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| Notes for Francis (Child 1) | ||||||||||
| FRANCIS COOKE WAS OF BAWTRY PARISH OF BLYTH, YORKSHIRE, ENGLAND. HIS FATHER AND GRANDFATHER ARE SAID TO HAVE BEEN SILK MERCERS. THE PARISH RECORDS OF BLYTH ATTEST TO THE MANORIAL RIGHTS OF THE FAMILY, ALSO TO THEIR OWNERSHIP OF THE CONVENT OF BLYTH AS EARLY AS 1540. OF ROMAN CATHOLIC FAMILY, FRANCIS COOKE WON OVER TO THE SEPARATIST BY THE STRONG PRESSURE OF RELIGIOUS CONVICTION WHICH SPREAD ALONG THE LINE OF THE GREAT NORTHERN ROAD LEADING FROM LONDON TO SCOTLAND, AND WAS ONE OF THE "EXILES FROM SCROOBY" TO LEYDEN, HOLLAND, WHERE HE MARRIED HESTER WHO IS KNOWN AS A WALLOON FROM THE SOUTHERN PROVINCE OF BELGIUM. HE WITH HIS SON JOHN - AFTERWARD KNOWN AS REV. JOHN COOKE - CAME TO PLYMOUTH IN THE "MAYFLOWER", 1620. HESTER HIS WIFE FOLLOWED WITH THE REST OF THE CHILDREN IN THE "ANNE", 1623 THIS PILGRIM WAS ONE OF THE SIGNERS OF THE MAYFLOWER COMPACT. HE WAS MADE FREEMAN IN 1663, IN 1634 REFEREE IN SETTLEMENT OF VARIOUS AFFAIRS BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE COLONY. UNTIL 1640 HIS NAME APPEARS CONSTANTLY IN SOME CAPACITY PERFORMING IMPORTANT DUTIES FOR THE GOVERNMENT. HE DIED APR 7, 1663 AGED ABOUT 86 YEARS. HE IS SPOKEN OF IN THE DEATH RECORDS AS "FRANCIS COOKE THE ANCESTOR", AND BRADFORD THE PILGRIM HISTORIAN STATES THAT "HE LIVED TO SEE HIS CHILDRENS CHILDREN HAVE CHILDREN" HESTER HIS WIFE IS KNOWN TO HAVE SURVIVED HIM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. WILL OF FRANCIS COOKE THE LAST WIL AND TESTAMENT OF FFRANCIS COOKE, OF PLYMOUTH, LATE DECEASED, EXIBITED BEFORE THE COURT HELD AT PLYMOUTH AFORESAID, THE FIRST DAY OF JUNE 1663, ON THE OATH OF MR. JOHN ALDEN AND MR. JOHN HOWLAND. "THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT OF FFRANCIS COOKE MADE THIS SEVENTH OF THE 10th MONTH, 1659 "I BEING AT YE PRESENT WEAK AND INFIRM IN BODY YETT IN PERFECT MEMORY THRO MERCY DOE COMT MY SOUL UNTO GOD THAT GAVE IT, AND MY BODY TO THE EARTH WHICH MY WILL IS SHOULD BE INTERED IN A DECENT AND COMELY MANNER. AS FOR SUCH GOODS AND LAND AS I STAND POSSESSED OF I DOE WILL AND BEQUEATH AS FOLLOWETH: "1. MY WILL IS THAT HESTER MY DEAR AND LOVING WIFE SHALL HAVE ALL MY MOVEABLE GOODS AND ALL MY CATTLE OF ALL KINDS VIZ. MEAT CATTLE HORSE KIND SHEEP AND SWINE TO BE AT HER DISPOSE. "2. MY WILL IS THAT HESTER MY WIFE SHALL HAVE AND OCCUPY MY LANDS BOTH UPLANDS AND MEADOW LANDS WHICH AT PRESENT I POSSESS DURING HER LIFETIME. "3. I DOE ORDAINE AND APPOINT MY DEAR WIFE AND MY SON JOHN COOKE JOYNT EXECUTORS OF THIS MY SAID WILL. FFRANCIS COOKE WITTNESS, - JOHN ALDEN, JOHN HOWLAND SOME SOURCES SAY BORN GIDES HALL, ESSEX, ENGLAND49 | ||||||||||
| Misc. Notes | ||||||||||
| date of birth bef 1579 in Blythe, Nottinghamshire, England 49 | ||||||||||
| Last Modified 28 Apr 1998 | Created 25 Aug 1998 by Reunion for Macintosh |