Robert Challis (X) married Sarah Cooke (X) at Depden, with consent of parents, 12 November 1817. They were both of Depden and bachelor and spinster. The witnesses were Thomas Smith, John Frost and John Clark. Sarah Challis was buried at Depden 24 April 1845, aged 51 years and from Ousden. This may suggest that her family were at Depden.
In the 1841 census Sarah’s age was given as 45 and Robert’s as 42. (Note: the census actually records the name Susan, not Sarah, and it is an assumption that the 45 year old is his wife.) Since Robert was baptised 6 October 1799, his age is therefore fairly accurate. Sarah’s age may therefore be considered to be fairly accurate so she should have been born around 1795/6. Her burial gives her age as 51, which suggests a birth around 1793/4. A search of the registers of Depden yielded no likely baptism of Sarah Cook(e). The lack of burials of Cooks in the 18th and early 19th centuries suggests that Sarah Cook was not from an established Depden family and her burial there may reflect the fact that Robert Challis’s family came from there.
In the census of 1841 at Depden the Cook families were
Frances aged 70,
Thomas Cook aged 60 with Susan Cook aged 40 and Ann Bonnet aged 80, and
Joseph aged 40 with Harriet aged 40 and four daughters (at Cobnell Farm).
In 1851 at Depden the Cook families were
William aged 24 born at Depden with his wife and child and with his father Thomas Cook aged 67 born at Wickhambrook.
Joseph Cook aged 53 and born at Bradfield St George and his wife Harriet.
Elizabeth Cook aged 22 and born at Depden (a servant at Coblyn).
A search of Suffolk baptisms 1785 – 1805 for Sarah Cook(e) revealed the following possibilities:1790 at Rendham (too far away), 1790x2 at Bury St Edmunds (probably married there and less likely to move from urban to rural), 1792 at Gazeley (probably married there in 1813 to Hammond Watkinson and was living in Gazeley in 1841 with him aged 48), 1794 at Bradfield Combust (7 miles away from Depden), 1795 at Little Whelnetham (7 miles from Depden), 1796 at Wickhambrook and 1799 at Wickhambrook (the next parish).
Since Thomas Cook in Depden in 1841 and 1851 was born in Wickhambrook the two Wickhambrook possibilities seem most promising. These are:
29 May 1796 daughter of Thomas and Margaret
13 October 1799 daughter of Thomas and Susan
In addition to the marriage to Robert Challis at Depden in 1817 there is a marriage at Wickhambrook in 1823 to Abraham Dickerson. Either marriage of ‘Sarah Cook’ is possible for each of the two baptisms, so which is which?
The following is known for each Sarah:
|
Sarah Dickerson |
Sarah Challis |
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|
Event |
Age |
Birth Years |
Event |
Age |
Birth Years |
|
1823 Marriage |
|
|
1817 Marriage |
|
|
|
1841 Census |
40-44 |
1801-1797 |
1841 Census |
45 |
1795-6 |
|
1851 Census |
59 |
1791-2 |
1845 Burial |
51 |
1793-4 |
|
1861 Census |
68 |
1792-3 |
|
|
|
|
1870 Burial |
78 |
1791-2 |
|
|
|
The 1841 census of Wickhambrook gives rounded ages. The census of Ousden seems to be a mixture. Within Robert Challis’s family the ages could be exact and Robert’s, 42, is accurate. Sarah Dickerson’s age is consistent in the later years but at odds with the 1841 census, which may be more accurate as she was younger. Sarah Dickerson’s children were Mary 1824, Susan 1828, Miriam 1831, Elizabeth 1835 and Joseph 1840. If she were born 1791-2 then she would be around 48 when Joseph was born. This does not seem too likely. If Sarah Dickerson were baptised in 1799 and married in 1823 when she was about 24 years old then she would be about 41 when Joseph was born, which seems more probable. Sarah Challis’s last child was baptised in 1832. If she were born in 1799 then this would make her 33 which is perhaps somewhat young for a final child.
Given the connections of Sarah Challis with Depden (marriage, and the baptism of her first child, Thomas, the birth of her second, James, and her burial) and the presence there of Thomas Cook, a son of Thomas and Margaret of Wickhambrook, perhaps it may be concluded that she is the Sarah Cook who was baptised in 1796.
The family history below assumes that the correct baptism for Sarah Challis formerly Cook has been identified, i.e. 29 May 1796 daughter of Thomas and Margaret.
The baptism of Thomas the husband of Margaret cannot be identified accurately because there was another Thomas living at Wickhambrook at the same time. This second Thomas married Susannah Nunn 1787 at Wickhambrook (she was buried 1850 at Wickhambrook aged 88) and whose children were 1789 John, 1791 John, 1795 Mary, 1797 James, 1799 Sarah, 1801 Alice, 1803 Thomas, 1805 Mary, 1808 Alice and 1811 William. In 1841 at Duddery, Wickhambrook, Susan Cook was aged 75, Thomas Cook was aged 35 and Emily Cook was aged 10).
The possible baptisms of Thomas at Wickhambrook are:
2 July 1754, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (family: 1754 Thomas, 1755 John, 1756 Betty, 1758 Jane, 1760 Sarah)
24 November 1754 a son of Joseph and Mary (family: 1754 Thomas, 1754 Joseph, 1756 Amy)
2 March 1760, a son of Mary (perhaps buried at Wickhambook in 1814 aged 50?)
Of these possibilities perhaps that of Thomas and Elizabeth is most likely as the family names of Thomas, John and Sarah are used again for the children of Thomas and Margaret. However, there is insufficient detail in any of the registers to link any of the baptisms of ‘Thomas Cook(e)’ with the correct marriages and burials, so further progress cannot be made with any certainty.
The marriage of Thomas and Margaret is not included at FindmyPast, nor at Fimilysearch.
Margaret Cook was buried 1 July 1818 at Wickhambrook aged 58.
A Thomas Cook was buried at Wickhambrook 21 December 1840 aged 86 (giving a birth year of c. 1754, but was he the husband of Susannah or Margaret?).
Thomas and Margaret’s children were:
He was baptised 17 April 1785 at Wickhambrook. He married Susan Bonnet 6 September 1818 at Wickhambrook.
In 1841 he, an agricultural labourer, was living at The Green Depden aged 60. With him were Susan Cook aged 40 [wife] and Ann Bonnet aged 80 [mother-in-law]. All were born in Suffolk.
Susan Cook was buried 10 June 1845 at Depden aged 44. This fits with the baptism of a Susan Bonnet, 14 June 1801 a daughter of John and Ann at Wickhambrook.
In 1851 in Depden he was in the household of his son William, a widower aged 67, a pauper agricultural labourer born at Wickhambrook.
Thomas and Susan’s children were;
Mary Ann Cook, baptised 25 March 1821 at Depden.
William Cook, baptised 11 March 1827 at Depden. He probably married Elizabeth Prewer in the September quarter 1849 in the Thingoe district. An Elizabeth Prewer was baptised at Chevington 14 January 1831. In 1851 at Depden he was aged 24, an agricultural labourer, born at Depden. His wife, Elizabeth, was aged 20 and born at Chevington. Their child was Mary Ann aged 5 months and born at Depden. In 1861 at Tan Office Green, William was aged 34, an agricultural labourer born at Depden, His wife, Elizabeth, was aged 30 and employed in a clothes factory and born at Chevington. Their children were Mary A aged 10 born at Depden, Albert aged 9, Henry aged 4 and Elizabeth aged 1 all born at Chedburgh. In 1871 at Town Houses, Chevington, William was a widower aged 45, an agricultural labourer born at Depden, His children were Charles aged 14 born at Chedburgh, Elizabeth aged 11, Andrew aged 9 and Emma aged 5 all born at Chevington.
William and Elizabeth’s children were:
Mary A Cook,
Albert Cook,
Henry Charles Cook, birth registered in the September quarter 1856 in the Thingoe district.
Elizabeth Cook
Andrew Cook,
Emma Cook,
She was baptised 12 February 1790 at Wickhambrook.
He was baptised 19 August 1792 at Wickhambrook
She was baptised 29 May 1796 at Wickhambrook. She married Robert Challis 12 November 1817 at Depden and was buried there 24 April 1845, aged 51.
She was baptised 4 August 1799 at Wickhambrook.
He was baptised 10 November 1803 at Wickhambrook.
Posted
December 2016