"COWLING, (or Coolinge), a parish in the hundred of Risbridge, in the county of Suffolk, 7 miles N.W. of Clare, its post town, and about the same distance from Newmarket. The manor was given by Henry II. to his natural son, by Fair Rosamond, known in history as Long Espee, or Longsword. The living is a perpetual curacy in the diocese of Norwich, value £100, in patronage of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. The church, dedicated to St. Margaret, is an ancient structure, consisting of a nave, chancel, aisle, and handsome red brick tower. The interior contains some ancient brasses. The charities amount to £30. There is an Independent chapel. James Simpson, Esq., is lord of the manor. Fairs are held twice a year, on the 31st July and 17th October, for sheep and cattle.
Description(s) from The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland (1868)