Francis Cooke
~Passenger on The Mayflower~

 

 

Francis Cooke was born sometime around 1580 in England. 


On July 4, 1603, he registered his intention to marry Hester le Mahieu in Leiden, Holland. She was a French Walloon (a "Walloon" is a member of a French-speaking people of Celtic descent inhabiting southern and southeastern Belgium and adjacent regions of France).


An English/Leiden Separatist, better known as Pilgrim, he became one of the 102 passengers on the historic ship, the Mayflower in 1620. His oldest son, John Cooke, joined him on board. After the Colony was founded and better established, he sent for his wife and children (Jane, Jacob, Elizabeth & Hester), and they came to Plymouth in 1623 on the ship Anne.


Francis lived out his life in Plymouth.  Although he kept a fairly low profile, he was on a number of minor committees such as the committee to lay out the highways, and received some minor appointments by the Court to survey or lay out land.  He was a juror on a number of occasions, and was on the coroner's jury that examined the body of Martha Bishop, the 4-year old daughter who was murdered by her mother, Alice Bishop. 


He received some modest land grants at various times throughout his life.  He lived to be about 80 years old, dying in 1663; his wife Hester survived him by at least three years and perhaps longer.


 

How Are We Related?

 

Descendants of Joseph Watson & Agnes Colista (Palmer) Shaver are directly connected to Francis Cooke through Agnes Colista (Palmer) Shaver. Francis was her 8th great-grandfather through her paternal grandfather, Thomas Palmer. See the pedigree tree below for more information.


Pedigree Tree leading back to Francis Cooke:

Agnes Colista Palmer [1845 1931]

->Cassius Palmer [1820 - 1908] m. Ruby Rosette Turner (parents)
-->Thomas Palmer [1779 - 1860] m. Sarah Ball (grandparents)
--->Susanna Cobb [1756 - 1840] m. Zurishaddai Palmer (great-grandparents)
---->Nathan Cobb [1728 - 1818] m. Abijan Tinkham (2nd great-grandparents)

----->Mary Conant [1707 - 1795] m. John Cobb (3rd great-grandparents)

------>Elizabeth Washburn [1683 - 1747] m. Josiah Conant (4th great-grandparents)

------->Thomas Washburn [1649 - ?] m. Deliverance Packard (5th great-grandparents)

-------->Elizabeth Mitchell [1629 -1685] m. John Washburn (6th great-grandparents)

--------->Jane Cooke [1605 - 1940] m. Experience Mitchell (7th great-grandparents)

--------->Francis Cooke [1580 - 1663] m. Hester le Mahieu (8th great-grandparents)

Please note that dates are approximate.


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