Author Topic: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837  (Read 2790 times)

Offline jonwicken

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Re: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837
« Reply #9 on: Monday 19 June 17 15:38 BST (UK) »
Through ancestry, I have been in touch with a descendant of Robert's grandson Robert Cocking.

Her cousin has sent her the following which she has given me permission to post here:

"I've had a look through my box of records and on-line and can't tell you why we think we are descended from Robert Cocking the parachutist. It may be an anecdotal family story but I think I've seen it somewhere in writing on a record. Something tells me it was a military record but I could be wrong.

"What I did find are some births, deaths & marriage certificates.

"The earliest is the marriage certificate of Robert Cocking to Isabella Murray which took place on 18 April 1854. Robert Cocking lists his birth place as Exeter, his occupation butcher, age 32 and parents are shown as Percy Cocking (occupation stationer) and Mary Anne Cocking. That would give his birth as approx. 1822

"When his daughter (our great grandmother) Elizabeth Ann Jane Cocking was born on 11 Aug 1859, Robert Cocking gives his occupation as farmer and age 37, again pointing to a birth year of 1822.
On Robert Cocking's death certificate it says he died on 4 Aug 1863, occupation hawker, age 41, father Robert Cocking, mother not known, born in London and resident in Victoria 11 Years. Death certificates are often not reliable when trying to remeber who the deceased's parents were. In this case the information on the death certificate was provided by hospital hall porter. I would image he would have spoken with the family to get his information.

"So, its conflicting information and confuses more than helps."

Lots of the information does not agree regarding Robert's parent's names but I would assume he knew where he was born. So did Robert Cocking senior's son Richard Percy Cocking live in Exeter around the time of his son Robert's birth?

Perhaps Richard and his father Robert Cocking senior both lived there for a time if they were in business.

It might be worth posting in the thread forum which covers Exeter for a baptism look up for the Cockings.

I would probably also order the birth certificate of that Richard Percy Cocking who was born in Westminster in 1838 to see who his father was. I suspect that his father may well be another son of Richard Percy Cocking senior.

Jon


Offline philiprosscarter

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Re: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837
« Reply #10 on: Monday 19 February 18 01:29 GMT (UK) »
Like the others, I can’t find anything which clarifies who the “Irish clergyman” father of Robert was. The only candidate I can find is Rev Dr Ralph Cocking who died in 1773, three years before Robert was born. However, if 1776 is Robert’s correct year of birth that would mean he was only 18 when his first child was born (Richard Percy Cocking, born 1794 in Dublin & my great-great-great grandfather). There is a baptism record for a Robert Cocking in Aug 1767 at St Catherines Dublin, parents unknown. Is it possible that Robert was actually born in 1767? However, that would mean he was 70 when he made his fateful descent. Why would he want to put his age down by 9 years? But, it becomes possible for him to be the child of Ralph Cocking. What do we know of Ralph Cocking’s history, family, etc?

Robert’s first marriage to Jane produced Richard Percy Cocking (1794-1842) and Rebecca Cocking (born 1796). It appears there were no children from his second marriage to Anna Maria Hooke who would have been about 42 at the time of their marriage.

Richard Percy Cocking married a Swedish woman Caroline Sophia Tornquist in 1816 and they appear to have had three children, Henry Percy William Cocking (1816-1840), Robert Cocking (1822-1863) and Harriet Cocking (1826, fl.1901), Mrs Hobson.

Robert (1822-1863) almost certainly was my great-great grandfather. He married in 1844 Mary Ann Hobson and their children appear to have been Caroline Ann (1845, fl.1851), Richard Percy (1847-1848), Mary Ann Elizabeth (1850-1854), Charles Robert (1851-1865) and Benjamin John (Jan 1853-1936). Not certain of the last one since on 18 April 1854 Robert was in Melbourne Australia marrying Isabella Sharp (nee Murray), my great-great grandmother.

As Robert was marrying bigamously it appears he deliberately falsified some of his details on his marriage certificate which has caused no end of confusion in piecing together his family. He claimed he was born in Exeter. On the 1841 census he says he was born in Pimlico, a suburb of London. His death certificate also shows he was born in London. A possible explanation. In 1822, when Robert Cocking was born, there was an Exeter Street on the west side of Pimlico, although more in Knightsbridge or Brompton than in Pimlico (it’s no longer there now). It’s on this map, http://mapco.net/smith/smith17.htm  May be an explanation.

Robert’s first wife, Mary Ann, must have met someone else as she produced four more children, Havelock Cocking (1857-1859), William Broadbent Cocking (1859, fl.1871), Albert Cocking (1864, fl.1881) and Arthur Cocking (1867, fl.1881).

Interestingly, on the 1871 census Mary Ann Cocking states she was a widow (her husband Robert had died in 1863 in Melbourne). How did she know this? Did someone in Melbourne know of her existence and how to contact her?

Offline antman111

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Re: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837
« Reply #11 on: Monday 19 February 18 17:27 GMT (UK) »
Dear Philip,

I write this in some haste - However, I think, after much searching myself, that Ralph Cocking is an irrelevance. Otherwise, I have come to the same conclusion as you regarding Robert Cocking's birthdate, i.e. 1767. See: https://churchrecords.irishgenealogy.ie/churchrecords/search.jsp?namefm=Robert&namel=Cocking&location=&yyfrom=1750&yyto=1820&submit=Search

The date of his baptism is given is 31 August 1767. Unless a mistake has been made, i.e., ‘1767’ = ‘1776’, this, I agree, would make 'our' Robert Cocking 69 rather than 61 at the time of his death. However it makes sense given the second record (which you also quote) in the same archive for the baptism of Richard Percy Cocking, at St Paul’s, Dublin, on 13 March 1794 – father, Robert, mother, Jane as on 13 June 1826, Robert Cocking found himself in the Court for the Relief of Insolvent Debtors, a bankrupt ‘Artist and Ornamental Screen and Card Rack Manufacturer’. His co-partner (and presumably his son) is given as Richard Percy Cocking. See: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/18250/page/12/data.pdf

Why he perhaps disguised his age remains a mystery. Perhaps it was good old-fashioned vanity - I know he wore a wig! As for Robert C. b. 1822, I also agree with your your hypothesis that 'Exeter' actually refers to 'Exeter Street', Chelsea, and that Exeter Devon is a red herring. I have just completed an article entitled: 'Robert Cocking,The Man who Fell To Earth'. I would be delighted to send you a copy when it is published later this spring.

Thanks and best wishes,

antman111

Offline prc_carter

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Re: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837
« Reply #12 on: Wednesday 21 February 18 07:55 GMT (UK) »
Would love to see a copy of your article when its finished. If you're convinced Robert Cocking was born in 1767 who's going to update his Wikipedia entry?
Phil.


Offline jonwicken

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Re: Robert Cocking 1776 (or 7) - 1837
« Reply #13 on: Monday 18 June 18 22:40 BST (UK) »
The original Dublin baptism entry for Robert Cocking from 1767 is now online at ancestry here:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61039/07138_04_0025?pid=7471593&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DcOW90%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26qh%3DEW1X4GUa5JrDhQhTquK3NA%253D%253D%26db%3DIrelandCatholicParish%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsln%3Dcocking%26gsln_x%3D0%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dzo3%26pcat%3D34%26fh%3D0%26h%3D7471593%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D1&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=cOW90&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true

Name:   Robert Cocking
Baptism Date:   31 Aug 1767
Baptism Place:   St Catherine's, Dublin
Father:   James Cocking
Mother:   Dorothy Cocking

This does not give the father's occupation but does list two Godparents in Robert Cocking and Christian McOnally (?). This Robert Cocking senior is presumably either his uncle or grandfather.

In addition to this there is another child of James and Dorothy (so a younger brother) baptised in 1779 at St Audoen's, Dublin:

https://www.ancestry.co.uk/interactive/61039/06778_01_0004?pid=7443369&backurl=https://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/sse.dll?_phsrc%3DcOW90%26_phstart%3DsuccessSource%26usePUBJs%3Dtrue%26indiv%3D1%26qh%3DEW1X4GUa5JrDhQhTquK3NA%253D%253D%26db%3DIrelandCatholicParish%26gss%3Dangs-d%26new%3D1%26rank%3D1%26msT%3D1%26gsln%3Dcocking%26gsln_x%3D0%26MSAV%3D1%26uidh%3Dzo3%26pcat%3D34%26fh%3D1%26h%3D7443369%26recoff%3D%26ml_rpos%3D2&treeid=&personid=&hintid=&usePUB=true&_phsrc=cOW90&_phstart=successSource&usePUBJs=true 8)

Name:   Petrus Cocking [Peter Cocking]
Baptism Date:   5 Feb 1779
Baptism Place:   St Audoen's, Dublin city
Father:   Jacobi Cocking
Mother:   Dorothe Cocking

I can't find Peter anywhere else but thought I would post the records up here.

Kind regards,
Jon