William Coward (bef. 1666 - 1715)

Born before 16 Jun 1666 in Wells, Somerset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Hastings) Coward — married 13 Oct 1696 in Fawsley, Northamptonshire, England

Descendants

Died 30 Apr 1715 after age 48 in Wells, Somerset, England [uncertain]

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Biography

Col William Coward was a member of the aristocracy in British Isles.

Colonel William Coward was an officer of the British Army who sat in the House of Commons as Member of Parliament for Wells in Somerset.

He was the son of William Coward of Wells, Somerset, and his first wife Bridget, daughter of Sir Thomas Hall of Bradford-on-Avon, Wiltshire.^[1][2] His father was a sergeant-at-law and served as recorder of Wells and one of the city's parliamentary representative from 1679 and 1702.

He was probably baptised on 16 June 1666 at St Cuthbert, Wells, and entered in the parish register as "Wm the sonn of Mr Wm and Mrs Bridget Cowerd."^[3]

He began his formal education at Merchant Taylors School in London. The school register records his admission on 11 March 1676/7 and gives his date of birth as 17 November 1666.^[4] He then studied at Magdalen College, Oxford, matriculating on 15 July 1682, aged 15, before entering Lincoln's Inn, one of the Inns of Court in London, in 1682.^[2][5]

On 21 November 1688 he was appointed captain of one of the independent companies of horse and foot raised by supporters of William, Prince of Orange, who had only days earlier landed in Devon to take the English throne from James II.^[6] He served in Colonel Francis Luttrell's Regiment of Foot from February 1689 and then in Colonel Leigh's Regiment of Dragoons from 1694.^[7]

He married Mary Hastings on 13 October 1696 at Fawsley, Northamptonshire.^[8] She was the daughter of William Hastings, who had served as High Sheriff of Northamptonshire in 1688-9. The parish register records:

Captain William Coward of Towcester and Mrs Mary Hastings of Hinton in ye Parish of Woodford were married Octob: 13 1696.^[8]

He was elected to the House of Commons in 1708 to represent the constituency of Wells in Somerset and sat until 1710.^[2] He stood again at the 1715 election. He was returned for the seat of Wells in February 1714/5 which he held until his death less than three months later.^[9]

He died on 30 April 1715. The Weekly Journal reported on Saturday 7 May 1715:

The private Letters of Saturday last advise ... that Col. Coward, Member of Parliament for Wells in Somersetshire dy'd that Morning.^[10]

He was buried at St Cuthbert, Wells, on 7 May 1715.^[11] His will, dated, 28 April 1715, was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury on 20 June 1715. He gave his wife Mary a life interest in his entire estate and directed that, on her death, his estate go to his daughter Bridget.^[12]

His daughter and sole heir Bridget married George Hamilton, the second son of James the Earl of Abercorn.^[13]

Research Notes

The History of Parliament says he was baptised on 16 April 1666 while the parish register of St Cuthbert, Wells, appears to record his baptism on 16 June 1666. The register of admissions to Merchant Taylor School says he was born on 16 November 1666, which is either incorrect or suggests that he was not the "Wm Cowerd" baptised at Wells on 16 June 1666. Alumni Oxonienses says he was age 15 when he matriculated on 15 July 1682 which also suggests his date of birth was after July 1666. Speed-878 02:56, 21 December 2019 (UTC)

The History of Parliament says he died on 16 June 1716.^[2] This date is incorrect. The newspaper report of his death dated 7 May 1715, the burial register of St Cuthbert, Wells (which records his burial on 7 May 1715) and the grant of probate on 20 June 1715 all confirm that he died in 1715, not 1716. An election for his replacement did not occur until June 1716, which appears to be the source of the confusion about his date of death. See, for example, Weekly Journal or British Gazetteer (London), 30 June 1716, which reported the names of the "Candidates for Member of Parliament for Wells in Somersetshire, in the Room of Mr. Coward lately deceased." Speed-878 02:56, 21 December 2019 (UTC)

The History of Parliament also describes him as unmarried.^[2] The only source it quotes is the Visitation of the County of Somerset in the Year 1623, which occurred before his birth.^[14] His will, dated 28 April 1715, names his wife Mary and daughter Bridget. Speed-878 09:28, 20 December 2019 (UTC)

He is described in Britton's Graphical and Literary Illustrations of Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire and The Peerage as a Colonel in the Army.^[13][15] This is consistent with the newspaper report of his death which refers to him as "Col. Coward." Speed-878 13:08, 20 December 2019 (UTC)

The Peerage also describes him as a Virginia merchant.^[15] No primary sources have been found to verify this. He may have been confused with William Coward (1648–1738), a London merchant in the Jamaica trade.Speed-878 12:07, 19 December 2019 (UTC)

Sources

1. ↑ The Gentleman's Magazine, July 1798, vol 84, p639.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4} COWARD, William II (1666-1716), of Chamberlain Street, Wells, Som. and Totteridge, Herts. The History of Parliament: the House of Commons 1690-1715, ed. D. Hayton, E. Cruickshanks, S. Handley, 2002.
3. ↑ Ancestry.com. Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1531-1812 (database and images). Wm Conere [sic], 16 Jun 1666, baptism (accessed 18 Dec 2019); citing Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Reference: D\P\w.st.c/2/1/1. Ancestry Record 60856 #986719. Free Ancestry Image.
4. ↑ Rev Charles J Robinson, A Register of the Scholars Admitted Into Merchant Taylor's School', 1882, volume 1, page 292 Google Books (accessed 19 Dec 2019),
5. ↑ Joseph Foster, Alumni Oxonienses: The Members of the University of Oxford, 1500-1714. Oxford: Parker and Co., 1888-1892.
6. ↑ Charles Dalton (ed), English Army Lists and Commission Registers 1661-1714, London, 1894, volume 2 (1686-89), page 246.
7. ↑ Charles Dalton (ed), English Army Lists and Commission Registers 1661-1714, London, 1896, volume 3 (1689-94), pages 63, 361.
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Ancestry.com. Northamptonshire, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages and Burials, 1532-1812 (database and images). Captain William Coward and Mary Hastings, 13 Oct 1696, marriage (accessed 19 Dec 2019); citing Northamptonshire Record Office; Northampton, England; Register Type: Parish Registers; Reference: 125P/1 Ancestry Record 9198 #9281442. Free Ancestry Image.
9. ↑ Return of the name of every Member returned to serve in each Parliament from the Year 1696 up to 1876, 1879, page 43. Google Books (accessed 20 Dec 2019).
10. ↑ The Weekly Journal With Fresh Advices Foreign and Domestick, 7 May 1715.
11. ↑ Ancestry.com. Somerset, England, Church of England Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1531-1812 (database and images). William Coward Esqr, 7 May 1715, burial (accessed 20 Dec 2019); citing Somerset Heritage Service; Taunton, Somerset, England; Somerset Parish Records, 1538-1914; Reference: D\P\w.st.c/2/1/2. Ancestry Record 60856 #305198. Free Ancestry Image.
12. ↑ Ancestry.com. England & Wales, Prerogative Court of Canterbury Wills, 1384-1858 (database and images). William Coward, 20 Jun 1715 (accessed 20 Dec 2019); citing The National Archives; Kew, England; Prerogative Court of Canterbury and Related Probate Jurisdictions: Will Registers; Class: PROB 11; Piece: 546. Ancestry Record 5111 #828899. Free Ancestry Image.
13. ↑ ^{13.0 13.1} John Britton, "Graphical and Literary Illustrations of Fonthill Abbey, Wiltshire: With Heraldical and Genealogical Notices of the Beckford Family", (1823), page 68 (pedigree)
14. ↑ Frederic Thomas Colby (ed), The Visitation of the County of Somerset in the Year 1623, Harleian Society, volume 11, London, 1876, page 30. Internet Archive (accessed 18 Dec 2019).
15. ↑ ^{15.0 15.1} The Peerage: Colonel William Coward [1]