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Descendants of Edward Cooke

Generation No. 2

2. Francis² Cooke, MPC (Edward¹) was born November 26, 1584 in Gides Hall, Essex, or Blyth, Yorkshire (West), England, and died April 07, 1663 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass.. He married Hester Mahieu June 30, 1603 in Leyden, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands, daughter of Jacques Mahieu and Jennie ?.

Notes for Francis Cooke, MPC:
There were 102 passengers that embarked on the Mayflower, including three pregnant women. The Mayflower left Plymouth, England on 6 September 1620, and sighted land on 9 November 1620. Landfall was made on 11 November 1620.

A 1620 Mayflower passenger, Francis Cooke married Hester Mayhieu at Leiden 30 June 1603, the
records there describing him as a woolcomber, unmarried, from England (MD 8:48). Thus he was in Holland
before the arrival of the Clyfton/Robinson Separatists. He was probably born no earlier than 1583, for he
must have been under sixty in 1643 when he was on the ATBA for Plymouth, and yet not much after 1583 if
he married in 1603. He 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. (See Bowman's "Francis
Cooke and His Descendants," MD 3:95.) He came to Plymouth with son John, and Francis's wife and their
daughter Jane and son Jacob arrived on the Anne in 1623. Two more children, Hester and Mary, were born
at Plymouth. Jane married Experience Mitchell; Hester married Richard Wright; and Mary married John
Thompson. Francis's son Jacob married Damaris Hopkins, daughter of Stephen. Dawes-Gates, 2:239-57
gives a good account of both father Francis Cooke and son Jacob Cooke. Another good account of the
Francis Cooke family can be found in Small Descendants, 2:601. Francis died 7 April 1663 (PCR 8:23). Son
John Cooke has a separate entry below. See also Walter J. Harrison, "New Light on Francis Cooke and His
Wife Hester Mayhieu and Their Son John," MD 27:145. Some confusion about the marriage of Francis
Cooke's son Jacob's daughter Mary Cooke, is cleared up by Stratton, "Which John Rickard Married Mary
Cooke?," MQ 49:122. BACKGROUND:

Suffice it to say, Francis Cooke, born, probably in England after 1582, arrived on the Mayflower and was
among those signing the Mayflower Compact. His early life abroad is virtually unknown to us. He married
Hester Mahieu, intention in Leyden, Holland, 30, June 1603. probably about the age of 19 or 20. He was
was called a "woolcomber." He and his son John were the first to arrive, with Hester and the other children
following later.

Francis Cooke died 7 April 1663, having labored in this new land for some 43 years and receiving various
additional land grants. His will and inventory enumerates his belongings and his bequests. He and his wife
Hester had eight children. By 1666, of these children, John, Jacob, Hester and Mary were living, as was the
widow Hester. Hester died after 8 June 1666.

The last Will and Testament of ffrancis Cooke of Plymouth late Deceased: exhibited before the Court held att Plymouth aforsaid the fift day of June 1663 on the oathes of mr John Aldin and mr John howland; 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

Witnes

John Aldin
ffrancis Cooke
John howland

More About Francis Cooke, MPC:
Burial: Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass.

Notes for Hester Mahieu:
Francis' wife Hester Mahieu was the daughter of Jaques and Jenne Mahieu, French Waloon refuges that had fled to Canterbury, England where Hester was born about 1584. When in Leyden, Holland, from 1603 until the arrival of the Pilgrims, Francis and Hester were members of the French Waloon church. However, in 1606 Francis and his wife left for a trip to Norwich, and they returned in 1607 to have their son baptized in the Church, and in 1608 they rejoined communion with the Walloon Church in Leyden. Sometime between
1611 and 1618, the Cookes switched and began communion with the Pilgrims' Separatist church in Leyden.

Francis immigrated to America on the "Mayflower" with his son, John. His wife, Hester, and their children Jane and Jacob arrived on the "Anne" in 1623. In the Leydon archives, it is recorded that Frances entered Holland on June 30, 1603. He was a bachelor and listed his profession as a woolcomber. He was accompanied by Phillippe De Veau and Raphael Roelandt, his friends, with Hester Mahieu, spinster, from Canterbury in England, accompanied by her sister Jenny Mahieu, her mother and Jenny Mahieu, her sister.

More About Hester Mahieu:
Burial: Burial Hill, Plymouth, Massachusetts

Children of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu are:

Jane³ Cooke, born Abt. 1604. She married Experience Mitchell.

Notes for Jane Cooke:
Jane Cooke was born abt 1604 (probably) in Probably Leyden,Holland. (601)(602) (603) No absolute birth
or death records have yet been found for Jane, and as can be seen there are some prior discrepancies on
her birth date. The most recent and exhaustive Cooke study suggests a 1604 date, and the rationale for this
date assumption. She died after 1631, prior to 1640 in Plymouth, MA. (604)(605) (606) Her latest suggested
death date as Experience remarries in this year, though it is noted that she was certainly dead before
Bradford prepared his accounting of Mayflower families Parents: Francis Cooke Mayflower and Hester Le
Mahieu.

She was married to Experience (1) Mitchell after 22 May 1627 in Plymouth Colony, MA.(607) (608) Notes:

Rosser, Mayflower Increasings: "m. aft. 22 May 1627, Plymouth, Experience Mitchell . . ."

This date reflects that she was still single in the May 22, 1627 Division of Land.

Rosser: There is much controversy over the children of the two marriages of Experience Mitchell: "MFIP
(Mayflower Families In Progress) , Cook:3 states Elizabeth Mitchell was b. 1628 and Thomas Mitchell c
1631. These two have been accepted by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants as Jane Cooke's.
Since Thomas was the only Mitchell child known to have received land from grandfather Francis Cook,
doubt is cast on the remaining Mitchell children who were born later than Thomas."

Ralph Wood takes exception, however, in his MF5G:12 volume, 1996, and includes Mary "presumed, quite
safely, as a daughter of Jane, based on Mary's approximate date of birth.". Mary is born about 1632,
presuming Jane married about 20. There is then a near 10-year span before the rest of Experience's
children are born, presumably, by his second wife, Mary,.

Another observation is that if Jane died very early in their marriage, Experience was left with near infant
children--quite a hardship in any event, and especially so in those days. Many such men would hasten to find
a new wife and mother for such small children, and female companionship for themselves, however,
Experience doesn't remarry until 1640/1. Children were: Elizabeth (3) Mitchell, Thomas[3] Mitchell
Mary Mitchell.

+	4	ii.		John Cooke, MPC, born Abt. 1606 in Leyden, Holland; died November 23, 1695 in Dartmouth, Mass..
	5	iii.		Elizabeth Cooke, born Abt. 1611.

Notes for Elizabeth Cooke:
Elizabeth Cooke was born about 1611 in prob Leyden, Holland. (563) She died before 22 May 1627 in
Plymouth Colony. (564) Parents: Francis Cooke Mayflower and Hester Le Mahieu

iv.

Jacob Cooke, born Abt. 1618 in Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands; died July 07, 1676 in Plymouth, Plymouth, Mass.. He married (1) Damaris Hopkins. He married (2) Elizabeth Shurtleff.

Notes for Jacob Cooke:
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.

He was married to Damaris Hopkins Mayflower in 1646.(593) (594) Children were: Elizabeth Cooke, Caleb
Cooke, Jacob, Cooke, Mary Cooke, Martha Cooke, FrancisCooke, RuthCooke.

He was married to Elizabeth Shurtleff on 18 Nov 1669.(595) (596)

Hester Cooke, born Abt. 1624. She married Richard Wright.

Notes for Hester Cooke:
Hester Cooke was born between May 1624 and 22 May 1627 in Plymouth or Leyden, Holland. (583)
Wood gives various scenarios for her birthplace, but feels it more likely she was born in Plymouth. She died
after 9 May 1669 in prob Plymouth, MA.(584) She died between May 9, 1669 when she releases her dower
rights in a deed and June 8, 1691, when she is not mentioned in her husband's will. They had a total of six
children: Adam, John (died unmarried), Esther, Isaac (died unmarried), Samuel (died unmarried), Mary.
Parents: Francis Cooke Mayflower and Hester Le Mahieu.

She was married to Richard Wright in Nov 1644 in Plymouth, MA. (585)(586) Children were: Adam
Wright, John Wright , Esther Wright, Isaac Wright , SamuelWright, Mary Wright .

vi.

Mary Cooke, born Abt. 1627. She married John Tomson.

Notes for Mary Cooke:
Mary Cooke died on 21 Mar 1714 in Middleborough, MA.(370) (585) (617) Wood: in her 88th year. She
was born c1624-1627. (585)(618) Wood says she is born between March 22, 1626 and March 21 1627.
Parents: Francis Cooke Mayflower and Hester Le Mahieu.

She was married to John THOMPSON on 26 Dec 1645 in Plymouth, MA.(585) (619) MFIP: Lists a total of 12
children born in Plymouth and Barnstable. Children were: Adam Thompson, John Thompson, John
Thompson, Mary Thompson, Hester/Esther Thompson, Elizabeth Thompson, Sarah Thompson,
LydiaThompson, Jacob Thompson 3 Esq, Thomas Thompson, Peter Thompson, Mercy Thompson.

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