John COOK

[Annette128]

Hi everyone I decided to put my post here,

I have John Cook mentioned on a grave stone inscription here in Rochdale Lancashire as dying in Melbourne Australia in 1854 and buried 17 November 1854.  He was born 1820 in Rochdale Lancashire.  The reason for this query is I wondered why he ended up in Australia.  I did find a death entry sometime ago for him.

Dont know where he is buried..
Dont know if he was married..


How can I find for what reason he went out to Australia, please?


Thank you to anyone who can enlighten me..
 

[rosball]

Hi Annette,

Many thousands of people flocked to Victoria in the early 1850's as a result of the gold rush.

https://museumsvictoria.com.au/marvellous/gold/index.asp
http://www.nma.gov.au/online_features/defining_moments/featured/gold-rushes

There was an uprising by the miners, The Eureka Stockade, but (just checked) this was in December 1854 so after your man had died. https://www.britannica.com/event/Eureka-Stockade

Here is Victorian BDM https://online.justice.vic.gov.au/bdm/indexsearch.doj - free to search

Ros

[wivenhoe]

Can you describe exactly what is on the headstone - all of it, not just the detail about John COOK.

An image would be better. Do you know this COOK family?

[judb]

Do you have any parent names, please?  Victorian death registration asks for parent name, birthplace etc - of course, some of those who emigrated had no-one who knew their origins so the information may not be included.  However, as you would appreciate this is a common name so we may be able to eliminate some of the four or five men of the same name with death registrations in Victoria in 1854.

I cannot get the index to load just at the moment 

Judith

[sparrett]

From the Vic Index.

COOK,John
Parents Unknown
Aged 33
Born Lancashire
Year 1854
Reg. 5270
Sue

[Annette128]

Hi dont know if I will get further with this,

just an update,

Yes I have the Cook family back, his father was James Cook a hairdresser mother Mary Whitfield married in Manchester 25 April 1813 The Cathedral..

John Cook was a Joiner.  Bapt 19 March 1820 St Chads Rochdale dont know when he left the town,
the memorial stone is a large 5 ft flat stone with other members of the family noted his is the last entry just says "John Cook who died in Melbourne Victoria buried 17 November 1854
" so the family got to know about him...

Thank you everyone

[shume]

Not sure if this helps but 1851 Census UK has John Cook b 1819 Rochdale, carpenter, wife Margaret, sons James 6, George 3, Wm 11mths.
Also Birth record for John Cook son of James, hairdresser, wife Mary b 19 March 1819 Parish Rochdale
at 5a.m.
Can't find passenger lists for them 1851-54 coming to Victoria at this stage. Gold Rush started in 1851 and his skills would have been in great demand.
shume from Australia

[Annette128]

Thank you for the details on the census I didnt have that and know that he had a family here.
I have updated my tree.  Great!

[shume]

Perhaps he came to Australia by himself to earn money to send for his family later. Death entry showing parents unknown indicates the death informant (? work mate) only knew he was from Lancashire and not his parents names. You would need to purchase this certificate to find out cause and place of death and burial.
Might be worth checking 1861 census for Margaret + chn although quite likely she remarried as she would have no means of support.
shume