John Cogswell

For the Massachusetts and Wisconsin lawyer and politician, see John B. D. Cogswell.

John Cogswell
Born	1592 Westbury Leigh, County of Wilts, England.
Died	November 29, 1669 (age 77)
Spouse(s)	Elizabeth Thompson, 1635
Children	8, Mary Cogswell, William Cogswell, John Cogswell Jr., Hannah Cogswell, Abigail Cogswell, Edward Cogswell, Sarah Cogswell, Elizabeth Cogswell.
Parent(s)	Edward and Alice Cogswell.

John Cogswell (1592–1669) was a leading figure and large landowner in the early history of Ipswich, Massachusetts and a deputy for the General Court of Massachusetts. He is the immigrant ancestor to a large number of notable Americans as well as connected the Aristocracy of Britain and the British Royal family as the 10th Great Grandfather to Diana, the Princess of Wales.

Biography

John Cogswell, born in Westbury Leigh, Wiltshire, England, was a successful merchant in London, England before migrating to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. He married Elizabeth, the daughter of Rev. William Thompson, vicar of Westbury in 1615. Twenty years later, in 1635, Cogswell and his family embarked on the Angel Gabriel, for Massachusetts. However, the ship was driven onto rocks on the coast of Maine during the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635. Cogswell salvaged most of what he lost from the wreck and headed south for Boston before settling in Ipswich.

Cogswell's Angel Gabriel Wreck

In Ipswich, Cogswell was granted 300 acres of land (now known as Cogswell's Grant) and he received freeman status to allow him to run for public office. He eventually became a deputy to the General Court for Ipswich, in addition to fulfilling functions for the town. Cogswell died in 1669. He was honored with a five-mile long funeral procession followed by a service conducted by Rev. William Hubbard. The historian Darrett B. Rutman states that Cogswell's will is "exceptional in providing for the formal education of a daughter." Although he was a man of reputation in his time, his greatest legacy for posterity is surviving the great hurricane and leaving many celebrated descendants.

Descendants

John Cogswell and Elizabeth Thompson had many children; however, the following children left notable descendants:

William Cogswell (1619–1696). He married Susannah Hawkes. He and his son, Jonathan, signed a petition to protect John Proctor and his wife Elizabeth during the Salem witch trials. An influential citizen of Ipswich, he acquired the Rev. John Wise to be the first pastor of Chebacco Parish.

John Cogswell Jr (1622–1653). He died of a snake bite on a return voyage from London, a year after the death of his wife, Elizabeth Thoth (of England). He left behind three children, John, Samuel and Elizabeth Cogswell – the youngest but a year old.

Hannah Cogswell (1626–1704). She married Deacon Cornelius Waldo.

Abigail Cogswell (1641–1728). She married Thomas Clarke.

Sarah Cogswell (1645–1692). She married Simon Tuttle.

External links

• Cogswell Family Association
• John Cogswell at Find a Grave
• Historic New England: Cogswell's Grant
• Amazon link to the book Descendants of John Cogswell
• Amazon link to the book Ancestry of Diana
• link to the book The Cogswells in America
• The Great Migration: Immigrants to New England, 1634–1635, vol 2, C-F
• Winthrop's Boston by Darrett B Rutman
• Link to Massachusetts signers related to Cogswell
• Link to some writers related to Cogswell
• Ancestry of Tennessee Williams
• Ancestry of Thomas Pynchon
• link with famous New England descendants of Cogswell
• link with Cogswell's connection to Presidents Adams and Coolidge and Prime Minister Childers
• link with Cogswell's political positions