Miles de Cogan (fl. 1170–1182) was an Anglo-Norman knight from Glamorgan who played a significant role in the Norman conquest of Ireland under Richard de Clare, 2nd Earl of Pembroke; a man better known to Irish history as Strongbow.
The family took its name from the manor of Cogan, in Glamorgan, Wales, now a suburb of Penarth, 4.5 miles (7.2 km) south west of Cardiff. The Liber Niger Scutarii of 1166 recorded Miles as holding Cogan as two knight's fees, under the overlordship of William Fitz Robert, 2nd Earl of Gloucester (d.1183).
In 1170 Miles was one of the knights who sailed in Strongbow's expedition of conquest to Ireland. He was appointed constable of Dublin Castle. On the invaders having become besieged in the city by the native Irish, Cogan led a sally outside the castle walls and defeated the besiegers, thus the siege was raised due to his distinguished action. In 1177 he was granted, jointly with Robert FitzStephen (d.1183), the Kingdom of Cork, to be held by the feudal tenure of 60 knight's fees.
He married Christiana Paynel, a daughter of Fulk II Paynel (d.1208), feudal baron of Bampton, Devon. His progeny included:
William de Cogan, his heir as tenant of Cogan, who at some time before 1182 witnessed three charters of Margam Abbey, Glamorgan. He was appointed constable of Neath Castle, Glamorgan, at some time after 1184.
Another possible relative was John de Cogan, who granted land in Penarth to St Augustine's Abbey in Bristol.
Miles de Cogan was killed in 1182 during an affray in Desmond.
Richard de Cogan (thought to have been the son of William de Cogan) who in 1207 received large grants of land in Ireland. The descent from him was as follows:
John I de Cogan (d.1278). In the extent made in 1262 he was recorded as holding two fees in Cogan, valued at £10. In 1267 he obtained the feudal barony of Bampton in Devon, surrendered to him after the death of Edmund of Lancaster (d.1296), who had taken it into his wardship following the death of Auda Paynel (d.1261), wife of John II de Ballon (d.1275) of Much Marcle, Herefordshire, and heiress of the Paynel barony of Bampton. The Devon historian Tristram Risdon (d.1640) stated that at Bampton the Cogans "had...a very stately house and kept great entertainment when they lived here, and having greater possessions in Ireland for the most part dwelt there".
John II de Cogan. (son). He received livery of his inheritance in 1280/1 and was still alive in 1320 when recorded as a tenant in the survey made in that year by Hugh Despencer, Lord of Glamorgan.
(a later descendant) Richard de Cogan (d.1368/9)
John III de Cogan (d.1389), only son and last in the male line. His heir to his lands in Ireland, Devon and Somerset was his sister Elizabeth.
Descendants of collateral lines of this family eventually adopted the name of Goggin, which name is common in Ireland today.
