John Coke (1590 - 1661)

Ancestors

Descendants

Biography

Hokeham BHO Soon after it was purchased by William Wheatly, Esq; prothonatory of the Common Pleas, who was also lord of Hill-Hall, in this town, and left it to Anthony his son and heir, who by Anne his wife, daughter of William Armiger, Esq. of North Creke, had 3 daughters and coheirs; Muriel, the eldest, brought it by marriage to John Coke; Esq. fourth son of the famous Sir Edward Coke, lord chief justice of England...

(d) John Coke, Esq. of Holkham, 4th son of Sir Edward, (on the death of his three elder brothers, without issue) succeeded in the inheritance; he died in 1661, leaving Edward, his son and heir, who married Elizabeth, daughter of George Lord Berkley, and dying s. p. the estate came to his cousin and heir, Richard Coke, Esq. John had 6 sons, who all died s. p. and the 9 daughters. Of this John Coke, Esq. and Muriel his wife, see afterwards.

The Church stands east of the town, near the sea, on a hill, and is a noted sea mark, commanding an extensive prospect over the great German ocean; the hill seems to have been thrown up in the Saxon age, and Danish invasions, and to have served as a speculum or fort; and there is another hill at a little distance, where several human bones, and pieces of iron armour have been found in digging, and was probably a large tumulus.

It is dedicated to St. Withburga, and has a nave, north and south isle, with a chancel, all covered with lead. At the south-west corner of the south isle, stands a strong four-square tower embattled, with 4 bells; the lower part serves as a porch to the church; the north and south isles extend on each side of the chancel, and serve as buttresses against the raging wind, &c. of the sea. The east end of both these isles were chapels, and are inclosed.

In the chapel on the south side, against the east wall, is a large marble monument,—To the reviving memory of William Wheateley, Esq; and Martha Skinner his wife, and Anthony Wheateley, Esq; and Anne Armiger his wife, and also of Muriel Coke, late wife of John Coke of Holkham, in the county of Norfolk, Esq; the fourth son of the Right Honourable Sir Edward Coke, knight, late chief judge of the court of Common Pleas, and afterwards chief judge of the King's Bench, and one of his Majesty's privy council, by Bridget Paston, one of the coheirs of John Paston, Esq; her father; and the said Muriel Coke was sole daughter and heir of Anthony Wheately, by Anne Armiger his wife, and the said Anthony was son of William Wheateley, Esq; late prothonotary in the court of Common Pleas, by Martha Skinner, daughter of Anthony Skinner, of Warwickshire, Esq; and the said Anne Armiger, wife of the said Anthony was one of the daughters of William Armiger the elder, late of North Creak in Norfolk, Esq; by Anne Manjuer his wife, sole sister and heir of Richard Mansuer, Esq. her brother. Her loving husband, John Coke, Esq; to whom she bare six sons, and nine daughters, and lyeth here buried, erected this monument to her memory; she died the 4th of July, in the year 1636.

On this monument are small pourtraitures of the abovementioned William Wheatley, and Martha his wife: of Anthony and Anne his wife; of John Coke and Muriel his wife, on their knees, with desks before them, and these arms; quarterly in the first and fourth, sable a fess, ermin, between three talbots, passant, argent; in the 2d and 3d, argent, a bend between two bears salient, sable, both borne by the name of Wheatly; and impaling sable, a chevron, between three griffins heads erased, argent, Skinner; Wheatley impaling azure, two bars, argent, between three helmets, or, Armiger; also Coke impaling Wheatley.

On the basis of the monument are several children kneeling.

Here lyeth interred Susan Doyley, only daughter and heir of Edmund Doyley, Esq; and Bridget his wife. Edmund was the only son and heir of Sir Henry Doyley knight, of Shottesham-Hall in Norfolk. Bridget was the eldest daughter of John, son of Sir Edw. Coke, &c. she died February 18, in the 5th year of her age, 1639.

In the chancel a gravestone,

In memory of John Coke, Esq; 4th son of Sir Edward Coke, &c. who married Merial, daughter of Anthony Wheatley of Hill Hall in Holkham.

Sources

• http://www.british-history.ac.uk/topographical-hist-norfolk/vol9/pp231-244

• http://www.thepeerage.com/p12287.htm#i122868

• https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=149434699
• * (wife, husband noted) "Find A Grave Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QK1V-JFYK : 11 July 2016), Meriel Wheatley Coke, 1636; Burial, Holkham, North Norfolk District, Norfolk, England, Holkham St Withburga Churchyard; citing record ID 149434765, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.