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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Westmorland => Topic started by: Susan Blackstone on Thursday 16 May 19 12:15 BST (UK)
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Hi, I have done extensive research on my grandfather x 4, George Cookson, who was an Excise Officer in the early 1800's. I have tried to research his origins hoping I have been on the right track. George died in Penrith on 08/01/1823 and was buried there on 11/01/1823 aged 45. I found a baptism for George on 25/01/1778 at Troutbeck to parents George Cookson and Jane. George married his first wife Jane Bradshaw on 25/11/1806 by licence in Kendal. I obtained a copy of this licence and it indicates that George was living in Halifax and his bondman was George Cookson Husbandman of Applethwaite. I requested the Will of George Cookson Sen Husbandman of Undermillbeck dated 30/05/1803. His Executors were John Braithwaite and William Fisher both yeomen and from Applethwaite. His beneficiaries were his wife Jane, sons George and Robert, spinster daughter Jane and married daughters Ann (married to Joseph Ellis of Ambleside) and Mary (married to Miles Walker of Applethwaite). Also his granddaughter Jane (married to John Bigland previously of Cartmell Fell - George did not think much of his granddaughter's husband by what is mentioned in the Will).
I was puzzled by the mention of a granddaughter. George Senior married Jane Martin by licence dated 20/02/1776 and there is no mention of him being previously married. He is aged 35 and an husbandman of Troutbeck. John Borwick was his bondsman a gentleman of Borwick Ground in the Parish of Hawkeshead. John Borwick was also a witness at the wedding. Jane Martin was a spinster of Belmount in the Parish of Hawkeshead.
I hope this information may be useful and perhaps someone may be able to provide some answers.
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Re-reading your post, no wonder I got confused.
What dates & where did Jane Martin & the George who died 1803 sprog their kids?
& if George at that marriage was 35, it's more than feasible for him to be a widower, even if not mentioned.
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Looking at the will of George Cookson senior husbandman, his estate was wound up on 14/07/1807. His children were baptised in Troutbeck, Jane 05/01/1777, George 25/06/1778, Mary 13/08/1780, Robert 13/08/1782. I don't have Ann's date, might possibly be 1784.
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Hi
John Borwick the bondsman was a forefather of the famous Baking Powder and Custard makers George Borwick and Sons a son Robt Hudson Borwick 1845 -1936 was Knighted and became 1st Baron Borwick of Hawkshead
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Hi, Thanks for the information. I have just looked on the internet and found quite a lot about the company. I did look further into John Borwick and found him mentioned on the website hawksheadbenefice.co.uk/inscriptions where there is a memorial plaque placed by 2 of his children Mary and Rebecca in 1844.
As for my own ancestors, George Cookson Senior was a widower when he married Jane Martin although I do not know who was his first wife. He had 2 children from this marriage, both baptised at Troutbeck, Elizabeth 30/10/1744 and Ann 15/02/1747.
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Hi Susan,
Fascinated to find this thread as I’m descended from George Cookson and Jane Martin through their son, Robert.
I’m a bit confused about your idea of George having been married before. The marriage to Jane was in 1776 and George was 35 at that time, making him born around 1741, so Elizabeth in 1744 and Ann in 1747 are possibly his sisters, rather than daughters. I’ve not managed to find any likely baptism for George so wondered if you’ve had any luck in finding his parents.
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Hi Nicola,
I have often wondered what happened to Robert Cookson. I did find a marriage in Manchester in 1819 for a Robert Cookson coach proprietor to Nancy Paulden Hardy. He died in 1829 aged 45. When is four daughters married he was mentioned originating from Ellory Westmorland.
Looking at a copy of George and Jane's marriage licence and bond 27/2/1776, George is 35 although the wording also includes 'and upwards' and Jane is 25. There is no mention of him being a widower. I did find the baptisms in Troutbeck for Elizabeth Cookson 30/10/1744 father George and Ann Cookson 15/2/1747 also father George. In George's Will of 30/5/1803 it definitely mentions my daughter Ann wife of Joseph Ellis of Ambleside and my daughter Mary wife of Miles Walker of Applethwaite. The grand daughter Jane, wife of John Bigland, I can only assume is the daughter of Elizabeth Cookson. I also found a baptism in Troutbeck for George Cookson 27/2/1726 parents Robert (blacksmith) and Elizabeth. Robert Cookson's will of 10/3/1741 mentions his children James, George, Thomas and Agnes. His wife is Janet, although I did find a marriage for Robert to Jennet Dixon 5/3/1738, I can only assume he was a widower. The further you go back the more it gets confusing!
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Hi Susan,
Firstly, thank you so much for pointing me in the direction of the clue I missed! I read that George Cookson was 35 years old, not that he was 35 years and upwards, this new idea makes a lot of other things fall into place now. I had been going round in circles wondering why I couldn't find a baptism for him, and setting him up with a possible father who would only have been around 15 at the time of his birth. Now that I realise that there is just the one George Cookson, born around 1726, and who almost certainly was married twice, it makes much more sense. I also have his father as Robert, who also seems to have been married twice, firstly to Elisabeth, and then, in his old age, to Jennet Dixon. So far I've not got any further back than that, but I was wondering if there are any more clues in the two wills you mentioned. Is there any property mentioned in both wills which would confirm the link between Robert and George?
You are correct in you research for George's son Robert, it is him who married Nancy Paulden Hardy in 1819. The mention of Elleray in Westmoreland in relation to Robert had eluded me for many years, as I could find no mention of the place at all. It was only a few months ago that I searched again and Google came up with Elleray Bank, and I checked out the baptisms in the area and discovered one for Robert at just the right time. Since then I've had DNA matches come up with other descendants of George and Jane, so I feel confident in the link now.
For many years I have had a black and white photograph of a painting of four young girls, with a scribbled note that these were "The Cookson sisters - At the back Mrs Pease, then after Mrs Pickford, on the left Mrs Lillie, On the right Mrs Athill, sitting, aged 2/3, Mrs Hutchinson". I had always known that the young girl, Mary Ann Cookson married my 2x great grandfather, William Henry Heap Hutchinson, but it took me a while to find names for her three sisters, Martha, Jane, and Sarah, and their husbands. Sadly, their father, Robert, had died a few months before Mary Ann was born. Robert had run what appears to have been a successful coaching business in Manchester for around 20 years.
I'd be interested to learn where you fit into the Cookson family and work our how we are related, and maybe see if we can work together to take the family back a bit further.
Best wishes, Nicola
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Hi Nicola, Sorry for not contacting sooner. I will have a look at the wills and any information gathered. I don't know whether you looked at Lancashire online parish project for the baptisms of Robert Cookson's children and marriages of his daughters. I looked at newspapers and censuses for further information. I also saw the picture of his daughters.
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Hi Nicola,
I have had another look at my research notes! My connection is that my ancestor was George Cookson son of George Cookson husbandman. George Jun was baptised 25/1/1778 in Troutbeck. He became an Excise Officer, his Sacrament Certificate (oath of allegiance) is dated 25/12/1803 and took place in Kendal. He became an Assistant in Manchester at the rooms of Thomas Ellis. In 1806 he was transferred to Halifax. George takes out a special licence on 22/11/1806 aged 21 years and upwards abode Halifax and his bondsman is his father George of Applethwaite husbandman. He marries Ann Bradshaw in Kendal 25/11/1806. They have two children George baptised 4/10/1807 and Thomas baptised 9/7/1809 in Halifax. George is transferred to Rochdale early 1811 and then later to Middlewich. They live in Winsford and have another son Robert baptised 26/01/1812 but he is buried 4/3/1812. His wife Ann is buried 4/3/1812. George takes out a special licence 1/5/1815 to marry Elizabeth (Betty) Hulse aged 19 daughter of Richard Hulse carpenter and they marry 3/5/1815 at St Chads Over. They have three children John baptised 15/9/1816, Robert baptised 13/7/1818 in Mottram in Longdendale and Mary Ann baptised 14/8/1820 St Chads. I am descended from Robert who became a joiner.
As regards George senior's will of 30/5/1803. George a husbandman of Undermillbeck appoints John Braithwaite and William Fisher both yeomen from Applethwaite to be his executors. He requests that his assets be sold and monies invested. He wants his wife Jane to have the security, and bequeaths a selection of household furniture and cooking utensils. Twelve after her death he bequeaths his sons George and Robert £150. The rest to go to his children Ann wife of Joseph Ellis of Ambleside, Mary wife of Miles Walker of Applethwaite, Jane Cookson spinster and grand daughter Jane wife of John Bigland late of Cartmel Fell. George wanted his grand daughter to be paid personally without interference from her husband.
Of interest, a special licence was taken out by Myles Walker of Applethwaite husbandman aged 30 and upwards on 28/4/1799 to marry Mary Cookson aged 19. George Cookson Yeoman her father gave consent and was the bondsman.
In the National Archives there is a reference to George Cookson's sale of a New Close on the side of the Heald 1779.
I hope that this information is of interest. I will be in touch with the rest!
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Hi Nicola,
I have had a look at the Will of Robert Cookson of Troutbeck (smith) 10/3/1741. It sounds as though he has ill health. He appoints his friends Mark Birkhead and Thomas Atkinson both from Troutbeck and yeomen as Executors to deal with his messuage and tenement situated at 'Drumblemirehead within the Liberty of Troutbeck aforesaid of the yearly finable rent of two shillings nine pence and the parcel of the lands there called the Richmond Hoo ...' He asks the Executors to sell them for the best price or offer his son James the chance to buy when he attains 21 years if he choses. He asks them to sell his goods and chattels. Robert wants his wife Janet to have one third part exclusive of bonds and the remainder divided between his children James, George, Thomas and Agnes. It is his will that his wife and children live together until his son James attains the age of twenty one years or till the land and goods be sold.
There is an Inventory of his goods and money owed from and to him. He died 16/4/1742. As a matter of interest I did find a baptism for Robert Cookson 28/3/1692 in Troutbeck parents James and Margaret Hutchinson.
I have looked at the Will of Jennet Cookson widow 26/4/1744. Her brother Robert Dixon Yeoman of Troutbeck is an Administrator and as well as William Langhorn of Underbarrow. The Inventory was compiled by Thomas Benson and William Mackereth.
I will be in touch as I have further information.
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Hi Nicola,
Here is some more information I found. You have probably noticed that certain forenames are used regularly, so with this in mind I continued my research. I found a newspaper article from the Westmorland Gazette 15/3/1890 in which it mentions the transfer of ownership and refurbishment of the famous Inn, The Mortal Man. It was owned by Isaac Walker and then his widow when he died. It was purchased by Mr C P Banks of Kendal. It was erected in 1689 by James Cookson and originally known as the White House. In the Autumn of 1889 a foundation stone was laid by Adam Walker a descendant of James Cookson. Isaac and Adam were brothers and sons of Myles and Mary Walker (nee Cookson). Robert Cookson (smith) named his first son James and records show that James Cookson had a son Robert 1689 in Troutbeck and his mother was Margaret (nee Hutchinson).
I requested the Will of James Cookson waller (builder) Townhead in Troutbeck 20/1/1749 he annulled previous wills. He wants to be buried in Dent. He gives his estate of houses and lands lying and being within the township of Troutbeck to his grand son James Dixon with yearly rent of six shillings. James Cookson wants legacies paying to his daughter Margaret Mackereth, grandchildren George Dixon, Jane Dixon, Ann Dixon, Mary Dixon, Paul Dixon, John Dixon. He appoints James Dixon as his sole executor of his last will and testament. He appoints William Cookson of the Broadgate in Hugill Butcher and George Birkett of the Highground in Troutbeck and gives them five shillings. James Dixon presents himself at the solicitors on 15/10/1750.
Of interest I found a baptism for Mary Cookson 17/7/1698 and a marriage to John Dixon 1/2/1721 in Troutbeck. A baptism for Margaret Cookson 21/1/1703 and a marriage to William Mackereth 6/5/1731 Troutbeck. Coincidentally, it was a William Mackereth who put together the Inventory for Jennet Cookson's (widow) assets on her death.
It gets more complicated getting the right connections the further you go back.