The head of the effigy of Sir Geoffrey de
Mandeville in Temple Church, one of the oldest buildings in London
It includes several manors, some of which he describes and illustrates. The principal manor is that of East Coker, Now known as The Coker Court, close by which are the ancient church and vicarage of East Coker. The vicarage, it may be remarked, has an unbroken list of rectors and vicars from 1297 to the present time.
The origin of the name Coker has perplexed students of language. In early Norman rule it was "Cocre", anglicized to little later "Coker". An earlier spelling seems to have been "Cochra". Powell mentions that an explanation was sought in the Cymric (Welsh Celtic): "Codh" in Cymric, means "red" and "ra" means "enable land". However, the explanation seems to fail, because the adjective in Cymric should follow the noun; "redlands" "ra codh" not "coch ra". Batten reported that a high authority in Anglo-Saxon literature was unable to explain the origin or meaning of the word. As Powell concluded: "The origin of the name must remain obscure".
In the time of Edward the Confessor Coker belonged to Cytha, widow of Earl Godwine and mother of Harold, last king before the Conquest. "They came, therefore to William the Conqueror, 'jure conquesti', and were Royal Manors at the time of the Domesday survey". Later Coker was given by Henry I to his favorite, Richard de Redvers. Then Baldwin de Redvers, second Earl of Devon, presented Coker as a sub-fee to de Mandeville, a Norman, prominent in service to the King, as extensive land-owner in Normandy and England. The undated acquisitions of Coker by de Mandeville seems to have been in the early eleven-hundreds.
De Manevilles are of special interest in this connection. They were owners of East Coker and of most of North Coker from early time after the Conquest of 1066. Batten points out that Geoffrey de Mandeville, in the reign of Henry II (1154-1189), was distinguished by "Geoffrey de Cocre." At least as early as the 12th and 13th centuries, there were signatures such as Gerold de Cocre, Geoffrey de Cocre, Roger de Cocre, Robert de Cocre (1236) and many others. Batten suggests that the Cokers must have been descended from Geoffrey de Mandeville (Geoffrey de Cocre) and the "Venerable" Nash House at North Coker is the original Coker Manor.
Burke's Peerage states that: "this ancient family dwelt in former ages at Coker in County Somerset, to which place they were beholden for their name. In 1272, Robert de Cocre signed as Witness to a charter of Robert de mandeville." Beginning with this Robert, the head of the family for four generations (Robert Mathew, Richard, Mathew in succession) is Lord of Coker Manor. The fifth in succession, John de Coker, is "Lord of West Coker." One of John's sons is Sir Robert Coker (the "de" being dropped), who is apparently the last owner of a "Coker Manor" at Coker, the estate passing to his daughter and heiress, Elizabeth, of seventh generation.
This Elizabeth, recorded as the "Maid of Coker", married Sir John Seymour of the adjoining county of Wilts. The transfer of Somerset estates from Coker to Seymour had interesting results, ending among other things, to a Seymour becoming Duke of Somerset. When Elizabeth Coker Seymour's great granddaughter, Jane Seymour, became queen, as the third wife of King Henry VIII, her brother, Edward Seymour, was made, in 1597, the first Duke of Somerset, a dukedom now second in rank only to Norfolk. The king also granted West Coker to the new duke. Incidental, another brother, Thomas Seymour, subsequently married Catherine Parr, sixth wife and widow of Henry VIII, and was afterwards beheaded for treason. Jane Seymour died during the birth of the future King Edward VI. He was the great-great-grandson of Elizabeth Coker Seymour.
This progenitor of one of the noblest and most powerful families on either side of the channel is simply alluded to by Wace as "li Sire de Magnevile"
The French antiquaries, whilst agreeing as to the individual present at Hastings, differ respecting the locality whence he derived his name; Mons. Le Prévost considering it to be Magneville, near Valonges, while Mons. Delisle reports that it was Mandeville le Trévières, the Norman estates of the Magnavilles, Mandevilles, or Mannevilles, as they were indifferently called, lying partly in the neighbourhood of Creulli, and the rest round Argentan, where, at a later period, they held the honour of Chamboi.
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No particular feat of arms is attributed to him by the Norman poet. He is only mentioned as one who rendered great aid in the decisive battle, and we find him in consequence rewarded with ample domains in England at the time of the great survey, amounting to one hundred and eighteen lordships in various counties, of which Walden, in Essex, was the chief seat of his descendants, who became the first Norman earls of that county in the reign of Stephen.
He was also the first Constable of the Tower of London after the Conquest, an office enjoyed by his grandson of the same name, which I mention on account of the interesting fact that, in the charter of the Empress Matilda, which confers this amongst many other honours bestowed upon him, the custody of the Tower of London is granted to him and his heirs, with the little castle there (described, in another charter as under it) which belonged to Ravenger
This charter in which she creates Geoffrey de Mandeville (grandson of the companion of the Conqueror) Earl of Essex, is stated in a marginal note in Dugdale's Baronage to be "the most ancient creation charter which hath been ever known," and, I may add, for the numberless concessions and privileges recorded in it, the most remarkable.
To return to the first Geoffrey, we learn from his charter of foundation of the Benedictine Monastery of Hurley, in Berkshire, that he was twice married. His first wife Athelaise (Adeliza) being the mother of his heir William de Mandeville, and other children not named; and his second wife, Leceline, by whom he appears to have had no issue.
Mr. Stapleton, in his annotations to the Norman Rolls of the Exchequer, suggests that Adeliza, the first wife of Geoffrey, was sister to Anna, wife of Turstain Haldub, mother of Eudo al Chapel.