COOK OF
STOKE-ON-TRENT AND BRETTON
Jemima
Cook and John Turner were married at Silkstone in 1770 and when Jemima was
buried in February 1832, her age was given as eighty-one, suggesting a birth
around 1750. It therefore seems clear that she was the Jemima daughter of
Steward Cooke of Bretton whose baptism on 25 December 1750 is recorded in the
Silkstone registers. The baptisms at Bretton chapel of two other children of
Steward or Stewart Cook in 1753 and 1755 are recorded in the Silkstone
registers. Slightly earlier, in 1744, the parish registers of Sandal Magna
record the baptism of Edward Cook, son of Steward Cook, “Brickmaker[,]
a Stranger at Bretton”, indicating that Steward was not from that area.
The
exact details of the marriages of Steward Cook are unclear. He married on 5
March 1737/38 at Wolstanton, Staffordshire, Mary
Rhodes. The parish registers of Harewood record the baptism of “Susanah Daughter of Steward Cook of Lofthouse Brickmr: & Hanah
his Wife” on 11 July 1749. The occupation supports this being Steward Cook of
Bretton. However, no plausible marriage has yet been found between a Steward
Cook and a Hannah, making it difficult to confirm whether Steward had married
Hannah between 1747 (when Mary is named as the mother in the baptism entry for
Steward’s daughter Hannah) and 1749, or whether the name Hannah was just a
mistake in the Harewood register. Steward married, on 12 March 1764 at Sandal
Magna, Elizabeth White. This marriage is obviously later than the baptisms of
Jemima (Cook) Turner and her known siblings. A final note on the marriages of
Steward is that a “Mary Wife of Stuard Cook of
Hawksworth” was buried on 1 June 1770 at Guiseley. It is not clear whether this
entry is relevant to the family of Steward Cook of Bretton.
The
will of John Cooke of Lane Delph, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, written in
1741/42, names a son Steward Cooke and there are good reasons to think that
this is the Steward Cook whose daughter Jemima was baptised at Bretton in 1750.
The grant of administration of John’s estate gives his occupation as
brickmaker, the same as Steward Cook of Bretton. The onomastic evidence for the
family link between Lane Delph and Bretton is very strong. The forename Steward
was rare enough that no other plausible candidate baptisms for Steward Cook of
Bretton have been found. Moreover, the will of John Cooke of Lane Delph shows
that he had children with the unusual names of Jemima, Obadiah and Nathaniel.
Steward Cook of Bretton of course had a daughter called Jemima. An Obadiah
Cooke was buried at Bretton in 1754 and a Nathaniel Cooke in 1777. Indeed, a
link between the two areas is confirmed by the parish registers of High Hoyland (adjacent to Bretton) where the 1734/35 marriage
entry for Joseph Cooke and Arabella Beaver states that the bridegroom was of “Stooke in the County of Stafford”.
There
was a John, son of John Cooke and Ellin, baptised at
Stoke-on-Trent on 30 September 1669, and a John, son of William Cooke and Ann,
baptised there on 25 June 1678. The former John may be the John Cook of
Newcastle-under-Lyme who married first, in 1691 at Stoke-on-Trent, Mary Patteson (buried 1706 at Newcastle) and second, in 1707 at
Stoke-on-Trent, Catherine Aston. The John baptised in 1678 seems to be the one
who was the father of Steward Cook. There is a marriage bond of 1700 for John
“Cock alius Coock” of Lane
Delph, brickmaker, aged twenty-two, to marry Catherine Shelley of Draycott.
Both the residence and occupation match with the 1742 probate record for the
John Cook who was the father of Steward. John, son of John and Catherine Cook,
was baptised in 1701 and Catherine died soon after, with the father John being
shown as a widower in a 1701 population listing for Stoke-on-Trent along with
his young son John. Moreover, they appear in the listing immediately after the
household of William and Ann Cook, evidently the older John’s parents.[1]
The
parentage of William Cook is unclear. A Thomas Cooke and Alice Rawline who married on 27 November 1632 at Checkley had a
son William baptised at Checkley on 1 March 1634/35, followed by other children
baptised at Caverswall. Thomas’s will (as Thomas Cookes) was written in 1684 and proved in 1685. It
mentions, among others, his son William Cookes and
grandson John Whitehurst. This may be relevant as the bondsman with John Cook
for his marriage to Catherine Shelley was John Whitehurst. On the other hand, a
William Cookes married Margaret Spooner at Caverswall in 1665 and could be the son of Thomas and
Alice. There was also a William Cooke baptised at Wolstanton
in 1633, but he can be identified as the one of that name who married a Joan
and had children baptised at Wolstanton in the 1660s
to 1680s.[2]
I
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COOK
1 WILLIAM COOK of Stoke-on-Trent,
Staffordshire, was born ca 1635.[3]
He married ANN, who was born ca 1633.[4]
Children of William and Ann Cook:
i ELIZABETH COOK, bap 3 May 1664,
Stoke-on-Trent;[5] m
24 Oct 1687, Stoke-on-Trent, THOMAS WALKLOT.[6]
ii MARY COOK, bap 16 Mar 1665/66,
Stoke-on-Trent;[7] m
22 Sep 1688, Dilhorne, ROBERT WILLOTT.[8]
iii WILLIAM COOK of Stoke-on-Trent, bap
8 May 1669, Stoke-on-Trent;[9]
m HANNAH.[10]
iv ANN COOK, bap 29 Oct 1671,
Stoke-on-Trent.[11]
v RALPH COOK of Stoke-on-Trent, bap
29 Aug 1674, Stoke-on-Trent;[12]
m 25 Mar 1695, Stoke-on-Trent, ANN MILLS.[13]
2 vi JOHN COOK (1678-1742); m(1) CATHERINE SHELLEY; m(2) ELLEN.
vii RICHARD COOK of Clayton, bap 8 Nov
1680, Stoke-on-Trent;[14]
m CATHERINE.[15]
2 JOHN COOK of Lane Delph, brickmaker,
was baptised on 25 June 1678 at Stoke-on-Trent[16]
and died in 1742.[17]
He married first, ca 17 July 1700, CATHERINE SHELLEY, who was born ca 1673[18]
and buried on 11 August 1701 at Draycott in the Moors.[19]
John married second, ELLEN, who died in 1742.[20]
Child of John and Catherine (Shelley)
Cook:
i JOHN COOK, b 5 Jun 1701, bap 8
Jun 1701, Stoke-on-Trent.[21]
Children of John and Ellen Cook:
ii JEMIMA COOK; m 26 Nov 1732,
Stoke-on-Trent, HENRY MEIR.[22]
iii ELIZABETH COOK, b 7 Feb 1704/05,
bap 13 Feb 1704/05, Stoke-on-Trent.[23]
iv JOSEPH COOK of Stoke-on-Trent,
brickmaker, b 15 Feb 1705/06, bap 24 Feb 1705/06, Stoke-on-Trent;[24]
m 14 Jan 1734/35, High Hoyland, ARABELLA BEAVER.[25]
v EDWARD COOK, bap 18 May 1708,
Stoke-on-Trent.[26]
3 vi STEWARD COOK (1710-1788); m(1) MARY RHODES; m ELIZABETH WHITE.
vii DINAH COOK, bap 9 Jan 1711/12, Stoke-on-Trent,[27]
bur 12 Mar 1711/12, Stoke-on-Trent.[28]
viii DINAH COOK; m 6 Feb 1737/38,
Stoke-on-Trent, WILLIAM BARKER.[29]
ix OBADIAH COOK, bap 12 Feb 1715/16,
Stoke-on-Trent.[30]
x NATHANIEL COOK, bap 6 Nov 1720,
Stoke-on-Trent.[31]
xi OBADIAH COOK, bap 11 Feb 1722/23,
Stoke-on-Trent.[32]
xii JONATHAN COOK, bap 30 May 1725,
Stoke-on-Trent.[33]
3 STEWARD COOK of Lane Delph and of Bretton,
Yorkshire, brickmaker, was baptised on 9 July 1710 at Blithfield[34]
and buried on 4 May 1788 at Woolley with West Bretton.[35]
Steward married first, on 5 March 1737/38 at Wolstanton,
MARY RHODES.[36]
Mary was born ca 1710.[37]
Steward married, as his second or later wife, on 12 March 1764 at Sandal Magna,
ELIZABETH WHITE.[38]
Children of Steward and Mary (Rhodes)
Cook:
i ELLEN
COOK, bap 15 Jul 1739, Standish.[39]
ii DINAH COOK, bap 1 Sep 1742, Stoke
on Trent.[40]
iii EDWARD COOK of Silkstone,
brickmaker, bap 27 Oct 1744, Sandal Magna;[41]
m 1 Nov 1764, Darton, ELIZABETH JOHNSON.[42]
iv HANNAH COOK, bap 25 May 1747, Stoke
on Trent.[43]
Children of Steward Cook:
v SUSANNAH COOK, bap 11 Jul 1749,
Harewood.[44]
vi JEMIMA COOK, bap 25 Dec 1750,
Bretton,[45]
bur 29 Feb 1832, Silkstone;[46]
m 17 Apr 1770, Silkstone, JOHN
TURNER[47]
(see here).
vii JOHN COOK, bap 24 Aug 1753, Bretton.[48]
viii ELIZABETH COOK, bap 26 Oct 1755,
Bretton;[49] m 12 Feb 1776, Silkstone, JOHN
WEBSTER.[50]
[1] David Alan Gatley, L. Margaret Midgley and Sheena Bateman, “The Stoke-upon-Trent Parish Listing, 1701”, Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 4th ser., 16(1994):171-225, at 223.
[2] The children of William and Joan included a Tobias, which was the name of a brother of the William baptised in 1633. William’s will was written in 1715/16, when he was of Newcastle-under-Lyme. The will of his father William Cooke of Knutton was written and proved in 1634.
[3] David Alan Gatley, L. Margaret Midgley and Sheena Bateman, “The Stoke-upon-Trent Parish Listing, 1701”, Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 4th ser., 16(1994):171-225, at 223.
[4] David Alan Gatley, L. Margaret Midgley and Sheena Bateman, “The Stoke-upon-Trent Parish Listing, 1701”, Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 4th ser., 16(1994):171-225, at 223.
[5] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[6] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk); David Alan Gatley, L. Margaret Midgley and Sheena Bateman, “The Stoke-upon-Trent Parish Listing, 1701”, Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 4th ser., 16(1994):171-225, at 223.
[7] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[8] Dilhorne parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[9] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[10] David Alan Gatley, L. Margaret Midgley and Sheena Bateman, “The Stoke-upon-Trent Parish Listing, 1701”, Collections for a History of Staffordshire, 4th ser., 16(1994):171-225, at 223.
[11] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[12] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[13] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[14] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[15] Jemima, daughter of Richard and Catherine Cooke of Clayton, was born and died in 1704 (Stoke-on-Trent parish registers, online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[16] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[17] His will was dated 26 Feb 1741/42 and administration was granted on 27 Sep 1742 (Lichfield Record Office, B/C/11).
[18] Lichfield and Coventry Marriage Allegations and Bonds, 1636-1893 (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). Catherine’s age is given as 26 on the marriage bond in 1700 but she was probably the Catherine Shelley baptised at Draycott in the Moors on 12 Nov 1670, daughter of Thomas Shelley and Rebecca.
[19] Draycott in the Moors parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[20] Ellen was living when John Cook wrote his will and was named as the executrix but the probate records show that she had also died by the time administration was granted.
[21] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). The 1742 will of John Cook does not mention a son John, but one of the parties in the associated administration bond is John Cook of Leigh, brickmaker.
[22] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). The will of John Cook mentions “my Daughter Jemimah Meir”.
[23] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[24] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[25] High Hoyland parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[26] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[27] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[28] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[29] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). The will of John Cook mentions his daughter “Diana”.
[30] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[31] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). Perhaps the one of that name buried on 19 Jan 1777 at Bretton (Silkstone parish registers, online at www.ancestry.com). A Nathaniel Cook of Bretton, brickmaker, married on 28 Jan 1745/46 at Bradford, Mary Horsley, widow. However, the marriage allegation indicates that Nathaniel was “aged above forty Years and a Widow” (sic) so the age does not fit well with Steward Cook’s brother (Bradford parish registers, online at www.ancestry.com; marriage allegation, Borthwick Institute). The other bondsman in the marriage allegation was Joseph Cook of Bradford, brickmaker.
[32] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). He may be the Obadiah Cooke of Bretton whose burial on 23 May 1754 is recorded in the Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[33] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[34] Blithfield parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). Steward is described as the son of John Cox of the parish of Stoake upon Trent and Ellen his wife.
[35] Woolley with West Bretton parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[36] Wolstanton parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[37] Lichfield and Coventry Marriage Allegations and Bonds, 1636-1893 (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[38] Sandal Magna parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[39] Standish parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk). The residence is given as “Stoake in Staffordshire”.
[40] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[41] Sandal Magna parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[42] Darton parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com). The marriage allegation gives Edward’s age as “twenty three Years and upwards” which would be slightly out, but it describes him as a brickmaker of Bretton which strongly suggests he was of the right family (marriage allegation, Borthwick Institute). Also, the other bondsman was a Nathaniel Cook and Steward Cook had a brother called Nathaniel.
[43] Stoke-on-Trent parish registers (online at www.findmypast.co.uk).
[44] Harewood parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[45] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[46] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[47] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[48] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[49] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com).
[50] Silkstone parish registers (online at www.ancestry.com); marriage allegation (Borthwick Institute).