William Cordell

For the politician, seeWilliam Cordell (MP).

The Right Honourable Sir William Cordell
Monument and effigy of Sir William Cordell, Long Melford Church, Suffolk
Speaker of the House of Commons
In office 1558–1559
Monarchs	Mary I Elizabeth I
Preceded by	Clement Higham
Succeeded by	Thomas Gargrave
Personal details
Born	about 1522
Died	1581 City of London
Nationality	English
Spouse	Mary Clopton
Relations	no children
Residence(s)	Melford Hall,Long Melford,Suffolk
Profession	Barrister

Sir William Cordell(about 1522 – 17 May 1581) ofMelford Hallin the parish ofLong Melford,Suffolk,was anEnglishlawyer, landowner, administrator and politician who held high offices under both theCatholicQueen Mary Iand theProtestantQueen Elizabeth I.

Early life

Arms of Sir William Cordell, stained glass window inLincoln's Inn

Born about 1522, he was the eldest son of John Cordell (died 1553), fromEdmontoninMiddlesex,and his wife Emma (died 1554), daughter of Henry Webb who lived atKimboltoninHuntingdonshire.His younger brother Edward also became a lawyer and politician. His father was principal aide to Sir William Clopton (died 1531), an influential lawyer atLincoln's Innand owner ofKentwell HallatLong MelfordinSuffolk.Probably brought up in the Clopton household, at age 16 he was sent to study law at Lincoln's Inn, beingcalled to the barvery young in 1544.

Career

He advanced rapidly in both law and politics, acquiring important clients and entering Parliament. He sat forDunhevedin 1545 and 1547,Steyningin March 1553,Suffolkin 1558,Middlesexin 1563 andWestminsterin 1571.As well as sitting in theHouse of Commons,he also held legal posts in theHouse of Lords.

In 1548 he obtained a grant of arms for his father and in 1549 one for himself, quartering Cordell with his mother's Webb. In 1553 he was appointedSolicitor General,a position he held until 1557 when he becameMaster of the Rollsand a member of thePrivy Council.In 1554 he was appointed to thecommission of the peacefor the counties ofEssexand Suffolk, adding Middlesex in 1561 and sitting on all for life.In 1555 he was a founder member of theRussia Companyand a supporter of the foundation ofSt John's College, Oxford,of which he was appointed firstVisitor.In 1558 he was electedSpeaker of the House of Commonsandknighted.In that year he wasexecutorto Queen Mary and toCardinal Poleand later, in 1575, toArchbishop Parker.Queen Elizabeth did not include him in her Privy Council but he continued as Master of the Rolls until his death.

In 1554 he had bought the manor of Long Melford and other lands, formerly owned byBury St Edmunds Abbey,from the crown and started buildingMelford Hall.Completed in 1559, he entertained Queen Elizabeth lavishly there in 1578.

He died at his official residence inChancery Laneon 17 May 1581 and was buried inHoly Trinity Churchat Long Melford, where his monument stands.At Long Melford he founded the Hospital of the Holy Trinity and in his will left charitable bequests to bothCambridge University,where he may have studied when young, andOxford University,including £20 to be distributed among the poor scholars of the two universities ‘'unto suche as be moste towardes in vertewe and learninge'’.

The Hospital of the Holy and Blessed Trinity at Long Melford established in 1573 by Sir William Cordell as an almshouse for 12 aged men and a warden and still serving its original purpose, though now accepting single women and married couples.

Family

His wife was Mary (died 1584), granddaughter of his father's employer Sir William Clopton and daughter of Richard Clopton by his first wife, Margaret, daughter of Sir Richard Bozun ofBarrowbyinLincolnshireand his wife Thomasine, daughter and heiress of James Dene.Through her he acquired lands in Lincolnshire andYorkshire.None of their children survived and his estate passed to his sister Jane (died 1604), who had married Richard Alington.

By 1643 Melford Hall was in the hands ofRobert Cordell,first of theCordell baronets,great-grandson of William's uncle Robert Cordell (died 1548), a brewer in theCity of London,and his wife Margaret Hodge.