissioners of the peace, collected a large part of the king's revenues
and debts and disbursed the funds in hand according to directions.
For the day-to-day execution of business the sheriff had a staff, but
close supervision was only wise since the sheriff was held personally
responsible for all that was done. W. A. Morris in his article on the
sheriff in English Government at work, 1327-36 (ii, p. 125) has computed
that a minimun.. of 90 full days per year were necessary to fulfil
those parts of the sheriff's work which could not be delegated. The
office carried no salary-'whenever the sheriff farms the county the
old presumption is that he finds his own reward (2).
The patent rolls give us a few glimpses of the Cobham.a acting as
sheriffs. John Cobham 'the younger' presents a dignified picture as
sheriff of Kent receiving fealty of knights, freemen and others on
behalf of the king (3) and the vital role of the sheriff is well illustrated
by_ te order i:° John Cobham 'the elder' to arrest all ships of a certain
B1Ze m the Cinque Ports and take security from them that they be
ready to go on the king's service (4). Collecting supplies for the Royal
2
William m. [?Hawisa]
d. 1265
Serio Cobham
Henry de Cobham
(d.p, 1230)
John 'the elder'
lord of Cobham
Maria m. Philip
de Hoyville
Alice m. Thomas
de Marines
Joanna m. Roger
de Hegham
Maud (l) m. d.c. 1251
Fitzbenedict
I mf>) [ I
Joan •m. Henry Cobham
Penesberst I of Randall
___________________ ......,_d.c. 1316
Stphen 1•the elder' . Thomas of Stephen 't,he ,John
John 'the younger
lord of Cobham
(I) m. d. 1300 m. (2)
William
d. 1320
lorcl Cobham of Randall Hollingbourne younger' d.s.p.
d. 1332 11nrl ('hafford d.c. 1344
m. Avice
i
j I
William
John de Cobham
of Blackborough
d. 1335
John Cobham
of Randall
1310-61 Reginald m. Amisia Bolha,·
I
Jol\n Thomas 1Cobham
I
Joan Methania
Septvanns Kirkeby
Roger de Cobham
of Piperslive
d.s.p.
Henry first
baron Cobham
1260-1339
m. (I) Maud Moreville
James
Jarhes
d. 1361
(2) Matilda widow of
Michael Columbers
Joan
:Neville
I
Jamee
d.s.p.
Thomas Bishop
of lVorcestor
d. 1327
Reginald m. Maria
d. 1258 de Valoynes
Joan m.
Michael
Columbers
dau bter m.
William
de Audwick
Ralph d. 1326
m. Marie Roos
I
Reginald m. Joan Eve.re
I
Reginald first baron Cobham
of Sterborough d. 1361
m. Joan Berkeley
. i--1 ------r-------.,
Reginald John Joan
second baron m. Lord
I m.
John 'son of Countess
)farsh111!' d.s.p. 1378
1348-1403 Henry Gro y
( l) Elizabeth
d. of Earl
of Stafford
(2) Eleanor
Maltravers
of Randall
1343-04
m. ( l) l\laud l\Iorice
(2) Ilentrice
William
1Jbel
m. John
Bamfield
Elizlbeth
m. Sir Hugh
Deverell
Phillippa
m. Nicholas
Inkpen m. Margaret James John seconc\ Reginald
I baron parson of
Nicholas Stephen Margaret
d. 1395
Thomas
Cobham
of Beluncle
I
Margaret
m. Reginald
Courtays
I
Reginald
1381-1446
I
Willinm1Cobhnm
of StaplehuN
