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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Cheshire => Topic started by: Bettycw on Tuesday 14 June 05 09:35 BST (UK)
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I am searching for a connection between the Cooke family in Jamaica and any Cooke in the UK. I think there is a connection with a Cooke family from Cheshire. They settled in Westmoreland, St Elizabeth and St James in Jamaica.
BW
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Hi I am trying to find the same thing. Have you found anything yet?
My great uncle is Howard Felix Cooke who helped found the People's National Party in 1938 and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth. My Cooke family is in Bristol and Nottingham. The Jamaicans are in Kingston, St. Catherines, and Montego Bay outskirts.
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Hello AlannaLoren,
I have a contact for your Cooke family. I will forward your request to them and hopefully you will be able to make the family connection. My Cooke family are not related to Howard's set.
Regards
Bettycw
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Ok thank you very much
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Ok thank you very much
I think believe that we could be family. My mother is Howard Cooke's niece.
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I have a very detailed history of the Cooke family and our move from England, to Jamaica, and beyond. My father Gordon Cooke, son of Denis Cooke son of Percival hilton cooke and so on. Ian Mcneil Cooke has a very detailed account of the family history. I can attempt to answer any other questions you may have.
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Wow basically in tears right now..
A lot of these comments are the same story as mine.
My grandmother name is Leoseal Joyce Cooke she currently lives in St. Catherine. I was told that Govern General Sir Howard Cooke is my grandmother cousin. I was also told that my great grandfather was from England. I would love to get in touch with the Cooke family in England and the remaining Cooke's in Jamaica.
Thank you
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I am a Family member of the Cooke's from Kingston, Ja. My grandfather is a descendant of the four Cooke brothers from England/Scottland. We most recently met Cookes in Virginia who know our political ties to Ja. Not sure if the also rings a bell, but we are descendants of the brother who had a mixed marriage. Sound familiar?
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Hello! I just joined here as I was searching for my cousins, our family name is Cooke. I saw Bettycw and wondered if you are my cousin. Do you have a brother Gordon, Uncles Reggie and Roy, Aunts Essie, Lynne, Gertie, and Alda. I am Essie's daughter.
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Hi!
My family name is also Cooke, and live in London. I believe that My Grandfather (Lloyd Cooke) was from Westmorland. Unfortunately that is all I know as he died when my mother was quite young, and they lost contact with his side of the family. I believe he had around 2 sisters, one that lived in London and another that moved to America although again this could be inaccurate.
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I'm a 35 year old Londoner who has recently embarked on a search for my maternal Grandfather and his family, I have very little details about him aside from his name which is Arthur Cooke, I believe he was from or at least lived and/or worked in Kingston at the time of my mothers birth in 1957 (so i guess 1955-57). I was fascinated to find this forum and read the posts that are here and the possibility that i might be related to someone here. I would really love to know more about the Cooke family history both in Jamaica and Britain, and more than happy to share email details with anyone would might be able to help me.
Thank you kindly.
Damian
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Dear All,
I was absolutely fascinated the find this discussion being a Cooke descendant myself.
Alanna who posted earlier is my cousin. We share the same Grandparents in Aston Cooke Sr and Ena Cooke (both deceased). My mother Lilian (deceased) was their eldest child. They had 9 altogether. Aston, my Grandfather was the brother of the late Sir Howard Felix Cooke, founder of the People's National Party along with Norman Cooke and others.
Our Grandfather settled in Bristol after emigrating to the UK in the early 50's where he was a prominent figure in the West Indian and mainstream community. He owned property and was a Bishop in the Church of God of Prophecy, which he served for over 50 years as a Pastor both in the UK and America, until ill health forced him to retire.
The Cooke's as previously mentioned, settled in the Western past of Jamaica, Westmoreland, Montego Bay mainly.
My Grandfather Aston and Howard shared the same father, David Cooke, but not the same mother. David had many children and was a very handsome man, as was my Grandfather. I believe altogether there were something like 19 children, mainly boys. I believe 3 of David's children are still alive.
Sir Howard Cooke was very highly respected in Jamaica and internationally. He rose to prominence from being a country Headteacher, to become the Governor General of Jamaica. His wife Lady Ivy Cooke passed away a few months ago at 100 years of age. He predeceased her by two years and they were married for 75 years. His first words to her were "I am going to marry you." They met when they were both a Teacher training college.
Despite placing top of his class upon graduating from Mico College in Jamaica, the Caribbean's oldest teacher training institute and being offered Headteacher posts at prominent schools in Kingston, at the insistence of the Principal of the college, he went to a very rural school in Portland to take up the role of Headteacher there. The 12 years he spent there formed his character and a sense of service to others, which he took right up to the highest office in the land.
He left teaching and in between serving in political office, was also an insurance executive. He also served as the Minister of Education in Jamaica in the early-mid 70's.
All Cooke's in Jamaica are related in some way and this extends to the UK from where I believe the family originally hailed. Would be interested to learn more about who the first settlers from the UK were.
In Montego Bay where Sir Howard resided, his son Richard runs a well known Guest House and his other son Howard Cooke Jr. QC was formerly head of the High Court in Jamaica.
The main Highway into Montego Bay is called "Sir Howard Cooke Highway."
There are Cooke cousins from Aston and Ena's lineage in Nottingham, Bristol and London.
I welcome any information on who the first Cooke settlers in Jamaica were and when they settled there.
God Bless!
SeanJeremy
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It is a pleasure to read all of this. I too am a descendant of the Cooke family. My grandmother was Howard's cousin. They moved to NY and raised 6 children. I have realized a thousand connections and am very please to connect to the roots I have in Jamaica. - Will
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One of my ancestors James Cooke was born in 1709 in Brighton, Sussex, his father, Francis, was 24 and his mother, Mary, was 23. He married Mildred Brooker on 18 August 1742 in Lewes, Sussex. They had seven children in 22 years. He died in May 1773 in Savanna-la-Mar, Westmoreland, Jamaica, at the age of 64. As I understand it he was a Ships Captain so I am not sure if he lived in Jamaica or just died there.