THE COTTONS OF COMBERMERE ABBEY

Statue of Sir Stapleton Cotton, in Chester		Spode Design incorporating image of the statue shown left. Courtesy and copyright of the Spode Museum Trust

Combermere Abbey lies between Whitchurch and Nantwich in a beautiful stretch of countryside. There was an abbey on this site founded about 1133 by Hugh de Malbanc, Lord of Nantwich. It was initially a Savignac abbey but became Cistercian. At the Dissolution of the Monasteries, the site, with 22,000 acres, became the property of Sir George Cotton as a reward for his service to Henry VIII. He pulled down most of the abbey buildings except the abbots' lodgings. In Cheshire Country Houses, by De Figueiredo and Treuhertz, published by Phillimore in 1988, there is a five page article on the abbey. It gives a detailed description of the various phases of building and demolition, a plan of the house as it was in 1900 and pictures of the exterior and interior. English Heritage describes the north wing as being in a "parlous state" in its "Buildings at Risk Register". The current owners asked me to remove my pictures of the house for reasons of security. Combermere Abbey now has its own website to advertise its trade in renting holiday accommodation and hosting weddings.

Sir Stapleton Cotton, the sixth baronet, was born in 1772. He became a second lieutenant in 1790, a first lieutenant in 1791 and at the age of 21 became lieutenant colonel for the 25th Light Dragoons. He was with British forces at the Cape in 1795, and in 1799 served in Madras against Tippo Sahib including actions at Malavelly and Seringapatam. Later he was involved at Talavera. He was promoted to Lieutenant General in 1812 and fought at Torres Vedras. Under Wellington's command he distinguished himself at the Battle of Salamanca. On 17 May 1814, he was made Baron Combermere on his return to England and given a reward of £20,000. In 1817 he was Governor General of Barbados and in 1825 Commander in Chief in India where he captured the fort of Bhurtapore. Sir Stapleton was created Viscount Combermere on 2 December 1826 and became a field marshall in 1855. He was a colonel in the 1st Life Guards and Constable of the Tower of London. Viscount Combermere lived to the age of 92; he was in military service for 73 years and fought in 17 battles.

An equestrian statue of Sir Stapleton stands on a plinth near the gates to Chester Castle. He was noted for being vain and was caricatured by Thackeray in his work The Book of Snobs as Sir George Tufto, whose breast sparkled with innumerable decorations. In the park at Combermere is an obelisk commemorating Stapleton Cotton, and there is also a memorial at Wrenbury church.

Sir Stapleton Cotton's son by his second wife succeeded to the title in 1865. He was Sir Wellington Henry Stapleton Cotton, Bart., and 2nd Viscount, appointed a cornet in the 7th Hussars in 1837, served in Canada in 1840, became a colonel, was in the 7th Dragoon Guards, appointed secretary to the master general of Ordnance in 1852 and was at one time the MP for Carrickfergus. He was born in 1818 and died in 1891.

In 1919, Sir Kenneth Crossley, founder of Crossley Cars bought the estate, which then amounted to 5000 acres. In 1992, his great-granddaughter Sarah Callander Beckett inherited the estate from her mother, Penelope Lindsay.

COTTON OF COMBERMERE

The Cotton family traced its descent from Sir Hugh de Coton of Coton in Shropshire in the time of Henry III (1216-1272). Sir George Cotton, an esquire of Henry VIII, was knighted by him and granted Combermere in 1541. The estate then passed through successive generations, Richard and George to Sir Thomas Cotton where our tree begins below to show family connection in the 17th century preceding our main interest in the 18th and 19th centuries. This family was very prolific and produced in addition to Sir Stapleton Cotton a number of admirals, generals, and clergymen in the 19th century. The heirs to the Combermere estate are shown in bold type.

• 1. Thomas Cotton, died before his father Sir George, who died in 1649.
• + 1st wife, Frances, daughter of Robert (Needham) 1st Viscount Kilmorey.
  • 2. George Cotton, who died 1647. He had one daughter who died before him.
  • 2. Mary Cotton, who became wife of Captain Mainwaring of Nantwich.
  • 2. Frances Cotton, who became wife of Colonel Richard Fletcher of Morley.
• + 2nd wife, Elizabeth, 3rd daughter of Sir George Calveley of Lea. She was born 1 August 1609. She was the eldest sister and eventually co-heiress of Sir Hugh Calveley. Sir Thomas and Elizabeth had four sons, Robert, Thomas, Charles, and William and one daughter, Lettice. We follow only Robert.
  • 2. Sir Robert Cotton, Knt. of Combermere, second son and heir, created baronet 29 March 1677, MP for Cheshire for 36 years, died 17 December 1712 aged 77.
  • + Hester, dau. of Sir Thomas Salusbury of Llewenny, Bart., and the sister and heiress of Sir John Salubury, who died without issue in 1684. She died about 1710. This couple had five sons and 11 daughters of whom we follow the sons.
    • 3. John Cotton, died without issue.
    • 3. Hugh Calveley Cotton, married Mary, heiress of Sir William Russel of Llanherne, Caermarthenshire. He had one daughter, Catherine who married but had no issue.
    • 3. Robert Cotton, died young.
    • 3. Sir Thomas Cotton of Combermere, Bart., 4th son and heir, died 12 June 1715, Sheriff of Cheshire in 1713.
    • + Philadelphia, daughter and heiress of Thomas Lynch of Esher in Surrey, Knt, governor of Jamaica and his wife Vere, the sister of the Earl of Torrington. Sir Thomas and Philadelphia had 9 sons and six daughter of whom we follow the sons.
      • 4. Thomas Salusbury Cotton, died without issue.
      • 4. Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton, Bart. MP for Cheshire in 1727, died without issue 27 August 1748 aged 53 and buried at Wrenbury. He was married to Elizabeth the eldest daughter of Lionel, Earl of Dysart.
      • 4. Stephen Salusbury Cotton, died without issue on 7 December 1727 aged 27 and buried at Wrenbury.
      • 4. John Salusbury Cotton, died without issue.
      • 4. Sir Lynch Salusbury Cotton of Combermere, Bart., fifth son and eventually heir, died 14 August 1775 aged 70 and buried at Wrenbury.
      • + Elizabeth Abigail, daughter of Rowland Cotton of Bellaport in Shropshire and Etwall in Derbyshire, who died 4 Janury 1777, aged 64 and was buried at Wrenbury. Sir Lynch and Elizabeth Abigail had nine sons and five daughters of whom we follow the sons below in generation 5.
        • 5. Sir Robert Salusbury Cotton of Combermere, Bart. MP Cheshire, died in 1809
        • + Frances, youngest daughter and coheiress of James Russell Stapleton of Boddrydon, Denbighshire. the married 1767 and she died in April 1825. This couple had fours sons and four daughters.
          • 6. Sir Stapleton Cotton of Combermere, Bart., created Baron Combermere, 17 May 1814 and Viscount Combermere of Bhurtpore 2 December 1826. Born 14 November 1773, died 21 April 1865 and buried at Wrenbury. He married three times.
          • + 1st wife, Anna Maria Clinton, 1st daughter of Thomas, 3rd Duke of Newcastle, married 1 January 1801 and she died 31 May 1807. They had three sons of whom two died in infancy. Robert lived to the age of 19.
            • 7. Robert Henry Stapleton Cotton, born 18 January 1802, died a bachelor in 1821.
          • + 2nd wife, Caroline, 2nd daughter of W. Fulke Greville, Esq., married 18 June 1814. She died 25 January 1837. They had one son and two daughters.
            • 7. Sir Wellington Henry Stapleton Cotton, Bart., 2nd Viscount Combermere, born 24 November 1818 and died in 1891. There is a monument to him in Wrenbury church. He married Susan Alice, eldest daughter of Sir George Sitwell, Bart., on 29 July 1844.
            • 7. Caroline, born 1815, married in 1837 to Arthur Hill, Lord Hillsborough son and heir of the Marquis of Downshire.
            • 7. Meliora Emily Anna Maria Cotton, married 18 June 1853 to John Charles Frederick Hunter of Straidarran in County Londonderry.
          • + 3rd wife, Mary Woolley, sole daughter and heir of Robert Gibbings of Gibbings Grove in County Cork. Married 1838 and alive in 1880. No issue.
          • 6. Robert Salusbury Cotton, born 1768 and died unmarried in 1799
          • 6. William Cotton, clerk, Rector of Audlem, died 1853.
          • 6. Lynch Cotton, Colonel in the 23rd Welsh Fusileers, died Calcutta 1808.
          • 6. Frances Cotton, married Robert Viscount Kilmorey on 10 January 1791 and died November 1818
          • 6. Penelope Cotton, died 1786
          • 6. Hester Maria Cotton, born 1772 and died unmarried in 1845.
          • 6. Sophia Cotton, married Sir H. M. Mainwaring of Peover, Bart. at Burleydam, 29 December 1803.
        • 5. Rowland Cotton, Esq., became an admiral.
        • + Elizabeth dau. of Sir Willoughby Ashton, Bart. They had one son and two daughters, Sydney and Arabella.
          • 6. Sir Willoughby Cotton, GCB only son, lieu-colonel in 3rd Regiment of Guards, later a general and commander in chief at Bombay. Born 1783 and died in London in 1860. He married Augusta daughter of the Earl of Coventry in 1806 and she died in 1865.
            • 7. Willoughby Cotton, died in 1841.
            • 7. Corbet Cotton, Esq. of London, general in the army.
            • 7. Augusta, wife of Henry Vaughan Brooke
        • 5. Lynch Cotton, in service with the East India Company, no issue.
        • 5. George Cotton LL.D, rector of Stoke in Staffordshire, of Dodleston and Davenham in Cheshire, Dean of Chester, died 1805.
        • + Catherine, dau. of James Tomkinson of Dorfold Hall, Esq., and had issue. He died in 1805.
        • 5. Thomas Cotton, a clerk in the Treasury.
        • 5. William Cotton, in the army, unmarried.
        • 5. Richard Cotton, killed in action at Camden in America, captain in the 33rd. Regiment
        • 5. John Cotton, died young.
        • 5. Henry Calveley Cotton, Captain in the 1st Life Guards.
        • + Matilda, only dau. of John Lockwood, Esq., of Ashted in Surrey. This couple had 11 sons and three daughters: Matilda Hester, died in infancy; Matilda Hester (1791-1868); Maria Frances (1802-78)
          • 6. Henry Calveley Cotton, born 1789, died 1850.
          • 6. Sir Sydney John Cotton, GCB, a major general in the army, born 1792, died 1874.
          • 6. Richard Lynch Cotton, DD, born 1794.
          • 6. Rowland Edward Cotton, born 1795 and died 1823.
          • 6 Charles Robert Cotton, MA, born 1796.
          • 6. Hugh Calveley Cotton, born 1798.
          • 6. Francis Vere Cotton, Esq., of Whitchurch, born 1799, became an admiral.
          • 6. Robert Salusbury Cotton, born 1800, died 1824.
          • 6. Sir Arthur Thomas Cotton, KCSI of Madras Engineers, became a general, born 1803.
          • 6. George Herbert Cotton, 1806-1844.
          • 6. Frederick Conyers Cotton Esq, CSI of London, Madras Engineers, became a general.
      • 4. William Salusbury Cotton
      • 4. Henry Salusbury Cotton
      • 4. George Calvely Cotton
      • 4. Hugh Calveley Cotton, died in infancy, 24 June 1702 and buried at Wrenbury.
    • 3. George Cotton, fifth son, died unmarried 8 January 1702 and buried at Wrenbury.

Tomb of Sir Stapleton Cotton		The top of the tomb
Central panel		Inscription on base of Sir Stapleton Cotton's tomb

The photographs above were taken at St. Margaret's church in Wrenbury on 14 August 2013. They show the three parts of the memorial to Sir Stapleton Cotton. In the central panel, above the kneeling angel is a list of Sir Stapleton Cotton's battles over more than 30 years starting with the Napoleonic Wars with many battles in the Peninsula War and including the West Indies, India and South Africa: Flanders, 1793; Cape of Good Hope; Maclavelly; Seringapatam; Douro; Talavera; Busaco; Leira; Villa Garcia; Fuentes d'Honor; El Bodon; Castrejon; Salamanca; Orthez; Toulouse; West Indies; Bhurtpore, 1825

Sources

Cheshire Country Houses by de Figueiredo and Treuhertz.
Cheshire Heroes by W. I. Wild in Cheshire Notes and Queries, Vol 1, page 179, December 1896.
Ormerod's History of Cheshire, 2nd edition.

For the Spode design incorporating Sir Stapleton Cotton, I am grateful to Pam Woolliscroft, Curator of the Spode Museum Trust, Church St., Stoke on Trent, ST4 1BX, England.  It comes from a pattern book of 1871

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