William Cordell

For the politician, see William Cordell (MP).

File:William Cordell.jpg

Portrait of Sir William Cordell, by Cornelius de Zeeu, dated 1565. In the collection of St. John's College, Oxford

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

Sir William Cordell (1522–1581) was Solicitor General and Master of the Rolls during the reign of Queen Mary I and Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

Following the dissolution of the Monasteries, [Queen Mary of England] granted the manor of Long Melford to Cordell in 1554. The charter can be seen at Melford Hall today. Knighted in 1558, a member of Lincoln's Inn 1538, called to the Bar 1544, bencher 1553, reader 1554, a founding member of the Russia Company, received a grant of arms for his father in 1548 and one for himself (quartering Webb) in 1549, Solicitor General to Mary I 1553, Master of the Rolls and a member of the privy council 1557, sat in five parliaments between 1545 and 1571, Speaker of the House of Commons 1558, executor to Queen Mary I, Cardinal Pole, and Archbishop Parker, founded a hospital; the Holy Trinity at Long Melford, first visitor and supporter of the foundation of St John's College, Oxford,

By his will it is found that he left charitable bequests to Cambridge and Oxford including £20 to be distributed among the poor scholars of the universities ‘unto suche as be moste towardes in vertewe and learninge’.

Cordell married Mary Clopton (d. 1584), the daughter of Richard Clopton of Kentwell Hall in Long Melford, Suffolk, by his first wife, Margaret Bozun, daughter of Sir Richard Bozun of Barrowby, Lincolnshire, and Thomasine Dene, the daughter and heiress of James Dene. There were no issue of the marriage.

References

• J. H. Baker, ‘Cordell, Sir William (1522-1581)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 11 May 2005
• T. C., Original date of publication: 1887, © Oxford University Press 2004–5
• Yorkshire Archaeological Journal, vol. 25, pp. 1–47 (1920)
• STAFFORDSHIRE RECORD OFFICE D615/D 45 (1)1, STAFFORDSHIRE RECORD OFFICE D615/D 45 (1) 2, STAFFORDSHIRE RECORD OFFICE D615/D 45 (1) 3, STAFFORDSHIRE RECORD OFFICE D615/D 45 (1) 5, SRO D615/D48(8-24)10
• (Glover and Flower's Visitations).
• The 1567 will of HENRY SAVILE, Esq., of Lupset and Barrowby, will 5 Jan. 1568-9, proved 16 May 1569 (Reg. Test., xviii, 11 York, and Sheffield 2, P.C.C.); Inq. p. m. 7 Sept., 12 Eliz. (1570).