Sir Clement Cottrell-Dormer (1686–1758) was an English courtier and antiquary.

Biography

Cottrell was born in Westminster, Middlesex, England on 2 April 1686. He was the son of Sir Charles Lodowick Cotterell (1654–1710), and his first wife Eliza, daughter of Nicholas Burwell of

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and Wale ...

. On his father's death Cottrell became

Master of the Ceremonies The office of Master of the Ceremonies was established by King James VI and I. The Master's duties were to receive foreign dignitaries and present them to the monarch at court. Below is a list of known holders until the replacement of the office ...

. The office of Master of the Ceremonies at the British court had been established by

James I of England James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and King of Ireland, Ireland as James I from the Union of the Crowns, union of the Scottish and Eng ...

in 1603. The Master's duties were to receive foreign dignitaries and present them to the monarch at court. Sir Clement held that office from 1710 until 1758, during the reigns of Queen Anne, King George I and King George II. He was also vice-president of the Society of Antiquaries. In 1734 he was described by Hearne as "a scholar and an antiquary, and well skill'd in matters of proceeding and ceremony". On the death of his cousin, General

James Dormer James Dormer (1679–1741) was a British Army officer, a lieutenant-general, and colonel of the 1st troop of Horse Grenadier Guards Life The son of Robert Dormer (1628?–1689) of Dorton, Buckinghamshire, and his second wife, Anne, daughter o ...

in 1741, Cottrell inherited the Rousham estates and assumed the additional surname of Dormer by a private Act of Parliament. Cottrell died in Rousham, Oxfordshire, England on 13 October 1758.

Family

Cottrell married Bridget Sherborne (1696–1731)—only daughter and heir of Davenant and Mary Sherborne of Pembridge, Herefordshire—on 14 April 1716. They had two sons and five daughters who reached maturity: *Charles (1720–1779), who followed in the family footsteps and became master of the ceremonies. *Robert (died 1744), became a marine, perished at sea, and predeceased his father. *Mary (died 1753), predeceased her father. *Bridget (1719–1801), their second daughter became a maid of honour to

Princess Anne Anne, Princess Royal (Anne Elizabeth Alice Louise; born 15 August 1950), is a member of the British royal family. She is the second child and only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, and the only sister of K ...

. Sir Clement's son, Sir Charles Cottrell-Dormer, who died in 1779, and grandson, Sir Clement Cottrell-Dormer, who died in 1808, each became Master of the Ceremonies. In 1900 the family was represented by C. Cottrell Dormer, and in his library contained a valuable collection of letters and papers relating to Sir

Charles Cotterell Sir Charles Cotterell (7 April 1615 – 7 June 1701), was an English courtier and translator knighted in 1644, after his appointment as master of ceremonies to the court of King Charles I in 1641, a post he held until the execution of Charles ...

, Sir Charles Lodowick, and Sir Clement Cotterell. cites ''Hist. MSS. Comm.'' 2nd Rep. 82–3.

Notes

References

* Attribution * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cottrell, Clement English courtiers 1686 births 1758 deaths Cotterell family Court of Anne, Queen of Great Britain Court of George I of Great Britain Court of George II of Great Britain