Cooke Family Burials at Arksey

Memorial to Sir George Cooke, taken in 1895

Cooke Burials Listed In Arksey

Based on evidence gathered from the Arksey parish registers, memorials, inscriptions on coffins and other documents, it has been possible to put together a list of Cooke family burials which have taken place at Arksey.

Some entries in the parish registers state where the burials were placed, whether it is the ‘old vault’ in the north transept of the church, or the ‘new vault’ in the vestry. Some coffins in the old vault have been identified at the opening of the vault in 2013. Various memorials have also helped with locating some interments.

A number of burials in the parish register give no clue as to where they were placed, however, as the old vault seems to date from around 1683, and the new vault from 1788, it may be safe to assume that all the early Baronets were interred in the old vault. The only problem with this is the lack of evidence within the vault itself. Early wooden coffins without lead linings have all rotted away in various floods, and while there are a number of bones and skulls scattered about the floor of the vault, there are fewer than might have been expected.

The following lists the Cooke burials and their locations from the evidence available, and where no certain evidence was available, these records have been listed as ‘Unknown Location’. 

Contents

• Old Vault
• Sir George Cooke (1st Baronet) 1628-1683
• Priscilla Cooke 1720-1794
• Lady Frances Jory (Middleton) Cooke (1749-1796)
• George Augustus Cooke 1780-1808
• Lady Harriet Cooke 1762-1814
• Sir George Cooke (7th Baronet) 1745-1823
• Sir William Bryan Cooke (8th Baronet) 1782-1851
• Frances (Cooke) Ramsden 1771-1843
• Louisa Janetta Cooke 1824-1838
• New Vault
• Lady Catherine (Sunderland) Cooke 1715-1792
• Priscilla Cooke 1743-1800
• John Cooke Esq. 1722-1807
• Churchyard
• Sir William Ridley Charles Cooke (9th Baronet) 1827-1894
• Charles Edward Stephen Cooke 1829-1895
• Burials of Unknown Location
• Lady Anne (Stanhope) Cooke - 1686
• Sarah Cooke 1666-1689
• Sir Henry Cooke (2nd Baronet) 1633-1689
• William Cooke 1694-1700
• Catherine (Copley) Cooke - 1703
• Lady Priscilla (Squire) Cooke 1685-1731
• Sir George Cooke (3rd Baronet) 1662-1732
• Sir Bryan Cooke (4th Baronet) 1684-1734
• Bryan Troll Cooke 1752-1752 
• Sir George Cooke (5th Baronet) 1714-1756
• George Cooke Esq. 1687-1763
• Diana Cooke 1686-1765
• Sir Brian (Bryan) Cooke (6th Baronet) 1717-1766
• John Cooke abt 1701-1767
• Henry Cooke -1767
• John Cooke -1776
• George Cooke -1779
• Sophia Cooke 1774-1779
• Caroline Matilda Cooke 1786-1786
• Catherine Matilda Cooke 1766-1787
• Catherine Cooke 1718-1788
• Mary Cooke 1755-1825

Key:

[PR] = From the parish registers.

[M] = From a memorial.

[CI] = From a coffin inscription.

Old Vault 

These burials lie in the old vault beneath the Cooke chapel of Arksey church.

Sir George Cooke (1st Baronet) 1628-1683

‘1683, 29 Oct, Dom[inus] Georgius Cooke de Wheatley bart.’ [PR]

      (Lord George Cooke of Wheatley. Baronet) 

'In this tomb rests the body of George Cooke, Baronet, of Wheatley, who died a bachelor the sixteenth day of October in the year of our Lord 1683. And here waits for resurrection and mercy.’ [M]

Memorial to Sir George Cooke

Priscilla Cooke 1720-1794

‘1794, 24 Jan, Mrs Priscilla Cooke spinster from Doncaster aged 74 years old vault.’ 

This was a daughter of the fourth Baronet. The use of the term ‘Mrs’ is probably a mistake when referring to a spinster. [PR] 

Lady Frances Jory (Middleton) Cooke 1749-1796

‘1796, 28 Dec, Frances Joram wife of Sir George Cooke of Wheatley Baronet and daughter of Sir John Lambert-Middleton of Belsay Castle in the county of Northumberland, Baronet. Died at Bath 15th December, buried in the old vault, age 47 years, unknown [cause of death].’  

Wife of the seventh Baronet Sir George Cooke (1745-1823). [PR]

Frances J Cooke

George Augustus Cooke 1780-1808

‘1808, 5 May, George Augustus Cooke esq., of Loversall  Hall, parish of Doncaster. 27 years. A decline, buried in the old vault in Arksey church.’ [PR] ‘Sacred to the memory of George Augustus Cooke Esq. who died on the 5th of May 1808, aged 27 years.' [M]   

The brother of the 8th Baronet Sir William Bryan Cooke (1780-1808). 

Memorial to George Augustus Cooke

Lady Harriet Cooke 1762-1814   

‘1814, 30 Jun, Harriott, 2nd wife of Sir George Cooke Bart. of Wheatley in the parish of Doncaster, in the old vault in the church, aged 57 years.’ [PR] 

'Harriet Cooke died June 25th 1814 aged 57 years.' [CI]   

Harriet Farrer Cooke, second wife of seventh Baronet Sir George Cooke (1745-1823).

Coffin shield for Harriet Cooke

Sir George Cooke (7th Baronet) 1745-1823

‘1823, 10 Jun, Sir George Cooke Bart of Wheatley age 79 yrs.’ [PR]

Sir George Cooke, 7th bt

Sir William Bryan Cooke (8th Baronet) 1782-1851

‘Herein is the body of Sir William Bryan Cooke, Bart. And Lord of the Manor of Arksey, and patron of this church. He was born on the 3rd of March, 1782, and died on the 24th of December, 1851.’ [CI]

Sir William Bryan Cooke, 8th bt

Sir William's coffin inscription

Frances (Cooke) Ramsden 1771-1843

‘Frances Ramsden, widow of the Rev John Ramsden, died 13th December 1843, aged 72.’ [CI] 

The daughter of the seventh Baronet Sir George Cooke (1745-1823).

Inscription on coffin of Frances Ramsden

Louisa Janetta Cooke 1824-1838

'Louisa Janetta, eldest daughter of Sir William Bryan Cooke and Lady Cooke, died July 12th 1838, aged 14 years.' [CI]  

The daughter of the eighth Baronet Sir William Bryan Cooke (1782-1851).

Louisa Janetta's coffin shield

New Vault 

The burials lie in the new vault beneath the vestry of Arksey church.

Lady Catherine (Sunderland) Cooke 1715-1792

‘1792, 21 Apr, Lady Catherine Cooke relict of the late Sir George Cooke of Wheatley, Bart. From Bedford Square parish of St Giles’s in the Fields, London, aged 77 years, New Vault.’ [PR] 

Wife of the fifth Baronet Sir George Cooke (1714-1756). She probably moved to London after being widowed.

Priscilla Cooke 1740-1800

‘1800, 3 Feb, Priscilla Cooke spinster d late Sir George Cooke of Wheatley Bart, from Bedford Square, parish of St Giles’s in the Fields, London, buried in the New Vault, age 57 years, unknown.’ [PR] 

This was a daughter of the fifth Baronet Sir George Cooke (1715-1756). ‘Unknown’ refers to unknown cause of death. Priscilla was actually 59 years old when she died as her baptism is in the parish records of St George's, Doncaster for the 3rd of August 1740.

John Cooke Esq. 1722-1807 

‘1807, 21 Jun, John Cooke Esq. from Bedford Square in the parish of St Giles in the Field, London, died the 8th day of June, buried in the New Vault, age 85 years, an epileptic fit.’ [PR] 

This was the husband of Catherine Cooke (b.1739) – daughter of the fifth Baronet Sir George Cooke (1715-1756).

Churchyard

These burials lie in Arksey churchyard.   

Sir William Ridley Charles Cooke (9th Baronet) 1827-1894

‘In loving memory of William Ridley Charles Cooke 9th Baronet of Wheatley Park. Born Oct 5th 1827 died September 27th 1894. Fear thou not for I am with thee.’ [M]

Sir William R C Cooke

Memorial to Sir William R C Cooke

Charles Edward Stephen Cooke 1829-1895

‘In loving memory of Charles Edward Stephen Cooke erected by his devoted wife Mary. Born August 1st 1829 entered into the joy of His Lord Feast of St Simon and Jude. Interred All Hallows Eve 1895 aged 66. I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. When I awake up after thy likeness shall be satisfied with it.’ [M] 

The brother of the ninth Baronet Sir William R C Cooke (1827-1894).

Memorial to Charles E S Cooke

Burials of Unknown Location

All the following entries were taken from the Arksey parish registers. The location of these burials is unidentified.

Lady Anne (Stanhope) Cooke d. 1686

'1686, 17 Jan, Honorabilis Domina Anna Cooke de Wheatley.' (Honorable Lady Anne Cooke of Wheatley).

Sarah Cooke 1666-1689

     '1689, 2 Jul, Sarah f Honorabilis Dominus Georgii                  Cooke de Wheatley baroneti' (Daughter of Honourable          Lord George Cooke of Wheatley baronet)

      Sarah was actually the daughter of Henry Cooke, 2nd            baronet, Wheatley, not George as stated in the parish              register. 

Sir Henry Cooke (2nd Baronet) 1633-1689

'1689, 16 Jul, Honorabilis Dom[inus] Henricus Cook d Wheatley baron[e]ti’(Honourable Lord Henry Cook of Wheatley Baronet).

William Cooke 1694-1700

       '1700, 13 May, Gulielmus f Hon. Georgi Cooke de                 Wheatley Bart ' (William son of Lord George Cooke of           Wheatley baronet)

       Son of the 3rd baronet Sir George Cooke (1662-1732). 

 Catherine (Copley) Cooke d. 1703

       '1703, 9 Apr, Katharina uxor Honorabilis Georgi                   Cooke  de Wheatley Bart' (Catherine wife of Lord                  George Cooke of Wheatley baronet).

        Wife of the 3rd baronet Sir George Cooke (1662-                  1732).

Lady Priscilla (Squire) Cooke 1685-1731

‘1731, 29 Jun, Priscilla uxor Brian Cooke de Wheatley armiger.’(Priscilla, the wife of Brian Cooke of Wheatley, squire). 

Wife of the fourth Baronet Sir Bryan Cooke (1684-1734) .

Sir George Cooke (3rd Baronet) 1662-1732

'1732, 12 Oct, Dominus Georgius Cooke d Adwick baronettus.'

                     (Lord George Cooke of Adwick Baronet)

Sir Bryan Cooke (4th Baronet) 1684-1734

‘1734, 12 Nov, Sir Bryan Cooke of Wheatley Bart.’

Bryan Troll Cooke 1752-1752

‘1752, 14 Dec, Bryan Troll son of Bryan Cooke of Pontefract Esqr.’ 

Bryan was an infant son of Bryan Cooke who became the 6th Baronet after his brother’s death in 1756.

 

Sir George Cooke (5th Baronet) 1714-1756

‘1756, 30 Aug, Sir George Cooke of Wheatley Baronet.’

George Cooke Esq. 1687-1763

‘1763, 16 Sep, George Cooke Esqr from Bridgefoot.’ 

This was the son of the third Baronet Sir George Cooke (1662-1732). Bridgefoot was also known as Bridge End and Don Bridge at Bentley’s West End. A large house existed there, built by the Wilbore family.

 

Diana Cooke 1686-1765

‘1765, 2 Feb, Diana Cooke from York.’ 

A daughter of the third Baronet, Sir George Cooke (1662-1732).

Sir  Brian (Bryan) Cooke (6th Baronet) 1717-1766

‘1766, 10 Mar, Sir Brian Cooke of Wheatley Bart.’

John Cooke abt 1701-1767

‘1767, 20 Jan, Mr John Cooke gentleman from Doncaster, left 3 sons George, Brian and Henry. George was Rector of Darfield. Brian lived in Doncaster and Henry at Newark, and one daughter.’ 

This was a brother of the fourth Baronet, Sir Bryan Cooke (1684-1734).

Henry Cooke 1767-1767

‘1767, 2 Oct, Henry son of Mr Brian Cooke of Doncaster.'  

Probably the grandson of John Cooke above.

John Cooke -1776  

‘1776, 2 Mar, John son of Mr Bryan Cooke from Doncaster.’ 

Of the Wadworth branch of Cookes.

George Cooke -1779

‘1779, 26 Mar, George son of Sir G. Cooke of Wheatley Bart.’ 

Infant son of the seventh Baronet, Sir George Cooke (1745-1823).

Sophia Cooke 1774-1779

‘1779, 5 Nov, Sophia daughter of Sir G. Cooke of Wheatley Baronet.’ 

Daughter of the seventh Baronet, Sir George Cooke (1745-1823), born 27th May 1774.

Caroline Matilda Cooke 1786-1786

‘1786, 18 Oct, Caroline Matilda daughter of Sir George Cooke Bart of Wheatley aged 7 weeks.’ 

Infant daughter of the seventh Baronet, sir George Cooke (1745-1823), baptised on the 5th October 1786.

Catherine Matilda Cooke 1766-1787

‘1787, 29 Sep, Miss Catherine Matilda Cooke only daughter of John Cooke Esq. of Bedford Square, London aged 21 years.’ 

This was a granddaughter of the fifth Baronet, sir George Cooke (1714-1756).

Catherine Cooke 1718-1788

‘1788, 7 Apr, Miss Catherine Cooke spinster from Doncaster aged 70 years.’ 

This was a daughter of the fourth Baronet, Sir Bryan Cooke (1684-1734).

Mary Cooke 1755-1825

‘1825, 30 Jun, Miss Mary Cooke of Doncaster age 70 years.’ 

This was the daughter of the sixth Baronet, Sir Bryan Cooke (1717-1766).

Alison Vainlo 

First written 2014, corrected and updated 2020