A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667/Cotes (Thomas)
COTES (THOMAS), printer in London; Barbican, Aldersgate Street, 1620–41. Brother of Richard Cotes. Took up his freedom January 6th, 1606. He held the printing house originally established about 1560 by John Charlewood, printer to the Earl of Arundel, under the sign of the Half Eagle and Key. On the death of Charlewood in 1593, James Roberts married his widow and succeeded to the printing office and printed several Shakespeare quartos. About 1608 Roberts sold the business to William Jaggard, who eventually took his son Isaac Jaggard into partnership, and it was at this press that the first folio edition of Shakespeare was printed. On the death of Isaac Jaggard, his widow Dorothy assigned over the business and all the copyrights to Thomas and Richard Cotes, on June 19th, 1627. Thomas Cotes died in 1641. His will was dated June 22nd and proved on July 19th. He desired to be buried in the parish church of St. Giles, Cripplegate, of which he was the clerk. He had two sons, James and Thomas. His sister Jane was the wife of Robert Ibbitson, q.v., and he mentioned a brother living in Yorkshire. His brother Richard Cotes was to have the printing house and all the implements on payment of £100. [Arber, iii. 700–704; iv. 182; Library, N.S., April, 1906, p. 149; P.C.C. 87, Evelyn.]