John Cooke
John Cooke was a yeoman in Birdingbury. His will mentions a brother, Robert, two unnamed sisters, and land he had in East Leamington.
Events
Date of Baptism: 12 September 1585.
Place of Baptism: Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire.
The baptism is recorded in the parish register.
Date of Death: 1656.
He made his will 9 June 1656 and was buried 21 July 1656.
Date of Burial: 21 July 1656.
Place of Burial: Birdingbury, Warwickshire (St Leonard’s).
The burial is recorded in the parish register.
Relationships
Father: John Cooke.
Mother: Jane.
See the Commentary section.
Spouse: Alice (buried 1677).
John mentions his wife Alice in his will. The baptism records of his sons Timothy and George mention their father John and his wife, Alice.
Children:
(Complete source citations for facts about the children on this page are currently outside of the scope of this project.)
John Cooke (baptized 1618 in Leamington Hastings)
Emme Cooke.
William Cooke (baptized 5 October 1620 in Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire - buried 10 October 1620 in Leamington Hastings).
Mary Cooke (baptized 10 February 1621/2 in Leamington Hastings, Warwickshire).
Timothy Cooke (baptized 17 April 1625 in Birdingbury - buried 12 October 1710 in Birdingbury) married Sara and had at least four children. He attended school in Coventry under Mr White, and was admitted to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, in 1643. He received his B.A. in 1646/7. He was rector of Birdingbury from 1660.
George Cooke (baptized 4 May 1628 in Birdingbury - buried 17 June 1708 in Birdingbury) married Grace.
Evidence
from the parish register of Leamington Hastings:
1585 Sept
Joannus Coocke Joannis 12 B
Signatures
John Cooke signed his name as a witness to the 1611 will of Thomas Squier alias Fisher of Leamington Hastings, and to the 1631 will of his mother. Both signatures display rather elegant handwriting.
A lawsuit over a debt (defendant Thomas Lever, cleric, of Leamington Hastings, Court of Common Pleas, 1641).
Bargain and Sale (8 June 1643)
Bargain and sale by Francis Shukburge of Coventry, gent., to John Cooke of Birdingbury, husbandman of a quatern of one yardland lying in the parish of Leamington Hastings. [Warwickshire's Past Unlocked, ref. no. CR0198/7/1]
Quarter Session (Epiphany 1650)
John Cooke of Burbury. --This court being informed by a certificate under the hands of the constable and other of the inhabitants of the parish of Burbury in this county thereby showing that one John Cooke the elder of Burbuy aforesaid doth refuse to pay his proportionable part of the constable’s and other levies there wherewith he is duly charged and further that the said John Cooke being lately duly elected in the office of an overseer of the poor for the parish of Burbury aforesaid doth yet nevertheless refuse to take his oath for the due execution of the said office to the great disturbance and trouble of the said inhabitants, it is therefore ordered that the said John Cooke shall forthwith upon notice hereof pay unto the said constable or other officer of Burbury aforesaid his proportionable <part>of all levies wherewith he shall be duly charged by the said inhabitants and shall also within one week after notice hereof repair to some one of the Justices of the Peace of this county to take his oath for the due execution of his office and in case he shall refuse to yield performance to this order upon oath thereof duly made an attachment of this court shall be awarded against him for his comtempt therein.
John Cooke’s burial record (Birdingbury)
1656
July 21th: John Cooke sepultus fuit
The will of John Cooke of Birbury
In the name of God Amen The ninth day of June in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and fifty and six I John Cooke of Birbury in the County of Warwick yeoman being weak of body, but of good and perfect memorie , thanks be given for God's Callinge to mind the incertaine estate of this present life I doe make this my last will and Testament in manner and forme following: first beinge sorry for my sinnes past And desiringe forgiveness for the same I give and remitt my Soule unto Almighty god And my body unto the earth from whence it was taken to be buried in such a christian manner as my executors shall thinke meete and conveynient And now for the Setling of my temporall estate and such goods and chattels as it hath pleased god to bestowe upon mee I doe order give and dispose the same as followeth first I give to my Sonne George and to his heires that quarterne land of mine which lyeth in the parish of East Lemington but if hee marry and have not issue, After his life and his wives life then to my sonne John's eldest sonne and his heires forever. Item I give to my Sonnes' and daughter's children tenn shillings apeece to be paid within one year after my decease Item I give to my brother Robert twenty shillings And to my two Sisters tenn shillings apiece to be paid within half a year after my decease As for my wife and my Sonne George I make them Executors together And I leave all those goods and chattels which the Lord hath lent mee to them they only paying the forenamed legacies But if my Sonne George marry and they cannot agree to live together Then my will is that hee pay her Threescore pounds twenty within one month after shee goes from him and forty pounds within half a year after that if shee lives soo long In Testimony that this is my last will and Testament I have sette my hand The ninth of June one thousand six hundred fifty and six John Cooke [...ed] and subscribed in the presence of Timothy Cooke Mary Rose
This will was proved at London the six and twentieth day of the moneth of March in the yeare of our Lord God one thousand six hundred fifty and seaven Before the Judges for probate of wills and granting administration lawfull authorized by the oaths of Alice Cooke the relict and George Cooke the naturall and lawfull Sonne of the said deceased Joynt Executors named in this his last will and Testament To whom was committed administration of all and singular the goods chattels and debts of the said deceased They the said Alice Cooke and George Cooke beinge first sworne in due forme of law by vertue of a commission well and truly to administer the same
Commentary
I give John and Jane as the parents of the John of this page for these reasons:
1. John and Jane are from Leamington Hastings. The John of this page lived near there and had land there.
2. John and Jane mention a son John in their wills. The chronology works for this to be the John of this page.
3. The John of this page mentions in his will that he has a brother Robert and two unnamed sisters. The John who was the son of John and Jane had a brother Robert and two sisters.
4. The chronology is right for the Maria baptized in 1622 in Leamington Hastings to be one of the unnamed daughters in the will of the John of this page. Mary is given in Jane's will as the name of the younger daughter of John the son of John and Jane. (The elder daughter is named Emme, a name of one of the granddaughters of the John of this page.)
5. John and Jane had a son named George, and the John of this page named one of his sons George.
6. I know of no evidence which contradicts this relationship, or which suggests another.
References
John Cooke burial 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.
Warwick County Records Volume II: Quarter Sessions Order Book Michaelmas, 1637, to Epiphany, 1650. (Warwick: 1936).
Parish registers of Birdingbury and Leamington Hastings. Digital images at Ancestry.com accessed 6 December 2015.
Parish registers of Leamington Hastings. Digital images on Ancestry.com accessed 16 August 2018.
Will of Jane Cooke of Leamington Hastings, widow. Proved in the Consistory Court of Lichfield and Coventry. [digital images on Findmypast.uk, accessed 6 December 2015]
Will of John Cooke, Yeoman of Birbury, Warwickshire. National Archives reference number PROB 11/263/103.
Will of Thomas Squier alias Fisher of Leamington Hastings. Proved 7 May 1611 in the Consistory Court of Lichfield and Coventry. [digital images on Findmypast.uk, accessed 7 December 2015]