William Cotton was brought up in Finchley, Middlesex. He was the eldest son of John Cotton, a Citizen of the City of London by his wife Pery Cheyne. John Cotton was the third son of Richard Cotton of Hamstall Ridware in Staffordshire, descended from William Cotton lord of the manor of Cotton in Cheshire, by his wife Agnes de Ridware, daughter and heiress of Walter de Ridware, lord of the manor of Hamstall Ridware. The junior branch of the Cotton family descended from Agnes de Ridware adopted the armorials of Ridware in lieu of their paternal arms of Cotton, which junior branch included Sir Robert Cotton, 1st Baronet of Conington in Huntingdonshire, founder of the Cottonian Library. The senior branch, of which Bishop Cotton was a member, retained the ancient arms of Cotton , as is visible on the monuments in Exeter Cathedral to Bishop William Cotton himself and on that of his grandson Edward Cotton, Treasurer of Exeter Cathedral.
Career
He graduated M.A. at Queens' College, Cambridge in 1575. He was Archdeacon of Lewes, in Sussex, from 1578 to 1598, when he became Bishop of Exeter. He was confrontational in his relationship with the Puritans of his diocese. He objected strongly to the nomination of John Hazard as Bodley lecturer. Cotton suspected Hazard of "false doctrine", of intrusion into congregations that already had preachers, and association with John Traske, the seventh-day Sabbatarian, which Hazard denied. George Abbot, Archbishop of Canterbury, had licensed Hazard to preach, but Cotton was not satisfied with that.
Marriage and children
He married Mary Hulme, a daughter of Thomas Hulme of Cheshire and widow of William Cutler, a Citizen of the City of London. By his wife he had children as follows:
William Cotton, eldest son and heir, Rector of Silverton, Archdeacon of Totnes, and Precentor of Exeter Cathedral, all in Devon. He married Elizabeth Hender, a daughter and co-heiress of John Hender of Botreaux Castle, Cornwall.
Edward Cotton, Rector of Shobrooke and Archdeacon of Totnes, both in Devon. He married Margaret Bruton daughter of William Bruton of Heavitree, near Exeter. His monument survives in Shobrooke Church.
Judith Cotton, wife firstly of Freeman Page of Finchley in Middlesex, secondly of Roger Coniers of Finchley, Hertfordshire.
Death and burial
He died on 6 August 1621 and was buried in Exeter Cathedral where his fine monument with recumbent effigy survives.
