Who is George COGGER (ca 1796-1835) from Ulcombe?

[TreeDigger]

Hi all,

Throwing out a quick request for help amidst the madness that is now my life and has caused my own problem solving skills to glitch (also: no time!).

George COGGER, bur. 26 May 1835 aged 39 at Ulcombe, Kent
Married 28 March 1828 Thurnham to Sarah DAY (1798-1857; her 1st mar. 1817 Chatham to George  Champion, her 3rd 1843 Ulcombe to Robert Henry Butler).

George is a widower!

Children born of Cogger/Day union:
Charles 1828, William 1830, John 1831, Elizabeth 1833, Ellen 1835.
(Sarah has an illegitimate son Alfred born 1839)

I have all the details on both Sarah and all the children, but I can't seem to find anything on George's origins and his first marriage. Help?!

TD

[bearkat]

I've not found anything yet

[amondg]

When any of the children married did the certificate say what he did for a living?

[amondg]

There is a William Cogger who married Sarah Newman 1810 having children from 1811 - 1831 and a Thomas Cogger who married Susanna Johnson1804 having children from 1805 -1813.

Have you investigated them, are they older brothers of George?

[bearkat]

There aren't many George Coggers showing in the records.

There are some non-conformists baptisms at Headcorn for children (Rachel, Ellen David & Jane) of William & Jane (nee Cogger) Gaskin born between 1827 and 1836 which says her parents were George & Sarah Cogger.  If the George you are looking for was born in 1796 he be hard pushed to be a grandfather by 1827 

[TreeDigger]

Thanks for the answers, people, much appreciated!

@bearkat - You're on to something!

The bans between Jane Cogger & William Gaskin are published in 1824 in.. Ulcombe! The only conclusion is that George's age at death is way off. Jane is baptized 1806 in Headcorn as the daughter of George & Martha Cogger. So you may have pointed to wife #1 as well!

No time to dig deeper now but this seems like an excellent lead! * happy dance*

[trish1120]

George COGEAR married Martha WHITE 18 Mar 1787 Headcorn

Appear to be 10 children to them 1787-1806, Jane you have found 1806.

Martha COGGER was buried 28 Aug 1829 age 65.
Abode Ulcombe

So after your George married Sarah Day.

George COGGER was buried 26 Dec 1847 age 86

All above on FreeREG

Trish

[TreeDigger]

Thanks again for thinking along!

As @trish pointed out, George from Headcorn can't be he right guy. Too old, wrong burial date, and his wife dies after Ulcombe George marries Sarah Day. Drat!

I have the sneaking suspicion that, once again, I'm dealing with illegitimacy again. So. Bastards.

In 1802, Sarah Cogger gives birth to an illegitimate child named George in Strood. This doesn't appear to be the same George who marries Harriet Reed in nearby Rochester in 1837, as his father is named as Thomas Cogger and he could be identical to the George baptized in 1815 at Meopham as son of Thomas & Susannah Cogger. However, aside from Mary (1838), George (1839), another George (1841) and Harriet (1844), they do baptize a Sarah (1842). Confusing.

But.. Thomas Cog(g)er marries Susan(nah) Johnson in 1804 in Luddesdown, which happens to be the same place where George & Harriet baptize their kids. So despite the lack of a daughter named Susan(nah) - instead sowing confusion by naming one Sarah - it does appear as if the George who marries Harriet is, indeed, the son of Thomas born 1815.

Which brings us back to George born 1802 to Sarah Cogger in Strood.

It all feels eerily familiar. Could George from Strood have lied about his age and status as widower when he married Sarah Day in 1828 in Ulcombe to conceal his illegitimacy? Well, I know of two men who left the UK as father and (bastard) son and stepped onto New Zealand soil as brothers, so nothing is impossible.

In what little time I had this weekend to do some digging I couldn't positively identify a George born 1802 in Strood or even Kent anywhere in the 1841 census, but I'll admit to having just glanced through them. Still.. it does feel like this could be the right guy (but I'll refrain from doing a happy dance this time).

Oh, and the reason behind this quest is that I have over 10 DNA matches with folks with an indigenous background from the White Earth reservation in Minnesota. Having spent weeks linking them to several families there, they all turned out to be descendants of George Cogger & Sarah Day. Two closer cousins/matches of mine seem to indicate the link goes via my Appleton ancestors in Kent. And Sarah Day's line is basically ruled out.

So.. George Cogger. Who is he?! 

TD

[bearkat]

FreeBMD has a George Coggar baptised 1 August 1802 (born 16 July 1802) illegitimate son of Sarah at St Nicholas of Myra, Strood.

http://www.rootschat.com/links/01tbe/
It's at the bottom of image 46, LHS