CHITTY ALIAS COKKELS

In the Surrey Archaeological Collection we read:

'1371 January 15: Richard TOLY and Maud his wife, daughter and heir of John COKKEL, surrender one messuage and a cotland containing by estimation 25 acres of arable land and 16d rent in Esshyng, formerly of John COKKEL, with the reversion of 3 acres held for life by Edith formerly wife of Henry TANNER; to the use of Thomas CHETEYE and Alice his wife and the heirs etc of Thomas for ever, to be holden of the Lord according to the custom of the Godalming Manor. Maud is examined to ascertain that she has made the surrender of her own free will. Thomas made a fine of 13/4 for admission and did fealty. - The name John COKKEL is traceable in the assessment in about 1332.'

Thus some six hundred years ago a CHITTY from whom many of the later families of the name may descend acquired land in the Manor of Godalming. It seems likely that his wife Alice may have been daughter of the TOLYs and so granddaughter of John COKKEL.

We can learn nothing of the children of Thomas and Alice, but that at least one son existed can scarcely be doubted, for in 1453 - over eighty years later - one Thomas CHITTY of Cokkelys did not attend the Hundred Court as summoned to do service in the manner of cotholders. After several failures to attend he at last came and confessed his error. So the cotland was still in the family, and still known as 'Cokkel's'.

And after another century we find in the Archdeaconry Court of Surrey the Will of John CHETTY alias COKLYS of Wynkeworth in Godalming, dated 1558, and we cannot doubt that this John was a direct descendant of the first Thomas.

It is noteworthy that the CHITTYs of Godalming were now so numerous that 'aliases' were used to distinguish the branches. We shall later consider the important family of CHITTY alias BOCHER; Godalming Parish Register also shows CHITTY alias SEARLE or SELL and another document mentions a CHETEY alias WEVER.

We have no other references to 'COKKELS' but several to CHITTYs of Eashing, in which the cotland was situated, It is puzzling that John in 1558 was 'of Wynkeworth', for the present Winkworth is not in Eashing; yet this John's son and grandson were still - or again - of Eashing until 1585.

continued ...