George Coke

George Coke
Hereford Cathedral today (2008)
Born	3 October 1570 Longford, Derbyshire
Died	1646 Quedgeley, Gloucestershire or Eardisley, Herefordshire
Education	St John's College, Cambridge
Occupation	Clergyman
Spouse(s)	Jane Heigham
Children	five sons
Parent(s)	Richard and Mary Coke

George Coke (or Cooke) (3 October 1570 – 10 December 1646) was successively the Bishop of Bristol and Hereford. After the battle of Naseby in 1645, Hereford was taken and Coke was arrested and taken to London. He avoided charges of High Treason in January 1646 and died in Gloucestershire that year.

Coke was the son of Richard and Mary Coke of Trusley, Derbyshire. His mother was the heiress of Thomas Sacheverell of Kirkby-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, and his brother was to become Sir John Coke, Secretary of State.

Coke was educated at St John's College, Cambridge. He took his BA in 1593 and proceeded MA 1596. He then obtained a fellowship at Pembroke College in 1597, became a lecturer in rhetoric in 1602 and in 1605 he was Junior Taxor of the university. He was ordained both deacon and priest on 30 November 1602 by the Bishop of Ely. In 1608 he became the rector of Bygrave in Hertfordshire, which was then described as "a lean village (consisting of but three houses) maketh a fat living", as it provided a considerable income of almost £300 a year. Coke resigned his fellowship in late 1609, and by 9 January 1610 he had married Jane Heigham, and they had five sons: Richard, John and William all entered the church and had associations with Herefordshire. Their fourth son, Thomas, died young, while the last, Robert, was "killed in action in Newport".

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