Description
Book SynopsisChester and its surrounding area are birthplace to some truly fascinating heroes and villains. The stories in this book bring to life eight centuries of their loves and hates, hopes, fears, triumphs, relationships and failings. Based on meticulous research in Cheshire's rich archives, they uncover individuals as varied as a mediaeval gang member, a powerful Elizabethan woman addicted to marriage, one of the early organisers of the Grand National, and an innocent little girl who died after drinking from the wrong bottle. Readers interested in Chester and its environs will certainly enjoy these stories, but so will anyone who delights in uncovering the personalities and exploits of our long-forgotten ancestors. Spanning centuries, counties, class and generations, author Peter Cotgreave allows this heroic, comedic, devious, irresistible cast of characters to live again in the pages of this unique book, and in so doing reveals much about the area's unique and ancient history.
Table of ContentsPreface ix Chapter one 1259 Thomas de Cotegrave's name enters the record 1 Section one Art and science 9 Chapter two 1579 A portrait of Eleanor Cotgrave 10 Chapter three 1611 Randle Cotgrave publishes the first comprehensive French dictionary 16 Chapter four 1838 Ellen Cotgreave drinks some `ginger wine' 24 Chapter five 1849 Sibella Cotgrave is admitted to a lunatic asylum 26 Chapter six 1850 Robert Cotgreave takes out a patent 32 Chapter seven 1854 Charles Cotgreave enters the Grand National 38 Chapter eight 1880 Alfred Cotgreave opens the first free library in London 46 Section two War and conflict 63 Chapter nine 1415 Robert Cotegreve fights at Agincourt 64 Chapter ten 1463 Richard Cotgreve avoids the noose 70 Chapter eleven 1604 Robert Cotgrave commits murder and goes on the run 75 Chapter twelve 1618 Ralph Cotgreave starts one of 100 court cases 82 Chapter thirteen 1806 Isaac Cotgrave accepts the respects of the Admiral who killed Nelson 90 Section three Family and friends 103 Chapter fourteen 1576 Hugh Cotgrave has his picture engraved 104 Chapter fifteen 1579 Eleanor Cotgreve secures an inheritance 112 Chapter sixteen 1734 Margaret Cotgreave may or may not get married 118 Chapter seventeen 1795 John Cotgreave chooses a motto 123 Chapter eighteen 1858 Mary and Catherine Cotgreave get their mother's name wrong 132 Chapter nineteen 1869 Tilley Cotgreave is given nine forenames 138 Chapter twenty 1894 Thomas Cotgreave lunches with Gladstone 142 Section four Church and state 147 Chapter twenty one 1381 Ranulph de Cotegreve judges the peasants 148 Chapter twenty two 1520 John Cotgreve is admitted to the Freedom of Chester 152 Chapter twenty three 1535 Randle Cotgreyve is thrown out of Chester Abbey 158 Chapter twenty four 1590 Elizabeth Cotgrave refuses to go to church 164 Chapter twenty five 1820 John Cotgreave tries to vote 168 Section five Overseas adventures 175 Chapter twenty six 1792 Jonathan Cotgrave loses his job 176 Chapter twenty seven 1810 Elizabeth Cotgrave rescues her kidnapped daughter 184 Chapter twenty eight 1818 William Watson Cotgreave is sacked by the Ohio Assembly 193 Chapter twenty nine 1854 Henry Cotgrave survives an unsurvivable shipwreck 200 Chapter thirty 1858 Mary Ann Cotgrave takes her infant daughter through the jungle 209 Section six Money, business and property 217 Chapter thirty one 1570 William Cotgreve inherits a pub 218 Chapter thirty two 1776 Thomas Cotgreave becomes a mortgage trustee 230 Chapter thirty three 1811 Sidney Cotgreave thinks she has married well 236 Chapter thirty four 1815 William Cotgreave absconds under a false identity 241 Chapter thirty five 1842 Harriet Cotgreave is bankrupt 249 Chapter thirty six 1848 Jane Cotgreave goes to court on her neighbours' behalf 256 Chapter thirty seven 1903 Richard Cotgrave unlocks his inheritance 262 Acknowledgements 273 References 275
