Francis Cooke, 1583

Generation No. 1

1. FRANCIS1 COOKE was born abt. 1583 in England, and died 07 Apr 1663 at Plymouth, MA. He married HESTER LE MAHIEU 04 Jul 1603 at the Walloon-French Church in Leiden, Holland; daughter of JEAN LE MAHIER and JEANNE. She was born at Canterbury, Kent, England Abt. 1585 and died in Plymouth, MA.

Notes for FRANCIS COOKE:

http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/users/deetz/Plymouth/COOKE.htm

Francis COOKE of Plymouth, A Biographical Research Profile, by David Haas

Francis Cooke came on the Mayflower with his eldest son John in 1620 and as such was one of the signers of the Mayflower Compact. His wife, Hester, soon followed on the Anne in 1623. She brought with her three additional children: Jacob, Jane, and Hester. Another child, Mary, was born in 1626.

Source: Ancestors of Captain Philip Reade, 3d Regiment of Infantry, U.S. Army : who, in a military capacity, aided to create, defend and preserve the colonies of North America between 1607 and 1776. by Philip Hildreth Reade, 1844- Fort Snelling, Minn. (1886) pg 3 / Reel/Fiche Number: Genealogy and local history ; G5266

Excerpt:

Mr. Francis Cooke. 1583-1663. of Plymouth, Dartmouth and Middleborough, Mass. came over in the "Mayflower", he was one of the signers of the original Mayflower compact at Cape Cod, Mass., 11 Nov. 1620. Was a voluntary member of the Military Co., which chose Myles Standish Captain 17 Feb'y 1620. Served in Expedition against Indians under the later 16 Feb'y 1621. Member of Plymouth Military Co. 22 Jun 1644.

Notes for HESTER LE MAHIEU:

Pilgrim Hall Museum http://www.pilgrimhall.org/cookefrancisrecords.htm

Although Hester Mahieu is listed as "of Cantebury," she was actually Walloon, French-speaking Belgian, and not English ...

Source: Genealogies of Mayflower Families, From the New England Historical and Genealogical Register, Vol. 1, by Adam Fuller, Baltimore Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., (1985); Genealogy.com, Genealogies of Mayflower Families, G-Pa, Hester Le Mahieu, Wife of Francis Cooke / John Marshall, Page 693

Excerpt - ... Hester leMahieu, wife 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 Jul 1603 Francis Cooke, woolcarder, from England, was betrothed to Hester leMahieu, singlewoman, accompanied by her mother and sister, both named Jennie leMahieu from Canterbury (Mayflower Descendants, vol. 27 p. 145 sq.). ...

Marriage Notes for FRANCIS COOKE and HESTER LE MAHIEU:

In Leiden, on July 4, 1603, as Franchoys Couck, he married Hester le Mahieu, the daughter of Walloon refugees and early Calvinists. The Mahieus, originally from Lille, had resided in Canterbury since the 1570s before moving to Leiden in 1590.

Children of FRANCIS COOKE and HESTER LE MAHIEU are:

2.i.JOHN2 COOKE, b. Abt. 1607, Bapt. 31 Mar 1607, Leiden, Holland; d. 23 Nov 1695, Dartmouth, MA.

ii.CHILD, d. 1608, buried 20 May 1608 at the Pieterskerk (Chruch of St. Peter) Leiden, Holland.

iii.JANE COOKE, b. bet: 1609/1613, Leiden, Holland; m. Abt. 1627, Experience Mitchell at Plymouth, MA.

iv.ELIZABETH, b. Abt 1611; Bapt. 26 Dec 1611, Leiden Holland; d. abt. 1627, Plymouth, MA.

v.JACOB, b. Bef. 1618, Leiden, Holland; d. 1675; m. (1) Damaris Hopkins; m. (2) Elizab. (Lettice) Shurtleff.

vi.HESTER COOKE, b. Bef. 1620, Leiden, Holland; m. Richard Wright.

3. vii.MARY COOKE, b. Abt. 1626, Plymouth, MA; d. 21 Mar 1714, Middleboro, MA.