In 1391/2 Walter Cotton was apprenticed to a London Merchant, John Fressh, who became Lord Mayor of London in 1394. In 1396 Walter was admitted to the freedom of the Mercer's Company, which means that at this time he had completed his apprenticeship. About this time he married John Fressh's daughter Margery. In 1397 John Fressh died and left a long will with bequests to Margery, naming in the will Walter Cotton as her husband (Court of Hustings Wills) There were no surviving children by this marriage. Walter next married, by 1400, Joan
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TAG 57, page 38
In 1417 when the magnates of London advanced money on the security of the King's jewels, Walter's contribution was 500 marks, a worthy sum. In 1420 Walter Cotton, citizen and mercer of London, with his brother Thomas, bought land in the Cambridge area. In another deed of the same date he is called Walter Cotton of Oxfordshire (his wife's home shire).
On 20 April 1411 Nicholas Sybile deeded certain reversionary rights in the manor of Landwade to John Danyell, Thomas Cotton and William Grace, they being in the nature of trustees. More deeds of interest in Landwade followed. Finally, in July 1431, the manor of Landwade was deeded to Walter and Thomas Cotton, John Anstey and Richard Sturgeon who was Walter's son-in-law.
page 39
20 Nov. 1436, Westminster: Licence for f20 paid in the hanaper [receptical for money], for William Alnewyk, biship of Norwich, and five others named, to demise the manor of Ixnyng in the counties of Suffolk and Cambridge, held in chief, to Walter Cotton for life, with reminders to his son William Cotton and Alice, William's wife, for life, to the heirs of the body of William Cotton, to Walter son of the said Walter and the heirs male of his body, to Thomas brother of the said Walter the son, and the heirs male of his body, to Richard Sturgeon for life, to Joan his daughter, and the heirs of her body, to the heirs of the body of the said Walter son of Walter, to the heirs of the body of the said Thomas, the brother, and ultimately to John Caraway, clerk, John Conesby, clerk, and Richard Penbugyll, chaplain, and their heirs (Cal. of Patent Rolls).
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English Barentage, The Cottons of Landwade
Walter had 4 sons and 2 daughters

(Cotton)
Line 246A
34. JOAN REDE, m. (2) as his 2nd wife, Walter Cotton, b. abt. 1376 at Cambridge, d. 13 May 1445 per inq.p.m. (14 May per former brass), a mercer of London, bought Landwade estate in Cambridgeshire, rebuilt the Landwade church (his tomb is there, Cotton-Rede/Marmion arms in original stained glass window) son of John and Margaret Cotton, his father Mayor of Cambridge in 1378. (TAG 57: 35-36)
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TAG 57 page 40
After Walter's death, two inquisitions were held at Newmarket, one on Wednesday 23 June and the other on Friday following, the first before the escheator for Cambridgeshire, the second before the escheator for Suffolk. The two reports are nearly identical. Since Joan is not mentioned, she msust have died before Walter.
Nowhere among the arms at Landwade do the arms of Fressh appear, which is fair evidence that all Walter's children were by his second wife, or at least all that survived.