From Northampton County Court Records 1657-1664
28 April 1662 - Deposition of Thomas Cottingham aged 22
That being at ye Bayside neere Mr Selbys house Thomas An- called to your deponent to come and share a pipe and ye said Selby demanded of Dorman Mahowen being there in your deponents company asked what Mrs Stringer would doe with her calfe for it had not sucked since it came over ( goes on to talk about a cow and an agreement about it). --- This is the source of the date of Thomas's birth

From Accomack County Court Order Abstracts 1663-1666
16 July 1663 - Complaint was made by Robert Brace against his servant Thomas Cottingham for his stubborness and swearing. Upon Cottingham's confession and promise of better behavior, punishment was remitted. Ordered that the next time he was heard swearing, he was to have twenty-one lashes on his naked shoulders and punishment for his former offense.--- This is the way I knew he had been indentured

From List of Tithables 1664 Northampton County Virginia
Thomas Cottingham is listed in the household of George West with Daniel Woodgave

from Judicial Proceedings of Somerset County 1663-1668
11 Jan. 1665/66 - Thomas Cottingham plantiff: John Roads defendant Att a courte held att Thomas Pooles in Manokin ye defendant John Roads (did) joyne with ye said Cottingham in ye (hire) of a boate of Ambrose Dickson they did (agree) to pay 10 lbs of tobacco a day so long as they did make use of the said boate which was 20 days and ye said Roads was to pay 2/3 part of hire of the boate Roads shall pay to ye plantiff Cottingham by summe of 132 lbs of tobacco (This is the first mention of him in Somerset County)

from Land Records of Somerset County 1665-1668
William Planner and wife Rebecca to Thomas Cottingham of ye Shore, Smith, for 1400 lbs of tobacco sells Planners Adventure in Enemessex (Annamessex) by patent 20 July 1665 by land of Steven Horsey surveyed for 100 (acres) more or less entered 23 July 1666 between Jan. and April 1666 Cottingham patented 300 acres Vulcans Vineyard - the name is a reference to his trade of blacksmith

8 July he married Mary Dixon, as he bought Planner's land 2 weeks later it's not unlikely he used his wife's dowery to do that.He appears a few more times in the court record as being on a jury, witnessing an agreement, sueing someone for debt. He died by Aug. 1688 when his inventory was taken.

Inventory
Thomas Cottingham August 28, 1688
Mattapany Hundred, Olde Somerset County, Maryland
appraisers: John West and Samuell Horsey
In the Hall:
Cottingham's bed and furniture...................1.10.0
small bed and furniture................................0.15.0
1 chest coat and hatt...................................0.17.0
1 wastecoat shirt, hatt and a little wool.......0. 3.0
3 lbs. of powder and 5 lbs. of shott.............0. 4.3
1 payer of old pistolls...................................0. 3.0
1 chest with old iron and tools....................0.10.0
1 deske and cross cut saw.........................0. 4.0
2 old chests..................................................0. 2.0
3 guns..........................................................1.10.0
1 parcell small combs.................................0. 2.0
1 pott and chaine.........................................0. 6.0
1 old brass kettell........................................0. 2.0
1 box iron and looking glass......................0. 4.0
1 old sword..................................................0. 1.6
1 old table....................................................0. 2.0
1 parcell Hilliards and reap h....................0. 5.3
1 servant boy..............................................8. 0.0
In the Room Adjoyning:
1 old block bed and blanket......................0. 3.0
2 trayes and 2 sissers................................0. 2.0
1 chamberr pott and piece of pewter dish.....0. 2.0
2 spinning wheels.......................................0. 6.0
1 parcell of old caske................................0. 1.6
1 bottle and 10 trenchers..........................0. 0.3
In the Milke House:
1 ketle.........................................................0. 2.0
1 jarr with oyle in........................................0. 2.0
5 home bottles..........................................0. 0.10
1 old churn and tub....................................0. 0.6
In the Kitchen:
2 small iron potts 1 small ketle..............0. 8.0
1 spitt and frying pann............................0. 1.6
2 sadels and 2 bridles...........................0. 7.0
1 old spinning wheel..............................0. 2.0
6 spoons, 1 forke, 2 bowles, 7 trenchers......0. 1.6
1 hand mill.....................................0.10.0
1 dripping pan...............................0. 2.6
1 hatchet.......................................0. 0.4
In the Loft:
1 small bed and furniture..........0.10.0
1 heele.........................................0. 1.0
4 welding howes........................0. 3.0
1 old broad ax and frow............0. 2.6
3 falling axes, 1 wedge.............0. 3.8
10 lbs. of old iron.......................0. 1.6
1 joynt piscor broad ax, and croo..........0. 1.6
1 chest........................................0. 1.0
1 pair(?) compasses.................0. 1.0
1 parcell of wool........................0. 1.0
In the Forge:
1 vyco(?) 2 anvills and tooles.....1.10.0
3 wedges......................................0. 2.0
1 adices drawing knife and chisell.....0. 4.0
1 ax and 1 hoe..............................0. 1.6
1 plow............................................0. 7.0
1 weeding.....................................0. 3.0
Brought from the other side:
1 grindstone................................0. 3.0
2 old augers.................................0. 2.0
2 barrolls with feathers in............0. 6.0
1 hide............................................0. 2.0
17 sheep at 10 shillings..........8.10.0
9 cowes and calves.................18. 0.0
3 cowes and yearlings..............6.15.0
20 head of other cattle............27.15.0
2 horses and 2 mares..............10. 0.0
1 young horse and 1 colt...........3. 0.0
1 parcell of hoggs.....................2. 0.0
1 cart and wheels.................... 0.12.0
Total...............................98.11.1

From Judicial Records 1690-1691
Jan. 1690/91 capias agst Richard Rugg and Mary his wife administrix of Thomas Cottingham, dec'd (This would seem to indicate his wdow had remarried)

From Judicial Records 1696-1698
Aug. 13, 1696 - Petition of George Hey and Langland Goddard - The Petitioners having marryed the daughters of Thomas Cottingham deceased which said Cottingham dying Intestate his personall Estate by means thereof is become lyable to a Dividend Captain William Coulbourne and Mr Isaac Horsey to see this executed (Cottingham's daughters have married and are now due their share of their father's estate by law. The implication is that whoever controls it, probably their step-father, has been refusing to pay out their inheritance.)

These are Thomas and Mary COTTINGHAM's children.
1. Mary COTTINGHAM born 30 Aug. 1668, married (c1688) Furbury Rugg, she died c1750
2. Thomas COTTINGHAM born 13 July, 1670, died young
3. Sarah COTTINGHAM born 31 Aug. 1673, married #1 George Hey, #2 Randall Long
4. Charles COTTINGHAM born 1 Aug. 1676, married Anne Broughton, died 1753
5. John COTTINGHAM born 15 Sept. 1678, married Mary Conner, died 1723/24
6. Esther COTTINGHAM born 25 Apr. 1681, married Job Shary
7. Jonathan COTTINGHAM born 1683, married Margaret Cox, died 1762 in Worcester Co.
8. unknown daughter who married Langland Goddard

The unknown daughter of Mary and Thomas COTTINGHAM is based on a court record. It is dated August 13, 1696 (From Judicial Records 1696-1698). This date is 8 years after the death of Thomas which occurred in 1688. His widow has remarried to a man named Richard Rugg (probably father of Furbury Rugg, but that's another story). Two of Thomas's daughters have married but have evidently not been given their legal share of their father's estate. The court document is a petition to have impartial men see that this is done. The petitioners are George Hey, who was the first husband of my ancestor Sarah COTTINGHAM, and Langland Goddard who has married one of her sisters. As all the named COTTINGHAM daughters' husbands are known, Langland Goddard must have married a daughter we don't have the name of - or, it's possible he is the first husband of one of the other daughters.

Here is what it says:
Petition of George Hey and Langland Goddard; The Petitioners having marryed the daughters of Thomas Cottingham deceased which said Cottingham dying Intestate (that means without a will)his personall Estate by means thereof is become lyable to a Dividend Capt. William Coulbourn and Mr Isaac Horsey to see this executed As to there not being parish records of all of the births of the COTTINGHAM children - for many years there were no churches in Somerset County. From time to time an itinerant preacher would come through and baptize all of the children that had been born since the last time through. However, notice of this did not always reach every family in time, nor were all the settlers from the same denomination. Quakers and many other dissenters did not believe in baptism, and Church of England and Presbyterians would not have had a minister from the other faith perform the ceremony. Also not all records have survived. Most marriages were performed by Justices in the early days, or sometimes performed after the fact when a preacher came through.

The Boston Family in Maryland by Matthew Wise, pp. 380-381.
This is a really excellent book which is strongly recommend for people who are researching family in Old Somerset.
Matthew Wise has the following children listed for Thomas and Mary (Dixon) Cottinham:
1. Mary, b. 30 Aug. 1668; d. c1750; mar. (c1688) Furbury Rugg. By his will signed
    8 Apr. 1702 Rugg bequeathed to daughter Mary all land "when her mother dies"; if
    Mary should have no heirs, the land was to go to Jonathan Cottingham [his wife
    Mary's youngest brother] and to Ann Hey (daughter of George Hey) [his wife's neice]
2. Thomas, b. 13 July 1670; d. young
3. Sarah, b. 31 Aug. 1673; d. 1745/48; mar. 1st George Hey; 2nd Randall Long
4. Charles, b. 1 Aug. 1676; d. by 22 Aug. 1753; mar. 1st Sarah who apparently died soon
    after; mar. 2nd (shortly before 16 Sept. 1708) Anne Broughton, daughter of John and
    Elizabeth (Bradshaw) Broughton, b. 5 Nov. 1686; living 24 Jan. 1761.
5. John, b. 15 Sept. 1678; d. by 5 Feb. 1723/24; mar. Mary Conner
6. Esther, b. 25 Apr. 1681, about 12 noon, mar. ?Job Shary
7. Jonathan, b. 1683; d. by 4 June 1762; mar. Margaret Cox Mr. Wise goes on to say in
    his appendix III - Jonathan Cottingham, b. 1683; d. Worcester Co. MD by 4 June 1762;
    mar. Margaret Cox (1685-1769). His age and relationship to the family is established by a
   deposition of 10 Aug. 1745 concerning the bounds of "Vulcan's Vineyard": he gave his
   age as 62 and mentioned his brother John Cottingham. In his will henamed widow
   Margaret, sons William, Charles (land in Kent Co. Del.), Daniel, Jonathan, Elisha, and
   Thomas; daughters Sarah Laws, Mary Nicholson (Worc. Wills JW 3:49)

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