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Francis Cooke (abt. 1583 - 1663)

Francis "Franchoijs" Cooke aka Couck
Born about in Englandmap [uncertain]
Son of [father unknown] and [mother unknown]
[sibling(s) unknown]
Husband of — married 4 Jul 1603 in Leiden, Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlandenmap
Descendants descendants
Died at about age 80 in Plymouth, Plymouth Colony, New Englandmap
Profile last modified | Created 11 Jun 2010
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Contents

Biography

"And thus, they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their outgoings & incomings, for which let his holy name have the praise for ever, to all posterity."

The Log of the Mayflower.[1]

Francis Cooke also known as: Francis Cooke.[2] ffrancis Cooke. [3] Franchoys Couck. [4] Couk, Franchoys of England. [5][6][7] The name of Francis Cooke appears in the records of Leiden, The Netherlands, in 1603.[6][5][7]

The most likely year for Francis Cooke's birth is 1583.[2][8] The place is still unknown.[9] In 1603 "Franchois Couck" became engaged to marry Hester Mahieu.[10] At that time the couple was living in Leiden, Holland. He was English and a wool-comber. She was a Waloon, who had come from Canterbury, England. [5][11] Seven children were born to the couple, with 6 surviving infancy.

In 1620 Francis Cooke and his son John, born in 1607, left Holland on the Speedwell. They joined the Pilgrim Company on the Mayflower and arrived in what would become Plymouth, Massachusetts. Francis signed the Mayflower Compact. Hester Cooke and the younger children came over in 1623 on the Anne. The youngest two children may have been born in the new world. His occupation in the new colony was probably husbandman.

The Plymouth Colony records have references to Francis Cooke. His family received land at the division of land in 1624 and was listed in the division of cattle in 1627. He served as an arbiter of neighbor's disputes, as a juryman, paid taxes, became a freeman, registered his cattle marks, brought a lawsuit. He was also one of the "Purchasers", who had assumed the colony's debt in exchange for controlling trade.[12] In summary, he was very involved in community and Colony affairs. He maintained his residence at Plymouth even though he had received additional land grants.

"He had many descendants who include Alphonso Taft, William Howard Taft, Charles Taft, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Major General Leonard Wood, and many others." [13]

Francis Cooke died April 7, 1663 and was buried at Rocky Nook, now Kingston, Plymouth Co, Massachusetts. His will and inventory were recorded in the Plymouth Colony Wills and Inventories, Volume II, Part II, folios 1 and 2. Mr.John Alden and Mr John Howland were witnesses.[14]

Religion

They were members of the Leiden Walloon Church, a congregation of French-speaking Belgian people whose beliefs were very similar to those of the English Separatists.[7]

"On New Year's Day, 1608, among those admitted to communion by letter of transfer from another Walloon congregation were `Francois Cooke et Esther sa femme, de Norwich' ... This entry informs us that before 1608, the Cooke-Mahieu couple had lived in Norwich among the Walloons there. They evidently left for Norwich on 8 August 1606, as a note in the Walloon Library of Leiden mentions their departure on that date with letters of transfer ... Both the departure with attestation and the return to communion in Leiden with a similar letter indicate that Francois Cooke, as well as Hester his wife, was a member of the Leiden Walloon congregation. The Cookes evidently returned briefly to Leiden, between the quarterly dates of communion, which they missed, in order to have their son Jean baptized within the Leiden Walloon congregation with family as godparents to raise him in case he became orphaned.

"Scholars at the Leiden Municipal Archives discovered two other children of Francois and Hester besides their son Jean : Elizabeth, baptized on 26 December 1611, and a child, whose name is not given, buried in the Pieterskerk on 20 May 1608 ... The burial record imparts the further information that at that time Franchoys Couck lived on the Levendaal, a canal on the southeast side of Leiden. The Cookes' other children, Jane, Hester, Jacob, and Mary, were presumably baptized in the Separatist congregaton of Leiden, for which no records are preserved, although it is possible that one or two might have been born in Norwich, or some may have been born in the colony of New Plymouth ... [15][16][7]

Note: Both the departure with attestation and the return to communion in Leiden with a similar letter indicate that Francois Cooke, as well as Hester his wife, was a member of the Leiden Walloon congregation. The Cookes evidently returned briefly to Leiden, between the quarterly dates of communion, which they missed, in order to have their son Jean baptized within the Leiden Walloon congregation with family as godparents to raise him in case he became orphaned.[15][16][7]

Occupation

By profession, he was a woolcomber.[7]

Francis is described in Leiden Walloon church marriage records dating from 1603 as a "woolcomber out of (uyt) England". [5] However, his origins are unknown. He could have been a refugee from religious persecution elsewhere in continental Europe.[17]

He did have and apprentice, John Harmon, for seven years starting in 1636. Francis Cooke was also on the 1643 Plymouth list of those who were able to bear arms.[18]

Early life and family

He was in Leiden as early as 1603 (before the Pilgrim Separatist community had emigrated to Holland)[7][6] [5]

Francis Cooke and Hester le Mahieu's marriage occurred in Leiden, Holland six years before the Pilgrim church made its move there, so he was living there long before their arrival and must have met up with and joined them afterwards.[2]

Marriage June 1603 [6][5]
Bruidegom Franchoys Couck (wolkammer) geboren te Engelant
Bruid Hester Mahieu geboren te Cantelberch Engelant. Witnesses Groom-Getuigen bruidegom: Phillippe de Veau bekende - Raphael Roelandt bekende. Witnesses Bride-Getuigen bruid: Jenne Mahieu moeder - Jenne Mahieu zuster
Translated: Franchoys Couck, of England, Wool-comber, acc[ompanied] by Phillipe de Veau and Raphael Roelandt his acq[aintance]. betr[othed]. 30 June 1603 to Hester Mahieu of Canterbury in England, acc[ompanied]. by Jenne Mahieu her mother and Jenne mahieu her sister ... [6][5]

Although Hester Mahieu is listed as "of Canterbury," she was actually Walloon, French-speaking Belgian, and not English. Many Walloons lived in Canterbury, engaged in the textile trades.[7]

Francis is described in Leiden Walloon church marriage records dating from 1603 as a "woolcomber out of (uyt) England".[6] However, his origins are unknown. He could have been a refugee from religious persecution elsewhere in continental Europe.

In Leiden, sometime after July 20, 1603, as Franchoys Couck, he married Hester le Mahieu, [5] the daughter of Protestant refugees from the Walloon Flanders area.[19] The Mahieus, from Lille, had resided in Canterbury, then London, since the 1570s before moving to Leiden in 1590. Hester le Mahieu's sister was Marie le Mahieu, wife of Jan Lano, another Protestant refugee in Canterbury and then Leiden, whose son, Philippe de Lannoy (anglicized to 'Delano') migrated on the Fortune to join his uncle Francis Cooke and his cousin Robert at Plymouth colony in 1621, having been left behind with twenty others when the Mayflower's sailing mate, the Speedwell, foundered and returned to port in England leaving the Mayflower to sail alone. Philippe is the progenitor of the branch of the Delano family living in America, from which Franklin Delano Roosevelt descends.

While in Leiden, Francis and Hester were members of the Walloon church. In 1606, they left Leiden briefly for Norwich, England, where they joined another Walloon church, returning to Leiden in 1607, possibly for religious reasons. Between 1611 and 1618, the Cookes were members of the Pilgrim Separatist congregation in Leiden.[15] The Pilgrim church was not established in Leiden until 1609, so Francis was living there long before their arrival and must have met up with and joined them afterwards.

They evidently left for Norwich on 8 August 1606, as a note in the Walloon Library of Leiden mentions their departure on that date with letters of transfer ... [15][16][7]

"On New Year's Day, 1608, among those admitted to communion by letter of transfer from another Walloon congregation were `Francois Cooke et Esther sa femme, de Norwich' ... This entry informs us that before 1608, the Cooke-Mahieu couple had lived in Norwich among the Walloons there. They evidently left for Norwich on 8 August 1606, as a note in the Walloon Library of Leiden mentions their departure on that date with letters of transfer ... [15][16][7]

Family

Francis Cooke married Hester le Mahieu, 20 July 1603, Leiden.[7][2][5]

"Couk, Franchoys of England, Wool-comber, acc[ompanied] by Phillipe de Veau and Raphael Roelandt his acq[aintance]. betr[othed]. 30 June 1603 to Hester Mahieu of Canterbury in England, acc[ompanied]. by Jenne Mahieu her mother and Jenne Mahieu her sister ..." [6][5]

Although Hester Mahieu is listed as "of Canterbury," she was actually Walloon, French-speaking Belgian, and not English. Many Walloons lived in Canterbury, engaged in the textile trades.[7]

Children:

  1. John, was baptized in Leiden between January and March 1607. He married Sarah Warren on March 28, 1634, in Plymouth and had five children. He died in Dartmouth on November 23, 1695. She died after July 15, 1696.[20][2]
  2. A child was buried in Leiden on May 20, 1608.[2]
  3. Jane, was born about 1609 in Leiden. She married Experience Mitchell in Plymouth after May 22, 1627. Her date of death is unknown, as is the date of his second marriage, but his first three children are generally considered to be hers.[2]
  4. Elizabeth, was baptized in Leiden on December 26, 1611. There is no further record.[2]
  5. Jacob, was born about 1618. He married (1) Damaris Hopkins shortly after June 10, 1646, in Plymouth and had seven children. He married (2) Elizabeth (Lettice) Shurtleff on November 18, 1669, in Plymouth and had two children. He died in Plymouth in December 1675.[2]
  6. Hester, was born about 1620 in Leiden. She married Richard Wright in Plymouth in 1644 and had six children. She died between 1669 and 1691.[2]
  7. Mary, was born in Plymouth about 1625. She married John Tompson on December 26, 1645, in Plymouth and had twelve children. She died in Middleboro on March 21, 1714. [8][2]

Note: Francis Cooke married Hester Mahieu in Leiden on July 20, 1603, or shortly thereafter.They had seven children.The birth order for the first three is uncertain. Hester died after June 8, 1666.[8]

Note: "On New Year's Day, 1608, among those admitted to communion by letter of transfer from another Walloon congregation were `Francois Cooke et Esther sa femme, de Norwich' ... This entry informs us that before 1608, the Cooke-Mahieu couple had lived in Norwich among the Walloons there. They evidently left for Norwich on 8 August 1606, as a note in the Walloon Library of Leiden mentions their departure on that date with letters of transfer ... Both the departure with attestation and the return to communion in Leiden with a similar letter indicate that Francois Cooke, as well as Hester his wife, was a member of the Leiden Walloon congregation. The Cookes evidently returned briefly to Leiden, between the quarterly dates of communion, which they missed, in order to have their son Jean baptized within the Leiden Walloon congregation with family as godparents to raise him in case he became orphaned. "Scholars at the Leiden Municipal Archives discovered two other children of Francois and Hester besides their son Jean : Elizabeth, baptized on 26 December 1611, and a child, whose name is not given, buried in the Pieterskerk on 20 May 1608 ... The burial record imparts the further information that at that time Franchoys Couck lived on the Levendaal, a canal on the southeast side of Leiden. The Cookes' other children, Jane, Hester, Jacob, and Mary, were presumably baptized in the Separatist congregaton of Leiden, for which no records are preserved, although it is possible that one or two might have been born in Norwich, or some may have been born in the colony of New Plymouth ... [15][16][7]

Note: "Scholars at the Leiden Municipal Archives discovered two other children of Francois and Hester besides their son Jean : Elizabeth, baptized on 26 December 1611, and a child, whose name is not given, buried in the Pieterskerk on 20 May 1608 ... The burial record imparts the further information that at that time Franchoys Couck lived on the Levendaal, a canal on the southeast side of Leiden. The Cookes' other children, Jane, Hester, Jacob, and Mary, were presumably baptized in the Separatist congregaton of Leiden, for which no records are preserved, although it is possible that one or two might have been born in Norwich, or some may have been born in the colony of New Plymouth ... [15][16][7] Note: Two more daughters, Hester and Mary, were born to Francis and Hester Cooke in Plymouth.[7]

Note: The date of his marriage to Hester Mahieu in Leyden, Holland has often been printed incorrectly (e.g., 30 June 1603) [5]. However, an article in Mayflower Descendant 27:145-55 (New Light on Francis Cooke and His Wife Hester Mahieu and Their Son John) goes to great pains to give an estimated date and states the the previous published date was incorrect. Marriage intentions were entered July 4, 1603 and July 5, 1603 which means the three banns were proclaimed July 6, July 13 and July 20 (three successive Sundays); therefore, the marriage took place on or after July 20, 1603. Hester Mahieu, the daugther of Jennie le Mahieu of Canterbury, England died. after June 8, 1666 in Plymouth.[21]

Note: Jacob Cooke was born about 1618 in Leyden,Holland. (590)(591) Rosser: by deposition, MD 2:45 He emigrated in 1623 from Plymouth, MA. Came with mother Hester in the Anne. He died Bet 11-18 Dec 1675 in Plymouth, MA. (592) Will of son, John, Rosser MB&D, Vol 1, p. 316 Two additonal children are Sarah (possible) born about 1671, and Rebecca (probably) living 11 December 1675. [Wood P. 55] Parents: Francis Cooke Mayflower and Hester Le Mahieu. [22]

Life in England

Life in England: Francis Cooke and his family spent some time in Norwich, Norfolk between 1606 and 1608, but the purpose is unknown. Hester Cooke identified herself as being from Canterbury in her betrothal registration.[8]

Life in Holland

Life in Holland: Francis Cooke was living in Leiden by April 1603, when he worked there as a woolcomber. [5] His wife’s family were Walloons, originally from the town of Lille in Flanders, coming to Leiden from London in 1590. Hester joined the Walloon church just before her betrothal, but there is no record of Francis joining. He did appear in the records as witness to a baptism and a betrothal.Three of their children are listed in the church records between 1607–1611, but none thereafter and they may have joined the English Separatist church at that time.[8]

The Mayflower and Plymouth

"The names of those which came over first, in the year 1620, and were by the blessing of God the first beginners and in a sort the foundation of all the Plantations and Colonies in New England; and their families ... "Francis Cooke and his son John; but his wife and other children came afterwards." [23][24][7]

Francis arrived in Plymouth in 1620 on the Mayflower with his teenage son John.[7][2]

Hester Mayhieu Cooke and the couples two other children, Jane and Jacob, arrived on the Anne in 1623.[7][2]

In 1620, Francis, his son John, and nephew Philippe de Lannoy boarded Speedwell at Delftshaven. Cooke left wife Hester and their younger children behind to follow when the colony was established. The Leiden Separatists bought the ship in Holland. They then sailed it to Southampton, England to meet the Mayflower, which had been chartered by the merchant investors. In Southampton they joined with other Separatists and the additional colonists hired by the investors.

The two ships began the voyage on August 5, 1620, but the Speedwell leaked badly and had to return to Dartmouth to be refitted at great expense and time. On the second attempt, the two ships sailed about 100 leagues beyond Land's End in Cornwall, but the Speedwell was again found to be leaky. Both vessels returned to Plymouth where the Speedwell was sold. It would later be revealed that there was in fact nothing wrong with the ship. The crew had sabotaged it in order to escape the year long commitment of their contract.

Eleven people from the Speedwell (including Francis and John Cooke) boarded the Mayflower, leaving 20 people (including Robert Cushman and Philippe de Lannoy) to return to London while a combined company of 103 continued the voyage. For a third time, the Mayflower headed for the New World. She left Plymouth on September 6, 1620 and entered Cape Cod Harbor on November 11, 1620. The Fortune eventually followed, arriving at Plymouth Colony one year later on November 9, 1621.

Arriving at what is now Provincetown, Massachusetts, on November 11 (November 21, new-style calendar), forty-one of the passengers, among them Francis Cooke, signed the Mayflower Compact as the boat lay at anchor.

Francis was active in Plymouth civil affairs in the 1630s and 40s - committees to lay out land grants and highways, petit jury, grand jury, coroner's jury. He appears on the 1643 Plymouth list of those able to bear arms. At some point in 1638 or afterward, he settled at Rocky Nook on Jones River, within the limits of Kingston, a few miles from Plymouth.[25]

In 1651, fellow Pilgrim William Bradford wrote of him: "Francis Cooke is still living, a very old man, and hath seen his children's children have children. After his wife came over with other of his children; he hath three still living by her, all married and have five children, so their increase is eight. And his son John which came over with him is married, and hath four children living."[23] Francis Cooke died in 1663 in Plymouth.[26]

Signer of the Mayflower Compact

Francis Cooke : Signer of the Mayflower Compact

"I shall ... begin with a combination made by them before they came ashore ; being the first foundation of their government in this place. Occasioned partly by the discontented and mutinous speeches that some of the strangers amongst them had let fall from them in the ship: That when they came ashore they would use their own liberty, for none had power to command them, the patent they had being for Virginia and not for New England ... And partly that such an act by them done, this their condition considered, might be as firm as any patent, and in some respects more sure.

"The form was as followeth : IN THE NAME OF GOD, AMEN. We whose names are underwritten, the loyal subjects of our dread Sovereign Lord King James, by the Grace of God of Great Britain, France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, etc. Having undertaken, for the Glory of God and advancement of the Christian Faith and Honour of our King and Country, a Voyage to plant the First Colony in the Northern parts of Virginia, do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, Covenant and Combine ourselves together into a Civil Body Politic, for our better ordering and preservation and furtherance of the ends aforesaid; and by virtue hereof to enact, constitute and frame such just and equal Laws, Ordinances, Acts, Constitutions and Offices, from time to time, as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony, unto which we promise all due submission and obedience. In witness whereof we have hereunder subscribed our names at Cape Cod, the 11th of November, in the year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord King James, of England, France and Ireland the eighteenth, and of Scotland the fifty-fourth. Anno Domini 1620." [23][24][7]

Life in New England

Life in New England: Francis Cooke and his son John came to New England aboard the Mayflower. Hester, Jane, Jacob and Hester joined them in the summer of 1623, coming over on the Anne or Little James. Francis was in the 1633 list of Plymouth freemen and served on various committees and juries over the years. Although he owned land on the North River and Namaskett, he remained in Plymouth.[8]

Early Years of Plymouth Colony

Francis Cooke & the early years of Plymouth Colony "Friday, the 16th [February 16, 1621], was a fair day; but the northly wind continued, which continued the frost. This day, after noon, one of our people being a fowling, and having taken a stand by a creek side in the reeds, about a mile and a half from our plantation, there by him twelve Indians, marching towards our plantation, and in the woods he heard the noise of many more. He lay close till they passed, and then with what speed he could he went home and gave the alarm. So the people abroad in the woods returned and armed themselves, but saw none of them; only, toward the evening, they made a great fire about the place where they were first discovered. Captain Miles Standish and Francis Cooke being at work in the woods, coming home left their tools behind them; but before they returned, their tools were taken away by the savages. This coming of the savages gave us occasion to keep more strict watch, and to make our pieces and furniture ready, which by moisture and rain were out of temper." [27][28][7]

1621, The First Thanksgiving

Pilgrims Gave Thanks To God

  • The grateful Pilgrims therefore declared a three-day feast in December 1621 to thank God and to celebrate with their Indian friends.
  • It is primarily from the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving celebration of 1621 that we derive the current tradition of Thanksgiving Day.

“And thus, they found the Lord to be with them in all their ways, and to bless their outgoings & incomings, for which let his holy name have the praise for ever, to all posterity.

They began now to gather in the small harvest they had, and to fit up their houses and dwellings against winter, being all well recovered in health and strength and had all things in good plenty. For as some were thus employed in affairs abroad, others were exercised in fishing, about cod and bass and other fish, of which they took good store, of which every family had their portion. All the summer there was no want; and now began to come in store of fowl, as winter approached, of which this place did abound when they came first (but afterward decreased by degrees). And besides waterfowl there was great store of wild turkeys, of which they took many, besides venison, etc. Besides, they had about a peck of meal a week to a person, or now since harvest, Indian corn to that proportion. Which made many afterwards write so largely of their plenty here to their friends in England, which were not feigned but true reports.”

The Log of the Mayflower.[1]

A Freemen

Francis Cooke was also listed on the original list of freemen for Plymouth and was found on this list again in 1633, 1637 and 1658. As a freemen he had several duties which were thrust upon him. He served twice on the Grand Inquest, once in 1638 and a second time in 1640. Cooke also served on numerous juries from the years 1638-48. His most notable case was that of Allis Bishop. She admitted to murdering her four year old daughter by slashing her throat and windpipe with a knife. His major service to the community, however, seemed to come in the highway realm. In 1637 he was appointed to the committee to lay out highways. He followed this appointment with the job of surveyor of the highways for Plymouth in 1641, 1642 and again in 1645. He even served on a committee to find the best route for a new road.[18]

1623 Division of Land

Francis Cooke and the 1623 Division of Land The 1623 Division of Land marked the end of the Pilgrims' earliest system of land held in common by all. Governor Bradford explains it in this way "And so assigned to every family a parcel of land, according to the proportion of their number, for that end, only for present use (but made no division for inheritance) and ranged all boys and youth under some family. This had very good success, for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more corn was planted than otherwise would have been by any means the Governor or any other could use, and saved him a great deal of trouble, and gave far better content. The women now went willingly into the field, and took their little ones with them to set corn; which before would allege weakness and inability; whom to have compelled would have been thought great tyranny and oppression." [23][24][7]

Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, &c., Vol. I 1627-1651 is the oldest record book of the Plymouth settlement. It begins with the 1623 Division of Land, recorded in the handwriting of Governor William Bradford. The lands of Francis Cooke were among those designated as "their grounds which came first over in the May Floure, according as thier lotes were case" and described in this way "these lye on the South side of the brooke to the baywards." The name of Francis Cooke also appears in the list of "their grounds which came ouer in the shipe called the Anne," which was the ship on which his wife and children arrived. [29][7]

3 January 1627 : "it was agreed in a full Court; about deuision of lands as foloweth.

"That the first deuision of the Acers should stand, and continue firme, according to the former deuision made ...

[This is followed by several paragraphs detailing how lands should be laid out and distributed.]

"Lastly, that euery man of ye surueighers haue a peck of corne for euery share of land laid out by them; to be payed by the owner therof when the same is layd out.

"The names of the layers-out were these. William Bradford, Edward Winslow, John Howland, Francis Cook, Josua Pratt, Edward Bangs." [30][7]

A 1626 Purchaser

Francis Cooke : a 1626 Purchaser

"In 1621, King James I authorized the Council for New England to plant and govern land in this area. This Council granted the Peirce Patent, confirming the Pilgrims' settlement and governance of Plymouth. Peirce and his associates, the merchant adventurers, were allotted 100 acres for each settler the Company transported. The Pilgrims had a contract with the Company stating all land and profits would accrue to the Company for 7 years at which time the assets would be divided among the shareholders. Most of the Pilgrims held some stock. The Pilgrims negotiated a more favorable contract with the Company in 1626. In 1627, 53 Plymouth freemen, known as "The Purchasers," agreed to buy out the Company over a period of years. In turn, 12 "Undertakers" (8 from Plymouth and 4 from London) agreed to pay off Plymouth's debts in return for trade benefits.

The list we have of the 1626 Purchasers includes the name "Francis Cooke." [7]

Francis Cooke appears to have been granted many different parcels of land in and around Plymouth. Some of this land he gave to his sons Jacob and John, which they sold portions of. Francis even sold some land to William Bradford. His neighbors included Isaak Allerton, Edward Winslow, and Thomas Prence as well as his 2 sons John and Jacob.[18]

1627 Division of Cattle

Francis Cooke & the 1627 Division of Cattle

Plymouth Colony Records, Deeds, &c., Vol I 1627-1651 also tells of the 1627 Division of Cattle:

"At a publique court held the 22th of May it was concluded by the whole Companie, that the cattell wch were the Companies, to wit, the Cowes & the Goates should be equally devided to all the psonts of the same company ... & so the lotts fell as followeth, thirteene psonts being pportioned to one lot ...

"The first lot fell to ffrancis Cooke & his Companie Joyned to him his wife Hester Cooke (3) John Cooke (4) Jacob Cooke (5) Jane Cooke (6) Hester Cooke (7) Mary Cooke (8) Moses Simonson (9) Phillip Delanoy (10) Experience Michaell (11) John ffance (12) Joshua Pratt (13) Phinihas Pratt. To his lot fell the least of the 4 black heyfers Came in the Jacob, and two shee goats." [7]

Plymouth Colony Records

Francis lived out his life in Plymouth. Although he kept a fairly low profile, he was on a number of minor committees such as the committee to lay out the highways, and received some minor appointments by the Court to survey or lay out land. He was a juror on a number of occasions, and was on the coroner's jury that examined the body of Martha Bishop, the 4-year old daughter who was murdered by her mother Alice. He received some modest land grants at various times throughout his life.[2]

1650

Francis Cooke : 1650

"And seeing it hath pleased Him to give me [William Bradford] to see thirty years completed since these beginnings, and that the great works of His providence are to be observed, I have thought it not unworthy my pains to take a view of the decreasings and increasings of these persons and such changes as hath passed over them and theirs in this thirty years ... "Francis Cooke is still living, a very old man, and hath seen his children's children have children. After his wife came over with other of his children; he hath three still living by her, all married and have five children, so their increase is eight. And his son John which came over with him is married, and hath four children living." [23][24]

Will

The Last Will and Testament of ffrancis Cooke made this seaventh of the tenth month 1659

I being att prsent weake and Infeirme in body yett in prfect memory throw mercy Doe comitt my soule unto god that gave it and my body to the earthe ; which my will is should bee Intered in a Decent and comly manner; As for such goods and lands as I stand posessed of I Doe will and bequeath as followeth:

1 My will is that hester my Dear and loveing wife shall have all my moveable goods and all my Cattle of all kinds ; viz : neat Cattle horsekind sheep and swine to be att her Dispose

2 my will is that hester my wife shall have and Injoy my lands both upland and meddow lands which att prsent I posesse During her life

3 I doe ordaine and appoint my Deare wife and my son John Cooke Joynt exequitors of this my said will

ffrancis Cooke
Witnes
John Alden
John howland

Sources: [7][31][32]

Death

Francis Cooke lived to be about 80 years old, dying 7 April 1663, Plymouth. His wife Hester survived him by at least three years and perhaps longer.[2]

Francis Cooke died in 1663.[7]
He died in Plymouth on April 7, 1663.[8]
"Francis Cooke died the seauenth of Aprill, 1663." [33]
died 7 April 1663, Plymouth.[2]
He lived to be about 80 years old, dying in 1663; his wife Hester survived him by at least three years and perhaps longer.[2]

Buried

Francis Cooke's burial site is unknown.[7]

Inventory

Inventory of the estate of Francis Cooke, deceased 1663[34][32]

Note: inventories are valued in pounds (L), shillings (s) and pence (d). There were 12 pence (or pennies) to a shilling and 20 shillings to a pound.

L s d
Imprs 2 Iron potts & 1 Iron skillett 00 16 00
Item 2 paire of pott hookes 00 01 00
Item 7 pewter Dishes & 2 basons 00 17 06
Item 3 pewter potts 00 06 06
Item 1 pewter bason 2 porringers & 1 salt seller 00 02 00
Item 1 pewter Candlesticke 00 02 00
Item 2 Alcemy spoones 00 03 00
Item 1 lanthorn 1 gallypot 00 01 00
Item halfe a Dozen of trenchers and one stone bottle 00 01 00
Item 3 olde ladles 00 00 06
Item 1 woodden tray 6 trenchers 00 01 00
Item 1 morter and pestell 00 02 00
Item 4 wooden Dishes 00 00 08
Item 1 earthen pan and 2 earthen potts 00 00 09
Item 1 great brasse kettls 01 06 00
Item 2 smaller kettles 00 08 00
Item 3 wooden pailes 00 03 06
Item 1 pewter Chamber pott 00 02 06
Item 1 warming pan 1 frying pan 00 10 06
Item 1 thwart saw 1 hand saw 00 03 06
Item 1 paire of pincers 1 hammar 00 02 06
Item 1 Drawing Knife 00 00 06
Item 1 water Tubb 00 01 06
Item 1 axe 00 01 06
Item 1 great Chaire 00 05 00
Item 3 smale Chaires 00 03 00
Item 1 gridiron 1 fiershovell 1 paire of tonggs 00 05 00
Item 2 paire of pothangers 00 06 00
Item 2 old musketts 00 12 00
Item 1 paire of sheers 1 paire of sissers 00 00 09
Item 1 great bible & 4 old bookes 00 10 00
Item 1 brush 00 00 02
Item 1 file and 1 paire of pincers 00 00 06
Item 1 Table & forme 00 06 00
Item 1 old bucking Tubb 00 02 06
Item 1 tubb & 2 kimnells 00 05 00
Item 1 Chist 00 03 00
Item 1 pair of Cards and one baskett 00 01 00
Item 1 Chist 00 02 00
Item 4 earthen potts 1 Cupp 2 wooden trayes 00 05 00
Item 1 Chern 1 old Cask & four bottles 00 05 06
Item 1 old trough & a forme 00 00 06
Item 1 woolen wheele & scales 00 04 00
Item 1 Iron Driping pan 00 03 00
Item 1 sifting trough and one old trough 00 03 00
Item 1 tray 1 tubb 1 box 00 03 00
Item 2 seives 00 02 06
Item 3 paire of sheep sheers 00 03 00
Item 3 paire of old Cards 00 01 06
Item 1 Cheespresse 1 Cheesfatt 00 01 00
Item 2 old ferkins & som sope 00 01 06
Item 2 old basketts & yarne 00 04 00
Item 1 feather bed & bolster 02 00 00
Item 1 paire of sheets 00 12 00
Item 1 Coverlid & blankett 01 00 00
Item 1 pound of Candles 00 00 06
Item 2 hoes 00 01 06
Item 1 Cushien 00 00 06
Item 2 Chistes & 3 boxes 01 06 00
Item 1 feather bed 1 bolster 1 pillow 03 10 00
Item 1 paire of sheets 10s 1 blankett 1 coverlid 15 01 15 00
Item 2 old Curtaines & vallence 00 02 00
Item 2 paire of sheets 01 10 00
Item 3 halfe sheets 00 06 00
Item 2 hatts 00 15 00
Item 1 long coate 25s 2 short coates 30s 02 15 00
Item 1 old coate & 1 Jerkin 00 15 00
Item 2 paire of briches 1 paire of Drawers 01 10 00
Item old clothes stockens gloves shooes 01 00 00
Item 4 shirts & smale linnine 01 10 00
Item 1 bed & beding in the loft 03 00 00
Item 20 lb of woole & 2 paire of old stockens 01 07 00
Item 8 paire of stockens 01 05 00
Item some other old lumber about the house 00 02 00
Item 2 mares & one yearling mare 26 00 00
Item 2 Cowes & one Calfe 07 10 00
Item 1 2 yeare old and 1 yearling heiffers 03 10 00
Item 16 sheep 08 00 00
Item 5 lambes 01 00 00
Item 4 smale swine 01 04 00

The sume apprised is 85 01 01

Debtes Due to the estate from severall about 04 00 00
Due from the estate of severall about 02 10 00
summs totalis 86 11 01
esides the housing and land; the goods and Chattels amount to eighty six pounds eleven shillings and a peney;

apprised by us, Ephraim Tinkham his E T , William Crow

Sources: [7][31]

Research Notes

DNA

Y-DNA Results I-FGC57472[35] documents where the Mayflower Cooke lineage belongs to the I-M223 Y-DNA haplogroup. NGS/WGS testing Y Elite and Big Y-700 testing documents the family falls under: I-M223>CTS616>FGC15071>BY1003>L1229>Z2069>Z2068>Z2054>Y4746>FGC15109>FGC15105>BY18>Y4761>Y4760>FGC57449>FGC57463>FGC57458>FGC57472[36]

Disputed Origins

Because Francis Cooke's origins are disputed, the following unproven parents have been intentionally removed from this profile: Edward Cooke, Alice Caunton, Richard Cooke, Edward Cooke, Alice Caunton. This action is in accordance with WikiTree policy. No primary source has been found to identify his parents.

Joseph St. Dennis explained: Both Richard Cooke and Anne Caulton; and Edward Cooke and Alice Caunton have been cited as parents of Francis Cooke. But his ancestry remains unknown. Several fictitious ancestries have been presented, some of which are clearly hoaxes. One hoax can be found in chapter 6 of ‘New Light on the Pilgrim Story.' (For a discussion of why this is a hoax, see 'English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers' by Charles Banks.) Tudor Place, archived at WayBack Machine

  • Bradford, William. History of Plymouth Plantation (Massachusetts Historical Society, 1856) p. 449 "Francis Cooke, and his sone John. But his wife & other children came afterwards." p. 453 "Francis Cooke is still living, a very olde man, and hath seene his childrens children have children ; after his wife came over, (with other of his children,) he hath 3. still living by her, all maried, and have 5. children; so their encrease is 8. And his sone John, which came over with him, is maried, and hath 4. chilldren living,"
  • Bradford, William, 1590-1657. Of Plimoth Plantation: manuscript, 1630-1650. State Library of Massachusetts "List of Mayflower Passengers." In Bradford's Hand.

General Notes

From Mayflower Web Page: There is conflicting evidence about the birth of Francis Cooke. A note scribbled in Bradford's Journal says Francis Cooke died above the age of 80, meaning he was born before 1583. However in August 1643, he was in a list of men of Plymouth between the age of 16 and 60 allowed to bear arms. This means he was born after 1583. Also, he was married in Leyden in 1603, so he probably would have been at least 21 at the time. This means a birth before 1583. The fact that all these records seem to conflict suggests that Francis Cooke was probably born in 1583.

His wife Hester was from Canterbury, England, so perhaps that is where he is from as well.

William Bradford recorded his list of passengers that came over in the Mayflower. "Francis Cooke and his son John, but his wife and other children came afterwards". Later in 1651, he writes "Francis Cooke is still living, a very old man, and hath seen his children's children have children. After his wife came over with other of his children; he hath three still living by her, all married and have five children, so their increase is eight. And his son John which came over with him is married, and hath four children living."

Francis and Hester (Mahieu) Cooke had lived in Leyden as early as 1603, about five years before the Pilgrims fled there from England. In 1606, they left Leyden to live at Norwich, England where they joined a French Walloon church; however, they did not stay long in England--Probably because of religious persecution--and by 1607 were back in Leyden as members of the French Walloon church there.

Sources:Mayflower Families in Progress: Francis Cooke for Four Generations, by Robert S. Wakefield, General Society of Mayflower Descendants, 3rd edition, 1994 Mayflower Descendants, 8:48-50, "The Mayflower Marriage Records at Leyden and Amsterdam:Francis Cooke". New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 107:61, 143:195-199 (records of the Cooke and Mahieu families in Holland and England).

Francis married Hester Mahieu, daughter of Jennie le Mahieu and Jeanne, on 4 Jul 1603 in Leyden, Holland. Hester was born about 1585 in Canterbury, Kent, England and died after 8 Jun 1666 in Plymouth, Plymouth, MA.

General Notes: From Genealogies of Mayflower Families; Hester Le Mahieu, Wife of Francis Cooke It has long been known that Hester Le Mahieu of Francis Cooke of the Mayflower, was a Walloon from Canterbury, where the Walloon Church was established in 1547, in the crypt of the Cathedral, by refugees fleeing from persecution in Brabant. On 5 July 1603 Francis Cooke, woolcarder, from England, was betrothed to Hester le Mahieu, singlewoman, accompanied by her mother and sister, both named Jennie le Mahieu from Canterbury (Mayflower Descendant, vol. 27 p. 145 sq.). The records of the Walloon-French Church in Canterbury contain a number of references to the le Mahieus. On 27 March 1582 Jonas, son of Hercules Landsheare and Clarette Mahieu, was baptized. On 11 November 1604 Anthony, son of Jean le Mahieu, native of Coulon, near Calais, married Martha Cornart, daughter of the late Noe Carnart, native of Canterbury. Babtized 29 Sept. 1605 Marye, daughter of Antoine Mahieu (Registers of the Walloon and Huguenot Church Canterbury, vol. 1, p. 4.) It may be suggested that Hester or Esther was probably a sister of Antoine and daughter of Jean le Mahieu from Coulon.

Francis Cooke was a 1620 Mayflower passenger originally from Blythe, Yorkshire, England and later of Kent County. The records in Holland describe him as a woolcomber and he appeared there before the arrival of the Clyfton/Robinson Separatists.

The date of his marriage to Hester Mahieu in Leyden, Holland has often been printed incorrectly (e.g., 30 June 1603). However, an article in Mayflower Descendant 27:145-55 (New Light on Francis Cooke and His Wife Hester Mahieu and Their Son John) goes to great pains to give an estimated date and states the the previous published date was incorrect. Marriage intentions were entered July 4, 1603 and Luly 5, 1603 which means the three banns were proclaimed July 6, July 13 and July 20 (three successive Sundays); therefore, the marriage took place on or after July 20, 1603. Hester Mahieu, the daugther of Jennie le Mahieu of Canterbury, England died. after June 8, 1666 in Plymouth.

Francis Cooke appears frequently in Plymouth records on grand and trial juries, as a surveyor of the highways, on various ad hoc committees, and in a number of land transactions. He came to Plymouth with son John, and his wife and their daughter, Jane and son, Jacob arrived on the ship Anne in 1623. Two more children, Hester and Mary, were born at Plymouth. Francis died April 7, 1663 "above 80" years of age.


Sources

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Log of the Mayflower.
  2. 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 Francis Cooke at MayflowerHistory.com.
  3. The will of Francis Cooke.
  4. Walter J. Harrison, "New Light on Francis Cooke and His Wife Hester Mayhieu and Their Son John," Mayflower Descendant, Vol 27, 145-153. Their betrothal was recorded on July 4 and 5, so the 20th was the soonest the marriage could have taken place after banns were read.
  5. 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 Erfgoed Leiden en Omstreken Bron: Bronvermelding NH Ondertrouw E. mei 1602 - oktober 1604., archiefnummer 1004, Nederlands Hervormd Ondertrouw (1575-1795), inventarisnummer 5, blad E - 069v Gemeente: Leiden Periode: 1602-1604 doop-, trouw- en begraafregister Soort registratie: DTB Marriage-Trouwen June 1604 Plaats: Leiden Inventarisnummer 5 van archiefnummer 1004 in Archieven
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Johanna W. Tammel, The Pilgrims and other people from the British Isles in Leiden, 1576-1640 (Isle of Man : Mansk-Svenska Publishing Co. Ltd., 1989), p. 152.
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 7.17 7.18 7.19 7.20 7.21 7.22 7.23 7.24 7.25 7.26 7.27 7.28 Pilgrim Hall Museum.Pilgrimhall.org.
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 8.6 Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Francis Cooke, by Robert Charles Anderson, New England Historic Genealogical Society. (Link via WaybackMachine)
  9. Possibilities for Francis Cooke's origin include Gides Hall, Essex, or Blyth, Nottinghanshire, or Yorkshire (west), England, or the area around Norwich, England. Most sources agree that he was probably born in England, although he may have been Waloon, as his wife Hester was. It is also possible that he came from Leiden. The year of his birth seems most likely 1582 or 1583, based on references in contemporary records. FamilySearch.org has a Francis Cooke christened on May 5, 1582 in Leiden, Zuid, Holland, without a primary source listed.Parents listed in the merged profiles were Richard or Edward Cooke and Alice Caunton or Elizabeth Nichols.
  10. "Netherlands, Archival Indexes, Vital Records," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLRB-KTVX : 13 October 2017), Franchoys Couck and Hester Mahieu, Marriage 04 Jul 1603, Leiden, Zuid-Holland, Nederland; from database, openarchives (..
  11. All of the wittnesses to the betrothal were Waloon, suggesting that Francis may have also been a Waloon.
  12. This information comes from the "Silver Book" and from NEHGR Vol. 143 p. 571.
  13. John Walker Family Newsletter 1982, No. 1. (Accessed 12 Jan 2021 via Walkerfamily.org)
  14. Biography entered by Brian McCullough. The following WikiTree People Contributed to this profile: Brian McCullough (detailed Biography), Becky Syphers (merge and editing), M Moroney, Kim Baltz, Ann Fuller, Alan MacLeod, John Putnam, Gregory Nelson, Kennon Edwards, Bryan Sypniewski, Fred Conley, Brent Bowen, Carey Smith, Jeffrey Bowen, Living Louge, David Bishop, DeCoursey, Ron Fedele, Kathryn Greenwald, Grant Knudsen. Note: This list may not be complete.
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs. "The Pilgrims and other English in Leiden records : some new Pilgrim documents." The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, July 1989, p. 195-214.
  16. 16.0 16.1 16.2 16.3 16.4 16.5 [Dr. Bangs' article also discusses possible family connections between the Mahieus and other Pilgrim families, including the Delanos.]
  17. Wikipedia.org.
  18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 Francis COOKE of Plymouth, A Biographical Research Profile.
  19. Walter J. Harrison, "New Light on Francis Cooke and His Wife Hester Mayhieu and Their Son John," Mayflower Descendant, Vol 27, 145-153. Their betrothal was recorded on July 4 and 5, so the 20th was the soonest the marriage could have taken place after banns were read.
  20. Francis Cooke at MayflowerHistory.com
  21. Sam's Genealogy, by Susanne "Sam" Behling.
  22. Winn.ged on Dec 20, 2011 by Elizabeth S.
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 William Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation 1620-1647, ed. Samuel Eliot Morison (New York: Knopf, 1991), p. 442, 446.
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 Samuel Eliot Morison (New York : Knopf, 1991), p. 441-3.
  25. Robert Charles Anderson, "Francis Cooke", The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, 1995, Vol. I.
  26. Records of the Colony of New Plymouth in New England, Nathaniel B. Shurtleff and David Pulsifer, eds., (Boston 1855-1861), Vol 8, p. 23.
  27. Mourt's Relation, ed. Jordan D. Fiore (Plymouth, Mass.
  28. Plymouth Rock Foundation, 1985), p. 44.
  29. Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 12, p. 5.
  30. Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 12, p. 13-14.
  31. 31.0 31.1 The Will and Inventory of Francis Cooke. Communicated by Edith Forrester Pratt, Mayflower Descendant Vol. 2:24-27
  32. 32.0 32.1 "Massachusetts, Plymouth County, Probate Records, 1633-1967," images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QS7-997D-VSNS : 6 March 2023), Wills 1633-1686 vol 1-4 > image 201 of 616; State Archives, Boston. Page 1-2
  33. Plymouth Colony Records, Vol. 8, p. 23.
  34. Pilgrim Hall Museum, Will & Inventory of Francis Cooke
  35. The [https://www.familytreedna.com/public/cook?iframe=ycolorized Cook/Cooke/Koch (& Variants) DNA Project (Subgroups I2- Lineage 3a)
  36. Interestingly, the FTDNA Cook DNA Project (sub-group I2 - Lineage 3b Cooke of Gloucester, VA) has tested positive for FGC57458 but negative for FGC57472. This documents where the Cooke family from Gloucester, VA is related to Francis Cooke's paternal ancestry. The founder of this Cooke family was Mordecai Cooke, born circa 1610. Some have claimed paternal ancestry for this family back to the 14th Century, but this claim still needs to be verified.
See also:
  • Wood, Ralph V., Jr., Mayflower Families through Five Generations Volume 12, Rockland, Maine: Picton Press, Revised Edition,2011 a/k/a "The Silver Book"
  • Lora Altine Woodbury Underhill, Descendants of Edward Small of New England, Riverside Press, Rev. edition, Houghton Mifflin,Co., New York,1934.
  • Walter James Harrison, New Light on Francis Cooke,et al The Mayflower Descendant,Vol XXVII, No 4, Oct, 1925, p.145.
  • "John Walker Family Newsletter 1982, No. 1". Walkerfamily.org (Accessed & updated 12 Jan 2021)
  • Jeremy Dupertuis Bangs, The Pilgrims and other English in Leiden records: some new Pilgrim documents, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, July 1989, p. 195-214.
  • Robert Charles Anderson, "Francis Cooke", The Great Migration Begins: Immigrants to New England 1620-1633, Vol.I. Boston, New England Historic Genelogical Society 1995.
  • Wikipedia Francis Cooke
  • Wikipedia Walloons
  • Caleb Johnson, “Cooke-Francis,” MayflowerHistory.com, accessed January 12, 2021.
  • Pilgrim Village Families Sketch: Francis Cooke, by Robert Charles Anderson, New England Historic Genealogical Society. (Link via WaybackMachine)
  • Francis Cooke of Plymouth, A Biographical Research Profile, David Haas, The Plymouth Colony Archive Project. Francis COOKE (Link via Wayback Machine at Archive.org, capture date 07 Sep 2011.)
  • Francis Cooke in 17th Century Records, Pilgrim Hall Museum. : accessed 30 Jan 2018
  • Caleb Johnson's Mayflower History - Francis Cooke : accessed 30 Jan 2018
  • Will and Inventory of Francis Cooke at Pilgrim Hall Museum : accessed 12 Jan 2021
  • MayflowerDNA.org wiki and Y-DNA for Francis Cooke family
  • Sam's Genealogy, by Susanne "Sam" Behling, 1997-2007. Rootsweb (Link via Wayback Machine at Archive.org, capture date 11 Mar 2023.)

Additional Reading

  • The Story of the Pilgrim Fathers, 1606-1623 A. D.: As Told by Themselves, Their Friends, and Their Enemies, Ward and Downey, 1897 - 634 pages. GoogleBook
  • Bradford's History "Of Plymouth Plantation", Wright & Porter Printing Company,Boston, 1898.
  • History of Plymouth Plantation, William Bradford, Little, Brown and company, 1856 - 476 pages. GoogleBook
  • Willison, George F., Saints and Strangers, The Cornwall Press, Cornwall, NY, 1943, Third Printing
  • Banks, Charles Edward, The English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers Who Came to Plymouth
  • GOODWIN, JOHN A., The Pilgrim Republic: An Historical Review of the Colony of New Plymouth, Boston: Ticknor & Co., 1888. Second edition. Boston and New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1920
  • Bowman, George Ernest, The Mayflower Reader, Baltimore, Genelogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1978
  • Ames, Azel. The May-Flower and Her Log, July 15, 1620-May 6, 1621,

Chiefly from Original Sources. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin, 1907

Further Research

  • The Plymouth Colony Archive Project (Link via Wayback Machine, capture date 10 Feb 2013.)
  • Records of the Colony of New Plymouth, in New England: Deeds, &c., 1620-1651. Book of Indian records for their lands, New Plymouth Colony, Massachusetts. General Court, Press of W. White, 1861. GoogleBook.

Acknowledgements

The following WikiTree People Contributed to this profile: M Moroney, Brian McCullough, Becky Syphers, Michael Lechner, Kim Baltz, Ann Fuller, Alan MacLeod, John Putnam, Gregory Nelson, Kennon Edwards, Bryan Sypniewski, Fred Conley, Brent Bowen, Carey Smith, Jeffrey Bowen, Living Louge, David Bishop, DeCoursey, Ron Fedele, Kathryn Greenwald, Grant Knudsen, Elizabeth S, Melinda Bowman, Jim Lynch, Cliff Cobb, Julie Baldwin, Joseph St. Denis, Jan, Elizabeth Joslin Shaw

Note: This list may not be complete.





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Comments: 22

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Francis' real name was probably Couck or Coucke. My ancestors, like Francis, also worked in the textile industry in Aalst during the 16th and 17th centuries and were Flemish. Some of them went to work in the textile industry in Norwich, England. The name Couck was frequent in both Wallonia and Flanders and has its origins in the then County of Flanders, present day Nord-Pas de Calais. The second witness at Francis' wedding was Raphael Roelandt, a name that was very frequent in my region. Raphael was undoubtedly related to Francis, and also Flemish. At that time, Lille was part of the County of Flanders, the official languages ​​at that time were Flemish, Walloon and Picardish. My opinion is that it is very unlikely that Francis Couck was an Englishman. The element that substantiates this is the spelling of his name in Leiden where you see the ù letter (Coùck) in the marriage certificate.

Greetings, Johnny Couck, genealogist.

posted by Johnny Couck
It's interesting to conjecture that Francis was Flemish, not English. They did spend many years in Leiden and his wife was likely Waloon/French-speaking Belgian although she was born in Kent. So far, it is also assumed that Francis was born in or near Kent of English parents. But as Caleb Johnson points out, we don't know what brought Francis to Holland in the first place since the religious persecution of Protestants in England did not really begin until after King James took power in 1604. And Francis was already in Leiden by 1603. They were in Norwich, Norfolk between 1606 and 1608, but what that suggests, I won't try to guess.
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
In 1620 Norwich had 4,000 refugees from the Low Countries, which was then almost a quarter of the city's total population. Most of these refugees were Huguenots from Flanders, Wallonia and what is now northern France. Many of them also worked in the textile industry.and brought new techniques to Norwich in the local textile industry. Francis was undoubtedly one of them. The witness at the wedding, Raphael Roelandt, was also a wool comber and was also born in England, he also moved to Leiden in the Netherlands where he married Flemish woman Martijne Bervoets in 1603. Franchoys Couck was his witness at the time. The baptizers of Francis' children were also woolcombers and Huguenots from the aforementioned countries. Two of them were married to the sisters of Hester Mahieu. So, the chance that Francis was an Englishman is extremely small with these arguments, he was simply a Flemish or Walloon Huguenot who was born in probably Norwich.
posted by Johnny Couck
Recent Y-DNA testing has documented where Mordecai Cooke of "Mordecai's Mount," Gloucester Co., Virginia is a "cousin" to Francis Cooke.

This has been established by Big Y-700 tests (offered by Family Tree DNA) of a Y-DNA descendant of Mordecai Cooke and multiple Y-DNA descendants of Francis Cooke. The Francis Cooke descendants shared two SNP mutations which were not found in the Mordecai Cooke descendant. (Each tester had a handful of SNP mutations not shared with each other, as is expected).

Due to the random nature of DNA mutations, it is impossible to determine the exact relationship between Francis Cooke & Mordecai Cooke with DNA alone. On average, a mutation is discovered in a Big Y-700 test roughly every 83 years (with wide variations), but there are known (very rare) cases where a son has multiple mutations not found in his father, while there are also known cases where no mutations are found for several generations. The descendants of Francis Cooke have two SNP mutations (FGC57472 and FGC57467) not found in the descendant of Mordecai Cooke. This hints at a relationship roughly around the fourth-fifth or so cousin level.

Francis Cooke was born about 1582 and Mordecai Cooke was born about 1610, so it is likely there is a or two generation difference between these "cousins."

There is a family tradition on the Mordecai Cooke family about the given name of Mordecai being used over many generations. This makes documenting the proper ancestry of the immigrant Mordecai a challenge. This family believes it has successfully connected their line to the Cooke family at Gidea Hall (now in the northeast of Greater London). The founder of the Gidea Hall family, Sir Thomas Cooke (c1410-1478), was at one time the Lord Mayor of London. Another possibility links the Mordecai Cooke family to Norwich, Norfolkshire, England (where Francis Cooke is known to have lived shortly after his marriage).

Research is ongoing to attempt to find the link between Francis Cooke and Mordecai Cooke.

posted by Raymond Wing
edited by Raymond Wing
Hello Raymond,

Thanks for your post about Big Y. Please give the genetic distances characterizing the kin relationship between these Cookes, if any.

Francis Cooke was a woolcomber, religious refugee, emigrant etc. Absent indisputable evidence, placing Francis Cooke into Gidea Hall Cooke family seems non-credible on its face. He would have been first cousins writing letters to some of the most powerful and wealthy men in the Kingdom, and in turn, he himself would have been one of the most well-connected men in the New World at the time. Was he? We know he was a woolcomber, married to a Waloon. Meanwhile, his first cousins by marriage, if we believe the Gildea Hall placement, include:

That doesn't make any sense, does it?

Respectfully,

posted by Isaac Taylor
edited by Isaac Taylor
Perhaps this discussion should be posted on G2G where there will be more visibility for DNA and England Project to weigh in.
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
A recent change to the data field for his place of birth was made to "Gides Hall, Essex, England" without reference to a source. Please note that the current evidence (see reference #9) is that there is no proven place for his bith. If new evidence comes to light, sources should be supplied, and the information posted for discussion before changes are made. The place of birth will show simply "England" until solid evidence is available.
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
I found this through pinterest. Thought it was cool and has a pic. of Francis. (it may be in your info. already - did not read through all of it).

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34825341/_

A search on Google reveals that's a picture of Francis Bacon, not Francis Cooke. I'll advise Findagrave.
posted by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
edited by Bobbie (Madison) Hall
Can one of the project members combine the duplicated Acknowledgements sections (one is not at the bottom of the page); and rationalize the verbose Notes, note, Editor's Note, Further Reading, Additional Research etc.

There are also two sections about family.

In some sections there it seems every paragraph starts with "Note:" which is clunky.

Also, it says "his origins are unkown" or "his parents are disputed" repeatedly, throughout the profile. Perhaps we can say that once, in a formal Disputed Origins box?

Lastly, we have about 30 WikiTreers listed as contributing to this profile, including separate sections at the top, in the middle, and at the bottom of the profile. This seems excessive. Can we modernize the profile according to current editorial standards, and rely on Changes?

posted by Isaac Taylor
The birth of 26 Nov 1583 in Gides Hall, Essex, or Blyth, Yorkshire (West), England comes from a very untrustworthy source, Web: Netherlands, GenealogieOnline Trees Index, 1000-2015, therefore, I am changing back to just England. Since his first son is named John, he PROBABLY is the son of John Cooke, who had a Francis baptized at St. Giles, Cripplegate, City of London, London, England on 19 Apr 1584.
posted by Alan Pendleton
Cooke-4444 and Cooke-36 appear to represent the same person because: obviously intended to be the same, apparently the suggested matches are being ignored when these new profiles are being created!
Could I be added to this trusted list I am also a direct descendant of Francis Cooke
Cooke-3547 and Cooke-36 appear to represent the same person because: same dates and family
posted by Robin Lee
It is my understanding that the best experts, including The Mayflower Society, have not found the parents of Francis Cooke. I propose disconnecting these parents for Francis.
posted by J. (Pearson) Salsbery
Thank you for the beautiful biography for Francis Cooke.
posted by J. (Pearson) Salsbery
Duplicate person. Please propose a merge with the original Francis Cooke.
Both Richard Cooke and Anne Caulton and Edward Cooke and Alice Caunton have been sited as the parents of Francis Cooke

Notes: his ancestry is not known. Several fictitious ancestries have been presented, some clearly hoaxes (one can be found in "New Light on the Pilgrim Story", chapter 6. For a discussion of why this is a hoax, see English Ancestry and Homes of the Pilgrim Fathers, by Charles Banks). COOKE1

posted by Joseph St. Denis
Reworking citations and credits for wikitree contributors. A work in progress. See Cooke-19 and Rice-52 examples. Feedback welcome. Thank you, Mike
posted by [Living Lechner]