George Cooke was a yeoman who was baptized and buried in Birdingbury, Warwickshire. His will mentions property in Leamington Hastings. His house in Birdingbury was taxed for 5 hearths in 1662, 1663, 1670, 1672, and 1674. (To put this in perspective, in 1672 in Birdingbury 39 houses were listed. 18 were paupers. Of the 21 who weren’t, 10 had one hearth; 6 had two hearths; 2 had three hearths (one of those was owned by George’s brother, John); 1 had four hearths (owned by George’s brother, Timothy); 1 had five hearths (owned by George); and one had nineteen hearths.) Although George’s brother Timothy was a graduate of Cambridge, George was probably illiterate. (He used a mark when signing his will, which is not quite conclusive evidence.)
Events
Date of Baptism: 4 May 1628.
Place of Baptism: Birdingbury, Warwickshire (St Leonard’s)
The baptism is recorded in the parish register.
Date of Burial: 17 June 1708.
Place of Burial: Birdingbury, Warwickshire.
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: John Cooke (buried 1656).
Mother: Alice (buried 1677).
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Grace (buried 1717).
George names his wife in his will. Grace was buried 31 December 1717 in Birdingbury ("Gratia Cooke vidua sepulta fuit die ultimo decembris ---1717").
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
Mary Cooke (baptized 15 October 1674 in Birdingbury) married Joseph Hobley 18 January 1693/4 in Birdingbury St Leonard’s.
Emery Cooke (baptized 13 August 1676 in Birdingbury - buried 7 March 1728 in Snitterfield, Warwickshire) married John Wheatley 9 October 1701 in Warwick St Nicholas.
Anne Cooke (baptized 14 May 1677 in Birdingbury)
John Cooke (baptized 20 April 1681 in Birdingbury - buried 2 March 1763 in Birdingbury) had a son, John Cooke, who was baptized in 1713. (His wife is unknown.)
George Cooke (baptized 26 January 1684/5 in Birdingbury - buried 11 December 1755 in Birdingbury) married Anne Neale 1 December 1729 in Coventry St Michael’s.
Thomas Cooke (baptized 2 February 1688 in Birdingbury - buried 8 March 1769 in Rugby). Lived in Rugby in his later years. Left a PCC will, given on the page of George Cooke (1733 - 1819).
Evidence
George Cooke’s baptism record (1628, Birdingbury St Leonard’s)
May 4 Georgius Cooke filius Johis Cooke et Alicia uxoris suis baptizatus fuit
from the 1662 Hearth Tax returns:
Birdingbury
George Cooke - 05 hearthes — 0 - 10 - 0
George Cooke’s burial record (Birdingbury)
Georgius Cooke sepultus fuit die 17’o Junij 1708
The Will of George Cooke (proved 30 September 1708)
In the Name of God Amen I George Cooke of Burdenbury in the County of Warwick Yeoman being infirme in Body but of perfect mind & memory Praised be God therefore and Calling to mind the mortality of my Body and Knowing that it is appointed for all men once to dye Do make and ordain this my Last Will & Testament in manner and forme following And First of all I give and Recommend my Soul into the into the hands of God that Gave it and my Body I recommend to the Earth to be buried in Decent Christian Buriall at the Discretion of my Execut’r hereafter named not Doubting but that the Generall Resurrection to Receive the same again by the mighty Power of God. And as touching such worldly Estate wherwith it hath pleas’d God to bless me in this Life I Give & Dispose the same as followeth
Imprimis I will that my Debts & Funerall Charges be immediatly payd by my Executor here after named Item I give and Bequeath unto my Dearly beloved Wife Grace Cooke the summe of Forty shillings for every year During her naturall Life to be payd her by my Executor hereafter named if she Doe not thinke fit to Live with him, Alsoe I give her my said Wife one third of my Land or Real Estate Lying & Sittuate in the Parish of Leamineton Hastangs During her Natural Life
Item I give & bequeath unto my Son George Cooke the summe of Fourty pounds of Lawfull English money to be Payd him by my Executor hereafter named Item I give and bequeath to my son Thomas Cooke the like summe of Fourty pounds to be payd as afforesd Item I give & bequeath to my Daughter Mary on shilling Item I give to my Daughter Emery one shilling Item I give to my Daughter Anne one shilling. All which Bequests to be payd by my Executor hereafter named Item All the rest of my Lands Goods & Chattells whatsoever I give & bequeath to my son John Cooke and to his Heirs Male for ever But for want of Heirs male Lawfully begotten by my said son John Cooke. Then all my said Estate in land & Houses I give to my Son George Cooke & his Heirs male Lawfully begotten and for want of such Heirs Male I give & bequeath all such my Lands & Hereditaments to my Son Thomas Cooke & his Heirs for ever Item I will ordain Constitute & Appoint my said son John Cooke to be my Sole Executor of this my Last Will & Testament. Item I order & appoint my said Executor not to pay the said summe of Forty pounds I bequeath’d to my son George Cook till twelve months and a day is past after my Desease Alsoe not to pay the other fourty pounds to my said son Thomas Cooke till two years after my Decease. My further will is that if my said Son John Cooke will not or do not Administer of my Goods & Chattells then I will that my said son John Cooke pay only fourty pounds to my son Thomas Cooke two years afer my Decease, and that my son George Cooke shall Administer instead of the fourty pounds Above mention’d this being my Last will and Testament I doe hereby Revoke Dissanull & make void all & former wills by me heretofore made will’d & bequeath’d Ratifying and Confirming this and no other to be my Last will & Testament. In Wittness whereof I have Hereunto Sett my hand and Seal this twenty eighth Day of May In the sixth year of the Reign of our Souvereign Lady Queen Anne by the Grace of God of Great Brittain France & Ireland Defender of the Faith etc Anno Dmi 1707
George Cooke [his mark: C]
Sealed Signed Published & Declared by the said George Cooke to be his Last will & Testamt we being wittnesses who have subscribed o’r names the the Presence of the Testator
Benjamin Chapman (his marke) Charles(?) Chapman Henry Williams
The Inventorie of Geo: Cook late deceased
Imprimis his Wareing appaearell and Money in his purs -- 00:10:00
Item Goods in the house -- 00:10:00
Item Goods in the Parlor -- 01:00:00
Item Goods in the Chamber over the house -- 00:15:00
Item Goods in the Chamber over the Parlor -- 00:15:00
Item Goods in the Kitchen -- 01:00:00
Item four horses -- 10:00:00
Item Nine Cowes -- 13:00:00
Item Threescore of Sheep -- 09:00:00
Item the Crop growing upon the ground -- 20:00:00
Item a Waggon Carts plowes and Harrowes and other implements of belonging thereunto -- 10:00:00
Tol -- 66:10:00
June 20th 1708
William Reeve
William Jeffiott
Commentary
George’s parentage
George had children baptized in Birdingbury starting in 1674. In his 1658 will, John Cooke of Birbury named his wife Alice and his son George Cooke. The Birdingbury register records the baptism in 1628 of “Georgius Cooke filius Johis et Alicia uxoris suis”. Although the baptism means George is a little older than I would have suspected, I haven’t found any other plausible candidates for George’s parents.
References
Georgius Cooke baptism registration, Birdingbury, Warwickshire parish registers, General register 1559 - 1674; digital image Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 March 2014) citing Warwickshire County Record Office; Warwick, England; Warwickshire Anglican Registers; Roll: Engl 09000 14; Document Reference: DR0 53.
Warwickshire County Record Office; Warwickshire Hearth Tax Returns; Reference Number: QS11; Microfilm: PG3169; digital image Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 March 2014)
Georgius Cooke burial registration 17 June 1708), Birdingbury, Warwickshire parish registers, General register 1675-1749; digital image Ancestry.com (http://www.ancestry.com : accessed 23 March 2014) citing Warwickshire County Record Office; Warwick, England; Warwickshire Anglican Registers; Roll: Engl 09000 14; Document Reference: DR0 53/4.