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Hi Lu, Hi Mare,

Yes, I had found those papers in which it seems one of mine was busted doing something he shouldn't.  Oops!!  Hehe.  Have to say I was quite excited - so far it's been disappointing to not find any more skeletons in the closet!  And what a bonus having WR essentially speak from beyond the grave "I'm the nephew of the Cook at Brighton".

I agree Mare, it sounds like Aner was well-known in the area and probably well-respected if WR made a habit of introducing himself as his nephew.

Anyway - thought I'd post a recent update on our research.  Ancestry are always extending/modifying their records, and you can see all the info from a marriage cert without buying it to see whether it's the right one.  It came up with marriage banns for Aner and Charlotte Cook (Will Rob Martin's parents).  Seems that when they married Aner was a widower.  I initially got all exciting thinking that maybe Will Rob was somehow connected to Aner's first marriage, which would explain the blank issue on Aner's and Charlotte's death certificates.  Then I realized the dates don't match.  Not even a little bit.  Nuts.

I'm working at it though.  Still can't find Aner and Char in the 1851 census, so perhaps they were abroad for a while...

Onwards and upwards...

Liz

To be honest I haven't much information at all.  Aner born in Suffolk, Charlotte in Cambridge.  They married in London.  Interesting - they obviously moved around a bit.  It was the industrial rev at that time though, so I suppose a move to London for those who wanted to find a better situation was a common theme. 

Where did they meet?  That's what bugs me.  Abraham and Anna are also married in 1841.  Did Abraham and Aner go to Cambridge at some point and meet the girls there?  Or did Abraham meet Anna, or Aner meet Charlotte, and at the marriage of one couple the other couple met?  The Smart girls' father was a Schoomaster, so unlikely that Abraham and Aner would have had 'trade contact' with him.  (Abraham was a shoemaker/seed grinder/butcher and Aner was a farrier).

Then there's young Aner/Amos/Anos,  born in 1861.  The birth record at IGI (familysearch.org) says that he is actually a she.  'She/He never turns up in census records after England 1861 though.  Named after his/her uncle?  Or actually Aner and Charlotte's offspring?  IGI lists Abraham and Anna as the parents...  Confusing.  My guess is either he/she died (not uncommon) or he/she went to live with a grandparent somewhere.  I know that Abraham's first daughter Frances Charlotte went to live with William and Francis in Cambridge, so it could be a family trait.  My guess though is that Aner died - he/she is only 1 month old in the 1861 census and Charlotte was already 41 at that time.

Unusual for Aner and Charlotte to have had no offspring until Wm Robert.  Maybe he was the miracle child born later in life?  Maybe they deliberately didn't have any children until they had a 'new life' in the colonies and a better chance of survival.

So many questions....

L

Hi Mare,

Thank you for the fast reply!  Yes, I agree, exicting is an understatement!

Walter Robert born 1876 in Brighton, NZ is the son of Walter Robert, born 1847 in London.  It's really confusing, hence why we've dubbed them WR1 and WR2.  

Abraham and Anna (WR1's parents) stayed in the UK.  Abraham died in Southwark, London in 1885.  We think Anna died about 1901.  The census records gradually give you more info - 1841 is useless, but records begin to list occupation and addresses.  Abraham was born in Wilby, Suffolk.  Anna was born 1818 in Cambridge.  Her sister Charlotte was born 1820 in Cambridge.

I gather you got the marriage record for Aner and Charlotte: 25 July 1841, St Mary's, Islington, London.  In the 1841 census I can only find Aner living in St Leonard's in London.  The next time they appear is in the 1861 England census.  Aner (or 'Amos') and Charlotte were living at 55 Galway Street (there was a Tailor's shop at 54).  Aner's profession is a "Farrier".  He is 47 (hence born in 1814) and born in Wilby, Suffolk.  Charlotte is simply listed as "wife", age 41 (hence born 1820), born in Cambridge.  After that they disappear... TO NEW ZEALAND!!  (Am over the moon to have solved the puzzle).


From WR1 down...

WR2 and family gradually moved North up New Zealand and eventually settled in Auckland which is where we are now.  I take it you're in Christchurch, is that right?  We knew that a branch of the family was in Chch, as Grandad had visited at some point, though of course he was a young unmarried man at that point so my father never met anybody.  Though Dad understands that Wm Richard (son of WR1) settled in Christchurch.  Grandad visited them at the Lancaster Park Hotel in Christchurch, of which they were the proprietors.  Seems it was in the blood - both WR1 and his daughter Alice Amelia were hotelliers.  Jack Henry came to Auckland and later settled in Melbourne where he died, we think sometime in the early 1960s.

How I fit in:
WR2 > John Harold Cook (grandad) > Peter John Cook (dad) > Elizabeth Anne (me)

Dad is actually jumping up and down beside me and struggling to contain himself.

I'd love to know your side of it ---

Lizzie

Mare,

This is very exciting.  Our branch of the family has been investigating the Cook whanau for a while, spurred by those "Who Do You Think You Are?" programmes.

A random Google search brought up your thread about William Robert Cooke.  I gather that William's parents were Aner and Charlotte Cook (nee Smart).  I had been investigating those very people, but apart from a reference to them in the 1861 England census they appeared to have been lost from English records.  I concluded that they had in fact emigrated, and was delighted to find that this was the case.  Thank you for posting!!!

In the 1861 England census, Aner is actually "Amos" in the records, born 1814 in Wilby, Suffolk and living in St Lukes, Middlesex with his wife Charlotte.  At that point they have no children (apparently).

As they do not appear in subsequent English census records, "Brighton" on William Robert's birth certificate is likely to in fact be Brighton, New Zealand.  I think it strongly likely, as Walter Robert Cook was born in Brighton, New Zealand in 1876.

Returning to the 1861 census records - Abraham Robert Cook and wife Anna Maria (nee Smart - the sister of Charlotte) are Aner and Charlotte's neighbours.  I suspect Abraham and Aner are brothers but have not been able to prove the link yet.  Charlotte and Anna are certainly sisters - their parents are William Smart and Frances (nee Gibbons/Gibbins).  They also had two brothers - George and Henry.

Abraham and Anna had seven children altogether, all of whom, apart from the first, were born in London.  I can give you their names if you like...  What you'll probably be interested to know is that Walter Robert is one of them - born 1847, St Lukes, London.  Walter Robert (or WR1 as we call him) came out to New Zealand in 1873 (we estimate).  He married Elizabeth (maiden name an issue - we have 5 different spellings) and had nine children (Maria Murphy, Frances Ellen etc, etc).

So.... Walter Robert and William Robert were in fact cousins (if Abraham and Aner are brothers which seems likely).  And it explains why Walter Robert settled his family on the West coast - makes sense if Aner and family are already here.

I can tell you as much as you want to know about Walter Robert (WR1) - he is my great, great grandfather.

As I said - delighted to find your post!!!  I think that makes us cousins umpteen times removed or something...  If you have any more info, or would like more info from me then get in touch.