Francis Cooke (c. 1580-1663)

Francis Cooke was from England, when he married Hester Mahieu in Leiden; she was a Walloon from Belgium, but listed as from Canterbury in England. He died on 7 Apr 1663 in Plymouth Colony.

Francis and his son John came on the “Mayflower” to the New World, and are two of several of my son-in-law’s ancestors to do so; the others were James Chilton (who died before arrival) and his wife Susanna with their daughter Mary; and Thomas Rogers. In the interest of full disclosure, I do have to mention that John Rogers, who is the ancestor, came on a later (unknown) boat; and Jane Cooke (the ancestor) came with her mother and other siblings on the “Anne.” In addition, a brother of John Winslow (who married Mary Chilton) also came on the “Mayflower” but John himself came a bit later on the “Fortune.”

Francis Cooke’s ancestry is still obscure. When he married, he was ym from England, but the entry also says Hester was from Canterbury; and while the Mahieu’s lived in Canterbury for a while, and Francis and Hester moved in 1606 to Norfolk⁽¹⁾ for a while, we know the Mahieu’s are definitely Walloon. Did Francis and Hester meet in Canterbury, and is Francis English? If so, why did the wait to marry in Leiden? Or is the french name that is used in the Walloon church records in Leiden (Fran?ois Cock/Houck/Coek) a variation of his real name, and is he also a Walloon.

More experienced researchers have puzzled the question, and did not come to a conclusion. I just bring it up as an interesting puzzle.

(1) Jeremy D. Bangs, “The Pilgrims and other English in Leiden Records: Some New Pilgrim Documents,” New England Historical and Genealogical Register 143 (Jul 1989): 196-206.