Cossale

Cossale, Doomsd. Cotteshale.

This Cotteshale was a Beru of Olaveston, which was assessed or rated at six bovats to the Geld or Tax. The Land was for six oxen (or six bovats.) There was in demesne one car. two vill. and one acre of meadow, a pasture wood one qu. long, and two broad, Soc. This was William Peverells fee; but here was another part of this Lord ship, in the Conquerours time, of Raph Fitz-Huberts see, which before was the freehold of Leuenot Lord of Annesley, who answered to the Tax (fn. 1) here for six bovats, and the Land was then sufficient for so many oxen, i. e. six bovats. There was at the time of making the great survey three car. or ploughs, with three villains (or husbandmen) and five acres of meadow: formerly this had been valued at 16s. but then was 10s.

This first part was with Wollaston, the possession of the family of Mortein; the latter seems to have been enjoyed chiefly by a family who had their sirname from the place, of which was Sir William de Cossale, Cler. Baron of the Exchequer, who was a great benefactor to Newstede Priory, and did by fine at York, Trin. and Mich. 8 E. 3. (fn. 2) settle upon it twelve mess. one mill, eight bovats, and sixty acres of land, twenty of meadow, eighty of waste, and 20s. yearly rent, with the appurtenances in Cassale, Nottingham, and Bullwell, to find three Chaplains, two in the Church of St. Katherin of Cossale, and the third in the said Priory of Newstede, to celebrate Divine Service for the souls of the said William, his ancestors, and successours.

Reginald, son of Idonia de Cotsale, gave to the Priory of Thurgarton all his Lands in Cotsale, viz. (fn. 3) half a bovat, and a quarter of a bovat, with two tofts, one at the end of the Town towards the east, and the other next the toft of Koger the Gerefc [præpositi] the said Priory paying to Sir Reginald de Annesley and his heirs 10s. per annum.

Adam de Cossale held in the Town of Cossale, one mess. five cottages, one water mill, two carucats of arable land, twenty-three acres of meadow, ten acres of pasture 20s. rent, which were settled, 7 E. 2, (fn. 4) by fine on William, son of the said Adam de Cossale, and Johan his wife, and the heirs of their two bodies; remainder to the right heirs of the William: Robert was their eldest son, who married Katherin, the daughter of John Bozon, of whom there was no issue; John their younger son married the daughter of William Michell, and had issue. Of William, son of Adam de Cossale, and Johan his wife, Sir William de Cossale, before named, obtained the land & soil where the two Granges (or Barns) below the Mannor of Cossale, belonging to the Priory of Newstede, were built, in exchange for one land or felion in Cossale between the Thorpes; he purchased likewise of their of Fee Lands in Cossale and Broksale, for the services whereof the said Robert and John their sons made a release, reserving only 3s. 10d. Rent yearly; which Rent, together with all his Lands and Tenements in Cossale, Robert (de Cossale) son of the said John sold to Sir Richard de Willoughby the elder, who settled the Town of Cossale (a great part whereof he had by the daughter of Sir Roger de Mortein) on Sir Richard de Willoughby the younger, as in Wollaston is said.

This Sir William de Cossale, the Baron, purchased some Lands of Sir Roger Mortein, and some other Freeholders, all which he gave to Newstede, as already is shown.

The Jury found, 23 E. 3, (fn. 5) that Warin, son of Thomas le Latimer of Braybrooke, and Katherin his wife, then alive, were jointly enfeoffed, and held the Mannor of Cossale of William Zouch, arch-bishop of Yorke, by the services of sixpence a-year, and that John, son of the said Warin, was his next heir.

The Jury, 7 H. 6, (fn. 6) found that William Skevington, Esquire, held the Mannor of Cosshale of King Henry the fifth, by the service of the fourth part of a Knights Fee of Honour of Peverell, and that Humfrey Skevington his son and heir was one and twenty years of age the first of June, then past. The Jury, 13 H. 6. (fn. 7) found that Humfrey Skevington held this Mannor of Cossale by the service of the twentieth part of a Knights Fee, the day that he died; and that Hugh Skevington was his brother and heir; it was 23 May, 11 H. 6, in the Kings hands, because Hugh was under age, and Humfrey dead.

(fn. 8) In a Recovery, 15 H. 7, Sir Henry Willoughby, Knight. claimed against John Marmion, Rob. Laurense, Clark, and Rob. Skevington, the Mannor of Cossale. (fn. 9)

Thomas Thurland, John Marmion, and others, 22 H. 7, (fn. 10) claimed against Eliz. Willoughby, four mess. one hundred acres of land, sixty of meadow, eighty of pasture, four of wood, forty of heath, and 20s. rent in Cossale; she called to warrant Hugh Willughby, (fn. 11) and so did Thomas Willughby, and Isabell his wife, against whom the same persons claimed three mess. thirty acres of land, twenty of meadow, thirty of pasture, one water-mill, and 13s. rent in Lenton and Cossale.

(fn. 12) The Mannor of Cossal alias Cossal Marsh, late belonging to the Monastery of Newstede, and in the occupation of Francis Willughby, 21 July, 10 Eliz. was granted to Percivall Bowes, and John Moysier, gentlemen. The Monastery of Dale had a wood of fifteen acres in Shortwood in the parish of Cossale, 9 July, 14 Eliz. (fn. 13) granted to Sir Christopher Hatton.

(fn. 14) The Priory of Felley had a portion of tythes in Cossale, which King James, 2 Mar. a Jac. granted to Sir John Ramsey, Knight, and Thomas Emerson.

This place remains to the Willughbyes, and George Willughby, nephew of the last Sir Francis, hath a Seat there.

[Throsby] Cossal

Lordship is owned also by Lord Middleton: it is enclosed. The village is small; in it however, is an hospital for four men, who have coals, cloathing, and two shillings per week for their subsistence, left by one of the Willoughbies, who lived at Eastfellow or Eastpery Hall, (fn. 15) near Wollaton-Hall.

The chapel has only one aisle. In it is a vault for a branch of the Willoughbies.— Rev. Isaac Pickthall, curate.

About the year 1780, on the death of a Miss Willoughby, of Nottingham, an ancient vault in the chapel, belonging to that family, was opened for her interment, which had not been used many years. When the workmen entered it they were surprised at a luminous appearance at the further end of the vault: a candle being brought to examine it, the extraordinary light disappeared, which much heightened their astonishment; on the candle being taken away, it appeared as bright as before. It turned out, however, to be nothing but a human skull, covered with a greenish light-coloured mould, of a downy nature, which, where it was fingered, turned black.