William Vachell I of Coley (c. 1360)

William Vachell I was the grandson of Nicholas Vachell and the first member of the family to appear consistently styled "of Coley" in the early fifteenth century. By his generation the Vachells had moved decisively from wealthy merchants of Reading into the ranks of the landed gentry. The key moment in William's career came in 1405, when he bought out the remaining "de Collee" interest in Coley and Tilehurst from John Collee of Padworth. 

The conveyance included several houses and hundreds of acres of land, meadow and woodland. This purchase effectively united the former de Collee lands with the acreage acquired by John Vachell in 1309, turning a scattered set of holdings into a single, recognisable estate. A deed shortly afterwards refers to him explicitly as "William Vachell of Coley," making the place-name part of his formal identity. William also appears in royal records as a surety in legal actions, standing alongside other gentlemen of the county. This kind of work—guaranteeing financial obligations and appearances in court—was typical of rising gentry families and testifies to his credit and social position. By the time of his death in the later fifteenth century, the Coley estate was securely in Vachell hands and the family had begun to extend its interests into neighbouring counties. In the present Lord's pedigree, William Vachell I of Coley is a fifteen-times great-grandfather.

Sources (selected)

• Ounsley, M. (2024). "Consolidation: The Vachells, 1309–1410." Coley Notebook (blog).
• Metcalfe, W. C. (Ed.). (1901). The Visitation of Berkshire… Harleian Society (Vachell pedigree).
• Crawfurd, G. P. (1893). "The Vachells of Coley." Berkshire Archaeological Journal, 3, 87–92.