William Cordell

Sir William Cordell (about 1522 – 17 May 1581) of Melford Hall in the parish of Long Melford, Suffolk, was an English lawyer, landowner, administrator and politician who held high offices under both the Catholic Queen Mary I and the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I.

Early life

Born about 1522, he was the eldest son of John Cordell (died 1553), from Edmonton in Middlesex, and his wife Emma (died 1554), daughter of Henry Webb who lived at Kimbolton in Huntingdonshire. His younger brother Edward also became a lawyer and politician. His father was principal aide to Sir William Clopton (died 1531), an influential lawyer at Lincoln's Inn and owner of Kentwell Hall at Long Melford in Suffolk. Probably brought up in the Clopton household, at age 16 he was sent to study law at Lincoln's Inn, being called to the bar very young in 1544.

Career He advanced rapidly in both law and politics, acquiring important clients and entering Parliament. He sat for Dunheved in 1545 and 1547, Steyning in March 1553, Suffolk in 1558, Middlesex in 1563 and Westminster in 1571. As well as sitting in the House of Commons, he also held legal posts in the House of Lords. Queen Elizabeth did not include him in her Privy Council but he continued as Master of the Rolls until his death. Completed in 1559, he entertained Queen Elizabeth lavishly there in 1578. Through her he acquired lands in Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. None of their children survived and his estate passed to his sister Jane (died 1604), who had married Richard Alington.

By 1643 Melford Hall was in the hands of Robert Cordell, first of the Cordell baronets, great-grandson of William's uncle Robert Cordell (died 1548), a brewer in the City of London, and his wife Margaret Hodge.