Coghen was the son of Joseph Coghen (1749-1820), an apothecary, and his wife, Isabelle Stielemans, who was a native of Brussels [REF].
His paternal grandmother, Catharina Theresia Huwaerts (1710-1749), was also born and died in Brussels, and her parents, Marie Therese van Cutsem (1668-1726/1727) and Joose Huwaerts (d.