History of the Goggin name

This dissertation on the history of the Goggin name was kindly made available by Ciaran Goggins and should not be copied or reproduced without permission.

Our Origins

Early History of the de Cogan Family

John de Cogan gave twenty acres of land and two of mead to St.Augustine’s, Bristol, the gift being confirmed by William, Earl of Gloucester. A probable date for this would be 1149. John de Cogan married Princess Gledewis daughter of Princess Nesta Tewdwr and Gerald de Windsor. Gerald’s mother was Gladys daughter of Llewellyn King of Powys. The de Cogan’s held two knights fees in the manor of Cogan, Glamorganshire.

In 1166 it is recorded that Miles de Cogan held two fees under William, Earl of Gloucester. An early reference to the family in Glamorgan charters is to William de Cogan son of Miles who witnessed a grant to Margam Abbey, dated before 1185.

Marriage and Alliances
John de Cogan and Princess Gledewis had three sons, Miles Richard and Geoffrey.

Military Engagements and Conquests
In 1169 Miles and Richard went with their relations the de Barrys, de Carews and FitzGeralds to participate in the conquest of Ireland under Richard "Strongbow" FitzGilbert de Clare.

The author of "Expugnatio Hibernia", Gerald de Barry, wrote that Miles was "one of the first to come over and foremost amongst the brave". Of Richard he said he was "a worthy son of the same name". Both brothers distinguished themselves in the defence of Dublin in 1171. Although massively outnumbered they defeated two armies. The leader of the Viking army, Hafscull MacTurkill personally surrendered to Richard de Cogan. Richards' brother in law, Walther de Riddlesford personally slew John the Mad, a berserker. MacTurkill had tried to escape but was captured at the slob before he could get to his ship.

Miles de Cogan was recalled to England by King Henry II with two or three others. In 1111 the de Cogan brothers Miles and Richard along with a large force of Normans invaded Connaught. It was not a success and the Normans turned back to Dublin. Roderic O'Connor whose army had been one of those beaten at Dublin blinded his son for siding with the Normans. 

Besides having a son, William, Miles also had a daughter, Eleanor. She married Sir Humfrey de Valois in 1179. Their son Hamo married Nesta-Ann daughter of William le Poer.

The youngest of the de Cogan brothers, Geoffrey, is only mentioned once. He arrived in Ireland in 1180 and was killed in an affray by Fineen McCarthy, in Cork. His death was avenged by a FitzGerald.

In 1183 Miles de Cogan was travelling through Co. Waterford with his son in law by his second marriage. Both he and Ralph FitzStephen who also was his cousin stopped to rest. Whilst resting they were surprised by an Irish chief, MacTyre and five men who struck them down with axes from behind. When news of the deed reached Cork the area rose in revolt against the Normans. In order to quell this trouble King Henry personally recalled Richard de Cogan to England. Here he was given command of hand picked troops to be used in dangerous situations. 

Land Grants and Estates
King John visited Ireland in 1201 and granted to Richard the Kingdom or Desmond (Cos Cork, Kerry and Limerick), jointly with a FitzStephen for service of sixty knights. There had been no effective settlement of Normans in most of this area.

Also, in 1207, Philip de Prendergast and Richard de Cogan received extensive grants from the Crown, the former in the district between Cork and In Shannon where the important manor of “Beuver" (Beauvoir) or Carrigaline was afterwards formed, the latter in Muskerry where his descendants long held the Manor of Dundrinan and Carrigaline More. Dundrinan is to be identified with Castlemore in the Parish of Moviddy on the River Bride in East Muskerry.

1235 saw the great muster of the feudal host under Maurice FitzGerald to obtain once more the submission of Connaught. Amongst the leaders expressly named were Richard de Burgh, Hugh de Lacy, Walther de Riddlesford and John de Cogan. Also there was Gerald de PrendergaSt. All of these shared in the exploitation of Connaught and nearly all were now or later connected by marriage. John de Cogan married a daughter of Gerald de Prendergast; John was a cousin of Walther de Riddlesford.

Notable Family Members
There were three successive John de Cogans. The first was son or Richard de Cogan (Miles' brother), the second born in 1243 married Juliana daughter of Gerald FitzMaurice and died before 1216. The third came of age shortly before February 22, 128I.

John de Cogan who fought in Connaught in 1235 had four brothers, Geoffrey, Miles, Michael and William. Miles de Cogan witnessed a grant by Gerald de Prendergast his brother in law, c. 1230, to St. Thomas' Abbey. At this time one Fineen MacCarthy started to rise against the Norman invaders, especially the de Courcey family. 

Miles is said to have come to de Courceys' aid and a great defeat and overthrow was given to Fineens' people in which Fineen himself and a great number of the chiefs of Desmond were slain. By 1240 the de Cogans had penetrated into East Muskerry, the de Prendergasts were forming manors in Kinelea. A deed dated 1240 which was witnessed by John de Cogan, son of Richard, and Maurice FitzMaurice, his cousin, states that they had come of age.

John married Mary daughter of Gerald de Prendergast. Maurice Fitzmaurice married Mathilda, her younger half sister. There were disputes between these half sisters about their shares of Geralds' lands. By this marriage the estates of Carrigaline, Beauvoir and many others became de Cogan property. Richard de Cogan was buried at Carrigaline before it passed to his descendants.

In 1248 Fineen, son of Dermot MacCarthy of Dundrinan slew Geoffrey de Cogan and did great damage to the English (as the Normans were now called) until he was slain by his uncle Donnell Got MacCarthy and the de Cogans in 1250.

On October 28, 1251 and March 17, 1252, at Bennear and Douglas Co. Cork Michael de Cogan receives six carucates of land by service of ¼ knights' fee. (One carucate equalled between 600-720 acres).

John de Cogan II, head of the family in Co. Cork, took part in the Connaught campaign and obtained the southern half of the Barony of Clare. In 1252 he was granted a market and fair at his manor of Clare in Galway, as well as at Castle Mora (Ballynamona) in Desmond.

 The de Cogans also held from an early period some land in the Baronies of Leitrim and Longford, Co. Galway, where the patronages of the churches of Portumna, Lickmolassy and Muinter Maelfinnain were given before 1254 by William de Cogan to the Abbey of Dunbrody. These lands were known as Muinter Maelfinnain, O' Lomain and Cinel. Feiochin “Maysketh in Kinalegham” where John de Cogan II was also granted a fair in 1252 was probably a place in Cinel Feichin.

A medieval record shows the following; John de Cogan (II). Grant of free warden at Kinaleyelm and Thulo, 28 October 1245, and in all his lands in Ireland with markets and fairs at Ardagh, Clare, Maysketh,and More Castle, 10 December 1252. Wife is heiress of G. de Prendergast. Son aged 8 on 8 September 1251. Manors in Devon surrendered to John II heir of Maud de Balun nee Paynel, 1267. 

Maud Paynel married John de Balun. They had no issue and she appointed John de Cogan II, her cousin as her heir. She was of the same family of Faynel who married Miles de Cogan. Mile’s first wife Christina Paynel was mother of William and Eleanor already mentioned. The estates Maud owned were Bampton, Uffculme, Huntopill and. Brauton.

Conflicts and Resolutions
In 1261, FitzThomas and de Cogan suffered a crushing-defeat at the Battle of Callan, near Kenmare, Co. Kerry. The Irish, headed by the MacCarthys' decimated the Norman-English army. In the words of a ballad it made "Cogans' proud daughter a desolate wailer".

Records for Glamorgan dated 1262 show John de Cogan 11 holding two knights fees as Miles had done in II66. In 1262 the value of the estate of Cogan in Wales was estimated at £20. The name Cogan derives from a Welsh word meaning "Bowl" or "Valley”.

From Jamesons' Scottish Dictionary the word Cuachan or Coggan is given for bowl. In McLeods and Dewars Gaelic Dictionary is the following;
• Gogan, Gogain - a small wooden dish.
• Cogain, Cogan - a small drinking dish.
  Thus Gaelic and Welsh are similar in this respect.

On 6 December 1264 a quarrel broke out between Maurice FitzMaurice and Maurice FitzGerald against Walther de Burgh, Earl of Ulsterat Castledermot, Co. Kildare. Maurice FitzMaurice imprisoned Richard de la Rochelle, the Justicar Theobald Butler and John de Cogan II, confining them to the castles of Lea and Dunamase.

John II returned to England soon after but left again for Ireland on 3 March 1268. He also travelled to Ireland on 21 August 1274. John II died on 23 August 1275. His son and heir was John III born in 1243. John II was recorded in Somerset and Devon in 1273, attending no doubt to his new estates.

The Pedigree of the de Lacy family shows Nicholas son of Margaret de Lacy by' John de Verdun marrying Basilie, daughter of John Cogan II. This Nicholas de Verdun was slain in 1271.

Robert and Peter de Cogan witnessed a grant of the lands of Raynighton to the Abbey of Coldingham in Scotland in1275. After John II's death in 1275 his position as head of the family was taken by his eldest son John III who was born in 1243. John III married Juliana FitzMaurice.

It was by this marriage that the de Cogans' amassed further estates. By 1290 they already owned Carrigaline, Shandon, Douglas, Moor and Ardagh. From the FitzMaurice marriage they obtained; Adare, Croom, Urigare, Castleroberts, Athlacca and Green in Co. Limerick. In England they held Bampton, Uffculme, Huntspill and Brauton in the West Country. In Wales they had their patrimony, Cogan.

In 1282 John de Cogan son of Michael de Cogan witnessed a grant at Waterford. Cogan was also spelt "Cogham", "Cogehame" and “Chogan". 1280 saw Patrick de Cogan ask for a release of venue for ten marks. On Saturday, 20 October 1285 in Cork Patrick de Cogan asked for visne released for ten marks.

John de Cogan III died in 1216. He was succeeded by his son and heir, also John. John IV was born in 1260 and married Johanna FitzGerald. Before John IV was sixteen his first son John V was born. However, John V lived only a few years and died in Ireland on 13 November 1279. The next eldest son, Thomas, born in 1276 was to become the ancestor of the English Cogans and Coggans.

John IV attended the Shrewsbury Parliament of 1283 and fought in the Welsh wars. In 1290 John IV founded the Franciscan friary at Claregalway. In 1293, John FitzThomas obtained a quit claim from Julian, the widow of John de Cogan III. The FitzGerald lands in Connaugnt consisted of the Baronies of Corran, Lene and Carbury in Co. Sligo and Kilmaine in Mayo. The quit claim meant that the de Cogans could not pursue a claim to the estates.

Legacy and Influence
During the 1290s' John de Cogan IV did homage for his lands to King Edward I. Also at this time the freeholder of Castlebar Co Mayo was a de Cogan. The freehold passed to the de Barrys in 1333. The close of the thirteenth century saw Robert de Cogan made Count of Berwick. In 1296 he held Berwick castle whilst it was besieged by the Soots, unti1 the English arrived. (His great great grandfather Gerald de Windsor also held a beseiged castle against the Welsh).

John IVs' lands in Somerset and Devon were valued at £20 in 1297. By 1300 this figure had doubled to £ 40. His son and heir, Thomas de Cogan was accused of assault at Hackpen Devon on 17, January 1299. He was overlord of an inquest at Burnham Manor on 22 Ootober,1300. John IV died on 26,April 1302.

Thomas de Cogan married Pernell and their son Richard was born in 1299. In 1302 Edward I decided to record all the names of knights in his realm liable for military service against the Scots. Thus on 23 February 1302 the names of John de Cogan(IV), Geoffrey and Henry de Cogan (his brothers) and David FritzJohn de Cogan one of his sons were recorded at Morpeth, Northumberland.

It was in the early fourteenth century that the split in the de Cogan famil occurred. Thomas the elder son received estates in England. His younger brother David took all the land in Ireland. Before John IV died he is recorded as having a coat of arms; Lozengy, argent and gules. His son Thomas used Gules, three lozenges argent.