Forms: 5–6 cokkett, 5–9 cocquet, 6 coket, cokquet, 7 coquett, 8 cockett, 9 coquet, 6– cocket. [In Anglo-Fr. cokkette, Anglo-Lat. coketa, -um: origin obscure.
A recent suggestion is that the name originated in the words quo quietus est, ‘by which he is quit,’ with which the Customer’s receipt concluded. (S. Dowell, Hist. Taxation in Eng. (1878), I. 171.) It is by no means clear whether the name originally belonged to the document, or to the seal which gave it validity.]
1. Hist. A seal belonging to the King’s Custom House. Also applied to other seals used to seal permits.
1293. Rolls of Parlt., II. 138 b. Omnes homines venientes cum lanis … sine signo quod vocatur Coket.
1298. Memoranda Excheq. 26 Edw. I., in Madox, Hist. Excheq., I. 782. Quod illam partem sigilli Regis quod vocatur Coket, et quod Rex ad dictam custumam deputari fecit in portu predicto [viz. Novum Castrum super Tynam].
1419. Liber Albus (Record ed.), xvi. 45. Et adonqes le Maire delivera le Coket a celuy Viscount qil avera mesmes chosez, et les recordes a Chambirleyn [transl. And then the Mayor shall deliver the Cocket to such Sheriff as he himself shall have chosen, and the records to the Chamberlain for safe custody].
1607. Cowell, Interpr., Cocket is a seale appertaining to the king’s custome house.
1834. H. Miller, Scenes & Leg., iv. (1857), 48. An ancient customhouse seal or cocket.
b. Hence † Clerk of the Cocket, in Scotland.
c. 1350. Act David II. of Scotl., c. 39 (Du Cange). Et sit ibi Clericus ad tronam, qui … potest conuenienter esse Clericus Coketæ Regis.
1609. Skene, Reg. Maj., Act David II., 44. The clerk of the cocquet, sall controll beath the custumars, and the Tronaris.
2. A document sealed by the officers of the custom-house, and delivered to merchants as a certificate that their merchandise has been duly entered and has paid duty. (Now disused.)
1393. Acts of Scotl., I. 581 a. Quod habeant duo folia cokete ad custumandum lanas suas.
1434. Act 13 Hen. VI., c. 16. Les custumers dez ditz portes deins le Roialme ensealent blankes escrowes en parchemyn appellez blankes Cokkettez [transl. ed. 1587 blanke scrowes in parchmint called blanke cokets].
1488. Sc. Acts Jas. IV. (1597), § 3. That the saidis strangers … there pay their dewties and customes and take their cocquet as effeiris.
1512. Instruct. Admiral, in Rymer Fœdera (1710), XIII. 331. Examyn their Mynuments, Indentures, Wrytings and Cokketts.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong, Vn Buletin, pour estre franc du port, a bill, a cocket.
1582–8. Hist. Jas. VI. (1804), 110. All and quhatsumeuer shipps of Scotland that were not fortified be the Queene of Scotland’s coquett.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 194. Commodities brought in, which haue payed Custome … may bee shipped out againe by Cocket, without paying any more Custome.
1708. J. Chamberlayne, St. Gt. Brit., II. III. (1743), 69. Officers of the Port of London. Register of the Certificate Coquets.
1802. Naval Chron., VIII. 416. Mr. Whitmore produced the cockets from the cocket office.
1842. Sir J. A. Park, Law Marine Insur. (ed. 8), II. xviii. 693. That a ship is not ready for sea, till she has got her customhouse cocket on board.
1872. Daily News, 5 Oct., 4/1. Notice by Ld. Mayor. Compulsory metage dues on grain, including cocket dues … cease from and after the 31st of October, 1872.
fig. a. 1640. Jackson, Creed, XI. xxi. Wks. X. 406. All as many as have their fruit unto holiness in this life have the pledge, the earnest, or the cocket of the next.
3. ? A custom-house or customs office.
1711. Madox, Hist. Excheq., xviii. 537. That all merchants … who designed to export Wools … might safely carry them to the several Ports where the King had a Cocket, paying the old Duties only.
[Cf. 1730. Bailey, Cockettum, cocketum, the Office at the Custom-house where the Goods to be exported are to be enter’d.]
4. The customs duty.
1483. in Rymer, XII. 182/1. De custumis et coquettis nostris.
1612. Davies, Why Ireland, etc. 41. The greatest profite did arise by the Cocquet of Hides.
1621. Bolton, Stat. Irel., 44 (12 Edw. IV). Not paying the custome of the king … called the Cocket. Ibid., 69. To the intent that the king … shall not be deceived of his Custome, Cocket, Tonage and poundage.
1755. Magens, Insurances, I. 273. Charges. Custom, Town Dues and Cocquet £47 18 11/4.
5. Comb., as cocket-writer.
1768. Chron., in Ann. Reg., 191/1. One of the cocket-writers in the long room at the custom-house.
1841. Hor. Smith, Moneyed Man, I. iv. 117. She is going to marry young Ned Simmons, the Cocket-writer, in the Custom House.
