Coat of Arms
 
Coker, or De Mandeville, from castle and barony of Manneville or Magneville, in Contentin. 
This family is said to be a branch of the Bertrams, Barons of Briquebec. Geoffry de Manndeville came 1066 
to England, and received a great barony in Esses. William, ancestor of the De Mandevilles, Earls of Esses; 
Stephen, father of Roger de Mandeville, Castellan of Exeter, ancestor of the Mandevilles of Devon and Normandy.
Geoffry de Mandeville, who had grants in Barony from Henry I, of which Mersewod, Dorset, was the head. 
His barony consisted of 15 knights fees, but Stephen the greater part was confiscated and given to De Tilly;
and Georrfy de Mandeville, who returned his barony 1165 as only one fee, proceeded by law for the recovery 
of the remainder. William de Mandeville of Dorset and Somerset, was engaged in the same suit. 
In 1203 William Mandeville of Coker, Somerset, paid scutage for that lordship. He obtained the barony of Mersewood.
In 1205 Robert de Mandeville, probably brother of William claimed Coker against him, and obtained possesion 
(Collinson, Somerset). Sir John de Mandeville was Lord of Coker 1275, and had Robert de Mandeville, whose sister
and heir sold Coker to the Courtenays. Robert de Coker, brother of Sir John, witnessed a charter of Robert de Mandeville
regarding Coker. His descendants long held Coker. The arms varied slightly from those of Mandeville 
(three lions in pale, a bend), being a bend, charged with three lions' or leopards' heads.
 
From the writings of Dr Robert E Coker in the 1940's
 
 
CONNECTION OF PLACE AND FAMILY NAME
 
De Mandevilles are of special interest in this connection. They were owners of East Coker 
and 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)m 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 (1236) and many others. Gerold de Cocre was a witnes with
Geoffrey de Mandeville IV on a deed to the priory of Montecute, between 1269 and 1284. 
 
At the time of publication in 1894, Batten was uncertain as to the connection given by Hutchins 
between Cokers of Coker and those of Worle, undoubted ancestors of the Mapowder Cokers; he thought it
would be a very important genealogical fact if it could be established. batten suggest that the Cokers 
must have been descended from Geoffrey de Mandeville (Geoffrey de Cocre). The land ownership 
of Robert de Cocre, named above as of 1236. In both Coker and Marshwood (also de Mandeville lands), 
he thought, strengthens that probability.
 
Actually, the present genealogical chart, "Coker of Mapowder and Bicester," and Burke begins with 
Robert de Cocre, a witness to a charter of Robert de Mandeville in 1272, which would be a generation 
or two later than the Robert de Cocre of 1236, mentioned above from Batten. Doubtless this is because that 
is where John Coker began his genealogical charts in his SURVEY OF THE COUNTY OF DORSET published about 1570,
the chart reporoduced by Hutchins (1774 circa). The further succession to the present time is found 
in the chart first mentioned. 
 
At first, I assumed that the "Coker Manor" of the chart would not have been that of East Coker, know to 
have been a de Mandeville possession iin the early period. That objection loses validity, however, 
if "de Cocre" in Englnad was in some lines a substitute for the Norman-French "de Mandeville." 
Both were place names, one in Normandy, one in England, the new home. But Hutton says that the "Venerable" Nash House
at North Coker is the original Coker Manor.

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The Coker means red Clay named after the Castle Coker in Somerset England in the 10th century which

belonged to the Earl of MANDERVILLE family, who in fact was NORMAN and fought with William the Conquer in

the BATTLE OF ABBY. One ROBERT de MANDERVILLE changed his name to ROBERT de COKER about 1275.

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There is more than one possible explanation for the origin of the English surname Coker. In the first instance,

the name is of local origin, belonging as it does to that category of names which are descriptive of the place where he

original bearer once lived or held land. In this case, the name is derived from the place name Coker, the name of two

parishes in the English county of Somerset. The exact origin of the name itself is unclear, although it has been suggested

that the name may denote "(crooked?) river".

Early records of this name date from the 13th century. The Hundred Rolls for Somerset in 1273 list the names of

one Thomas Coker of that county, and Adam Coker of Essex. "Kirby's Quest", compiled during the reign of Edward III (1327-77),

also contains a reference to a certain John De Coker (meaning, literally "of/from Coker"; early forms were often prefixed with "de").

Alternatively, the name may possibly be a variant of (if not simply confused with) the English surname Cocker. This origin of

the name can be traced to two Different sources. On the one hand, it may be a derivative of the Riddle English "cocken", meaning "to fight".

The name was probably a nickname attributed to a fighter, wrangler. On the other hand, the name may be occupational in origin (

based on the type of work a man once did), derived from the Middle English "coke", which signifies "to put up hay in cocks",

a haymaker. The first record of this name Dates from 1198 when one Henry Cokere was recorded in the Pipe Rolls for Kent.

The name was established in the New World at an early date. The original ships lists record the passage to New England

on 24th March, 1633, of one Robert Coker, one of many English emigrants aboard the "John and Mary of London".

*** BLAZON OF ARMS : Argent, on a bend gules three leopards' faces or. CREST : A moor's head, couped at the shoulders,

fulfaced proper, wreathed about the temples.