Francis Cooke facts for kids
Francis Cooke (born around 1583 – died April 7, 1663) was an English Separatist who lived in Leiden, Holland. He was one of the brave passengers who sailed to America in 1620 on the famous Pilgrim ship, the Mayflower. This journey led him to Plymouth, Massachusetts. Francis Cooke was a founding member of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and signed the important Mayflower Compact.
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Francis Cooke's Early Life
We don't know exactly when or where Francis Cooke was born. However, in 1643, his name appeared on a list of men in Plymouth Colony who were "Able to Bear Arms." This usually meant you were under 60 years old, so he was likely born around 1583 or later.
Francis Cooke first appears in history records in Leiden, Holland, in 1603. He lived there for about six years before a group of English Separatists, led by Pastor John Robinson, arrived in 1609.
In Leiden, Francis Cooke got engaged to Hester Mahieu. Her family were Protestants who had left Lille in the Southern Netherlands to escape religious problems. They had then moved to England. Records show Francis and Hester got engaged on June 9, 1603. They were recorded as "Franchois Couck" and Hester Mahieu.
Francis and Hester left Leiden in 1606 to go to Norwich, England. But they didn't stay long. Their son, John, was baptized back in Leiden in early 1607. The family was recorded receiving communion in Leiden in January 1608.
In 1609, Pastor Robinson's church came to Leiden. The Cookes joined this church sometime after their daughter Elizabeth was baptized in December 1611. When the church decided to sail to America in 1620, Francis Cooke and his 13-year-old son, John, decided to go. However, his wife, Hester, and their younger children stayed behind in Leiden. They planned to join them later once the new colony was more settled.
The Mayflower Journey
The Mayflower ship left Plymouth, England, on September 16, 1620. This small, 100-foot ship carried 102 passengers and about 30-40 crew members. Everyone was very cramped!
After two months at sea, strong storms hit the ship. The ship's wood shook badly, and water leaked in. Passengers were often wet and sick, even in their beds. This, along with not enough food and dirty conditions, sadly led to the death of a crew member and a passenger.
They finally saw land, Cape Cod Hook (now Provincetown Harbor), on November 19, 1620. The ship tried for two days to sail south to their planned destination in the Colony of Virginia. But the strong winter seas made it impossible. They had to turn back to the harbor at Cape Cod Hook. They anchored there on November 21. The important Mayflower Compact was signed later that same day. Sadly, almost half of the passengers died during the very cold and harsh New England winter that followed.
Life in Plymouth Colony
After the Pilgrims arrived at Cape Cod, Francis Cooke was one of the men who signed the Mayflower Compact on November 11, 1620. William Bradford, who was a leader, wrote in his journal that "Francis Cooke and his son John" were there, but his "wife and children came afterwards."
Francis Cooke's family was given a plot of land for their house in New Plymouth in late 1620. In 1623, when land was divided, Francis received two acres. One acre was for himself and one for his son John. He also received four more acres for his wife and children. They arrived later in 1623 on another ship called the Anne.
In 1626, Francis Cooke and many other "first comers" (later called "Purchasers") bought all the colony's shares and land from the Merchant Adventurers in London. This was an important step for the colony to become more independent.
In 1627, when cattle were divided in Plymouth, Francis and Hester Cooke were mentioned. Their children John, Jacob, Jane, Hester, and Mary were also named. Two other men, Francis's nephew Phillip Delanoy and Experience Mitchell, who later married Francis's daughter Jane, were also listed.
Francis Cooke helped the colony in many ways. In 1628, he was one of six men chosen to mark the boundaries for land grants. In 1634, he helped lay out highways (roads) in the area. He continued this work in 1637 and later years, even when he was almost 70! He was very good at surveying new roads.
He also served on juries for court cases. These cases often involved things like property disputes or debts. In 1643, Francis Cooke and his sons Jacob and John were listed as being "Able to Bear Arms" from Plymouth.
In 1651, William Bradford wrote about Francis Cooke, saying he was "still living, a very old man." He noted that Francis had seen his grandchildren have children. He also mentioned that Francis and Hester had three children still living and married, with five children of their own. His son John, who came on the Mayflower with him, was married and had four children.
In 1662, the General Court approved a list of "firstborn children of this government" to receive land. This list included several original Mayflower passengers, like Francis Cooke, likely for their children.
Francis Cooke's Family
Francis Cooke married Hester Mahieu in Leiden, Holland, around July 20, 1603. They had seven children together. Hester died after June 8, 1666, and was buried at Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Francis and Hester Cooke's Children
The exact birth order of their children is not fully known.
- John was baptized in Leiden between January and March 1607. He died in Dartmouth on November 23, 1695. He married Sarah Warren on March 28, 1634, in Plymouth and they had five children.
- A child was buried in Leiden on May 20, 1608.
- Jane was born around 1609 in Leiden. She married Experience Mitchell in Plymouth after May 22, 1627.
- Elizabeth was baptized in Leiden on December 26, 1611. She later married Daniel Wilcox.
- Jacob was born around 1618 and died in Plymouth in December 1675. He was buried at Tyler Point Cemetery, Barrington, Rhode Island. He married Damaris Hopkins (daughter of Mayflower passenger Stephen Hopkins) in 1646 and had seven children. He later married Elizabeth (Lettice) Shurtleff in 1669 and had two children.
- Hester was born around 1620 in Leiden. She married Richard Wright in Plymouth in 1644 and had six children. She was buried at Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
- Mary was born in Plymouth around 1625 and died in Middleborough on March 21, 1714. She married John Tomson on December 26, 1645, in Plymouth. Both Mary and John were buried at Nemasket Hill Cemetery, Middleborough, Massachusetts.
Francis Cooke's Death
Francis Cooke passed away in Plymouth on April 7, 1663. He was buried on Burial Hill in Plymouth. When his belongings were listed after his death, it showed he had 16 sheep and 5 lambs, a "woolen wheele & scales," sheep shears, and 20 pounds of wool. This suggests he was involved with sheep and wool.
