Biographical Summary
Francis Cooke was born about 1583.
His origins have not been discovered, but it is probable he was born in
England, perhaps from the Canterbury or Norwich areas. He married
Hester le Mahieu on 20 July 1603 in Leiden, Holland; she was a French
Walloon whose parents had initially fled to Canterbury, England; she
left for Leiden sometime before 1603. Francis Cooke and Hester le
Mahieu's marriage occurred in Leiden, Holland six years before the
Pilgrim church made its move there, so he was living there long before
their arrival and must have met up with and joined them afterwards.
His wife Hester was a French Walloon. What brought Francis to
Holland in the first place is unknown: religious persecution of
Protestants in England did not really begin until after King James took
power in 1604. In 1606, the Cookes left Leiden and went to
Norwich, Norfolk for a time (for what reason is not known), but returned
to have their first son, John, baptized at the French church in Leiden,
sometime between January and March, 1607. In Holland, Cooke took
up the profession of a woolcomber.
Francis, and his oldest son John, came on the Mayflower to
Plymouth in 1620. He left behind his wife Hester and his other
children Jane, Jacob, Elizabeth and Hester. After the Colony was
founded and better established, he sent for his wife and children, 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. 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. |
