He published from 1822 to 1829: 1. ‘Plans, Elevations, Sections, Details, and Views, with Mouldings, full size, of the Chapel of King Henry VII at Westminster Abbey,’ and also a second volume containing details of the interior of the same. 2. ‘Plans, Elevations, Sections, and Details at large of Westminster Hall.’ 3. ‘The Smith and Founder's Directory, containing a series of Designs and Patterns for Ornamental Iron and Brass Work.’ 4. ‘Working Drawings for Gothic Ornaments, selected and composed from the best examples, consisting of capitals, bases, cornices, &c.’ These drawings, though rather coarsely executed, are interesting, as being perhaps the first full-size illustrations of mediæval carving published in this form. 5. ‘Grecian and Roman Architecture, in twenty-four large folio plates.’ Cottingham did a great deal to promote the revival of mediæval Gothic architecture, but, as an architect, is now esteemed more for his draughtsmanship than the works that he carried out; in the latter his enthusiasm for the Gothic revival frequently overcame his discretion in handling the buildings entrusted to his care. He died in Waterloo Bridge Road, after a long illness, 13 Oct. 1847, and was buried at Croydon. He married in 1822 Sophia, second daughter of Robert Turner Cotton of Finsbury, by whom he left two sons and one daughter. The elder son, Nockalls Johnson Cottingham (1823–1854), also became an architect, and assisted his father, especially in the restoration of Hereford Cathedral, where the reredos is executed from his designs. He showed some skill also in designing for stained glass. After a rather chequered career he perished in 1854 on his way to New York in the wreck of the ‘Arctic’ at the early age of thirty-one.
[Redgrave's Dict. of Artists; Graves's Dict. of Artists, 1760–1880; Gent. Mag. (1847) pp. 648–50; Builder, 23 Oct. 1847 and 2 Dec. 1856; Athenæum, 16 Oct. 1847; Ipswich Journal, 23 Oct. 1847; Art Union, 1847; Ward's Men of the Reign; Lowndes's Bibl. Man.; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
COTTINGTON, FRANCIS, Lord Cottington (1578?–1652), born about 1578, was the fourth son of Philip Cottington of Godmonston (Collins, Peerage, ix. 481), near Bruton in Somersetshire. His mother, according to the pedigree in Hoare (Modern Wiltshire, Hundred of Dunworth, 21), was Jane, daughter of Thomas Biflete. Clarendon, however, says ‘his mother was a Stafford, nearly allied to Sir Edward Stafford, who was vice-chamberlain to Queen Elizabeth, and had been ambassador to France; by whom Francis Cottington was brought up, and was gentleman of his horse, and left one of the executors of his will, and by him recommended by Sir Robert Cecil, then principal secretary of state, who preferred him to Sir Charles Cornwallis when he went ambassador to Spain in the beginning of the reign of King James’ (Rebellion, xiii. 30). When Cornwallis was recalled, Cottington acted for a time as English agent (1609–11), and was appointed English consul at Seville (January 1612, Gardiner, History of England, ii. 134, 151). On his return to England he was appointed one of the clerks of the council (September 1613, Court and Times of James I, i. 273). While holding this position he was employed by Somerset, Lake, and the Spanish party in the king's council to urge Gondomar to press forward the proposal for a Spanish marriage in opposition to the treaty for the marriage of Prince Charles to a French princess then in progress (January 1614, Narrative of the Spanish Marriage Treaty, Camd. Soc. 111). In 1616 Digby was recalled from Spain, and Cottington for a time took his place. Through him King James made to the Spanish court his offer of mediation in the Bohemian quarrel (September 1618, Relations between England and Germany, Camd. Soc. 10, 19, 26). On his return, Cottington's knowledge of Spanish affairs made him continually in request with the king, and he was also, in October 1622, sworn secretary to the Prince of Wales (Court and Times of James I, ii. 352). On 16 Feb. 1623 he was knighted, and created a baronet. He was M.P. for Camelford 1624, for Bossiney 1625, and for Saltash 1628. When Prince Charles resolved to go in person to Spain, Cottington was one of the first persons consulted, and communicated to Clarendon a lively description of the scene between himself, Buckingham, and the king (Clarendon, i. 30). In spite of his expressed disapproval of the plan, Cottington was charged to accompany the prince, and took part in the negotiations at Madrid which followed. On his return he was disgraced, deprived of his office and emoluments, and forbidden to appear at court. Buckingham had not forgiven his original opposition to the journey, to which he had lately added the fault of protesting his belief that the restoration of the Palatinate was still to be hoped for from the Spanish ministers (Gardiner, History of England, v. 321). Buckingham therefore openly announced to Cottington that he would do all he could to ruin him, to which Cottington replied by requesting the return of a set of hangings, worth 800l., which he had presented to the duke in hope of his future favour (Clarendon, i. 67). After the duke's death
