Officials: Cotgreave, Randle

RANDLE COTGREAVE (COTGREVE), principal registrar of the diocese of Chester (appointed 1565)

Qualifications: Notary Public

Career: Very little is known about Cotgreave’s qualifications and his life, except that he was the son of William Cotgreve of Christleton, near Chester, as shown in a herald’s visitation of 1580. A man of the same name was acting as registrar under George Wilmesley by 1541, but a study of handwriting suggested that this was not the same man.

He was appointed principal registrar in 1565, probably following the death of John Chetham, and was still acting early in 1581.

Further Notes: He married Ellen Taylor of Chester and had four sons and one daughter. There were several branches of the Cotgreave family in the Chester area at this time.

His signature from EDC 5/1575/13

Sources:

J. Paul Rylands (ed.), The Visitation of Cheshire 1580, (The Harleian Society, 18, 1882), pp. 68-9

Cheshire Sheaf, 3rd Series, iv, pp. 25-6, 88-9