Jump to content

Richard Cocke

Add links
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Underdoor (talk | contribs) at 17:10, 13 July 2012 (→Landholdings: Corrected name of adjoining landholder from "John Pearce" to "John Price"). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Richard Cocke (1597 – 1665) was a prominent colonial Virginia planter and politician. He established a politically and social dynasty that firmly seated itself as among the most prominent in Virginia. Among his more prominent descendants are U.S. presidents George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush and descendants closely connected with George Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

Early Life

Richard Cocke was born in 1597 at Pickthorn, Stottesdon, Shropshire and baptized Dec. 13, 1597 at Sidbury in Shropshire.[1] He was the son of Thomas Cocke a yeoman farmer.[2] His early education is not known but it is clear he was educated as he was both literate and of enough education to represent as an attorney in court.

Arrival in Virginia

The first Virginia record of Richard Cocke is of December 24th, 1627, when he appeared at the court in Jamestown to give testimony as the purser of the Thomas and John that four men of Mr. Sharples had run away while being transported to Virginia.[3] Cocke again appeared on February 10th, 1629 as Patrick Canada’s attorney and ordered to take custody of Thomas Hunter’s estate on behalf of Patrick Canada.[4]

Settlement and Family

Cocke was definitively settled in Virginia by 1632, as record on June 5, 1632 Court learned that Richard Cocke had married Temperance, the widow of John Browne and settled his estate with a fee of 6,397 pounds of tobacco.[5] Temperance was born about 1617 in Virginia, the daughter of an unknown Baley or Bayley and Cicely Jordan Farrar who had arrived at Jamestown in August of 1610, as is indicated by the 1623 and 1624/25 Muster .[6] [7] Temperance married between the age of 13 and 14 John Browne with whom she had children.[8] Richard Cocke and Temperance had two known sons Thomas and Richard. Following the death of Temperance he married Mary Aston, a daughter of Walter Aston, with whom he had children including another son Richard.[9] His two sons named Richard have traditionally been differentiated as Richard the Elder and Richard the Younger.[10]

Landholdings

Richard Cocke “Gentleman” patented 3,000 acres near the lands of John Price, Thomas Hallam and Thomas Harris in Henrico County on March 6th, 1636 and expanded his holdings further on March 10th 1639 with an addition 2,000 acres.[11] On December 6th, 1652 he added 2,842 more acres in Henrico County with an added 100 acres on the Chickahominy on Aug 24th, 1664.[12] Cocke’s last acquisition was in partnership with John Beauchamp on June 21, 1664 consisting of 2,974 acres on the south side of the Chickahominy. Beauchamp confirmed his portion to Cocke’s sons after his death.[13] By the time Richard Cocke died he was in possession of 10,916 acres of land spread over three sites named, ‘Bremo” (his home site), ‘Malvern Hill’ and ‘Curles’. He is also known to have owned property in present day Surry County, Virginia where he first resided in the early 1630s.[14]

Member of the Virginia House of Burgesses

Richard Cocke served in as a member of the House of Burgesses periodically throughout his life. He is first recorded in 1632 representing Weyanoke. Cocke later represented Henrico in sessions from 1644 to 1654.[15] In addition to his service in the House of Burgesses he was also a Colonel of the local militia and a justice of the court.[16]

Surname

Traditionally the Cocke surname has been pronounced as ‘Cook’, which accounts for errors in which the name was recorded as Cooke. Though some descendants still pronounce the name ‘Cook’ many have averted to ‘Cock’ as a means of cultural conformity, much like that of the Randolph family whose name was traditionally pronounced ‘Randalls’ in Virginia.

Notable Descendants

  1. J. Thompson Brown
  2. Barbara Pierce Bush
  3. Billy Bush
  4. George H. W. Bush
  5. George P. Bush
  6. George W. Bush
  7. James Smith Bush
  8. Jeb Bush
  9. Jonathan Bush
  10. Jonathan S. Bush
  11. Lauren Bush
  12. Marvin Bush
  13. Neil Bush
  14. Prescott Bush
  15. Samuel P. Bush
  16. William H. T. Bush
  17. Walter Eli Clark
  18. Mary E. Cobb
  19. Norvell P. Cobb
  20. Charles Lewis Cocke
  21. James Cocke
  22. James Richard Cocke
  23. John Alexander Cocke
  24. John Hartwell Cocke
  25. Lucian Howard Cocke
  26. Philip St. George Cocke
  27. William Cocke
  28. William Michael Cocke
  29. Ambrose Congreve
  30. Thomas Roderick Dew
  31. James H. Dooley
  32. John Prescott Ellis
  33. Nancy Walker Bush Ellis
  34. Francis W. Eppes
  35. John Wayles Eppes
  36. Richard Eppes
  37. Ann Bolling Randolph Fitzhugh
  38. William Henry Fitzhugh
  39. James P. Goodrich
  40. Jenna Hager
  41. Burton Harrison
  42. Constance Cary Harrison
  43. Fairfax Harrison
  44. Francis Burton Harrison
  45. James Hay (politician)
  46. Theodore Frelinghuysen Jewell
  47. Dorothy Bush Koch
  48. Nancy Lancaster
  49. Henry C. Lay
  50. Mary Anna Custis Lee
  51. Mary Lee Fitzhugh Custis
  52. George Washington Custis Lee
  53. Robert E. Lee, Jr.
  54. William Henry Fitzhugh Lee
  55. Benjamin W. Leigh
  56. George C. Marshall
  57. Benjamin McCandlish
  58. Samuel Eliot Morison
  59. W. Brown Morton III
  60. James Pleasants
  61. Charles Henry Poor
  62. Beverley Randolph
  63. John Stark Ravenscroft
  64. Stephen Clegg Rowan
  65. James Shannon (academic)
  66. Skipwith Baronets
  67. Sofka Skipwith
  68. Peter Burwell Starke
  69. William E. Starke
  70. Jack Isidor Straus
  71. Jeremy Tree
  72. Charles S. Venable
  73. John Wayles
  74. Barbara Harrison Wescott

Places and Estates associated with Richard Cocke and the Cocke family

The descendants of Richard Cocke lived in the grand style associated with the Virginia aristocracy and in that fashion built a number of great estates.

  • Estates
  1. Appomattox Manor owned by descendant Richard Eppes.
  2. Arlington House, The Robert E. Lee Memorial
  3. Bacon’s Castle inherited by Benjamin Cocke who married the daughter of Arthur Allen, and whose descendants expanded the house.
  4. Bremo Historic District a large estate with three residences built by John Hartwell Cocke.
  5. Branch House built by descendant John Kerr Branch.
  6. Chatham Manor built by descendant Ann Bolling Randolph Fitzhugh and husband William Fitzhugh.
  7. The Cedars (Albemarle County, Virginia) built by John S. Cocke.
  8. Derwent (Powhatan County, Virginia) built by Thomas Lewis Preston Cocke.
  9. Edgemont (Albemarle County, Virginia) built by James Powell Cocke.
  10. Esmont (Esmont, Virginia) built by Dr. Charles Lewis Cocke.
  11. Estouteville (Esmont, Virginia) built by descendant Selina Skipwith and husband John Coles.
  12. Malvern Hill owned by Richard Cocke the house at Malvern Hill was built by his son Thomas Cocke, the house burned down in 1905.
  13. Maymont Park built by descendant Sallie May Dooley.
  14. Mount Pleasant (Surry County, Virginia) built by Richard Cocke IV.
  15. Oakland (Cumberland County, Virginia) built by Bowler Cocke.
  16. Old Woodville (Esmont, Virginia) was built by descendant Elizabeth Fauntleroy Cocke and her husband Walter Coles, ancestors of George C. Marshall.
  17. Prestwould built and owned by Sir Peyton Skipwith whose 1st and 2nd wives were sisters Ann and Jean Miller grand-daughters of Anne Cocke.
  18. Ravensworth (plantation) built by descendant Ann Bolling Randolph Fitzhugh and husband William Fitzhugh, inherited by William Henry Fitzhugh, Mary Lee Fitzhugh and William Henry Fitzhugh Lee.
  19. Rocklands (Gordonsville, Virginia) built by descendant Robert B. Haxall.
  20. Swannanoa (mansion) built by descendant Sallie May Dooley.
  21. Tallwood (Esmont, Virginia) built by descendant Helen Skipwith and husband Tucker Coles.
  22. Weston Manor owned by descendant Richard Eppes and gifted to his daughter Christian who married William Gilliam.
  23. Wickham-Leigh House built by descendant Benjamin Watkins Leigh and is now owned by the Valentine Richmond History Center
  • Places Associated with the Cocke Family
  1. Cocke County, Tennessee named for William Cocke
  2. Cocke Hall located at the The Lawn of the University of Virginia is named for John Hartwell Cocke.
  3. Hollins University in Roanoke Virginia is an all-female university founded by Charles Lewis Cocke.

References

  1. ^ Day, Steven R. (1). "Richard Cocke of Henrico, Virginia". Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. 45 (3). {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  2. ^ Day, Steven R. (1). "Richard Cocke of Henrico, Virginia". Magazine of Virginia Genealogy. 45 (3). {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ McCartney, Martha W. (Apr 30, 2007). Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  4. ^ McCartney, Martha W. (Apr 30, 2007). Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  5. ^ McCartney, Martha W. (Apr 30, 2007). Virginia Immigrants and Adventurers, 1607-1635: A Biographical Dictionary. Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Com. p. 214.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
  6. ^ Dorman, John Frederick, Adventurers of Purse and Person, 4th ed., v1 pp926-929
  7. ^ "The Living and Dead in Virginia, Feb. 16, 1623" http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/jamestown/census/1623cens.tx
  8. ^ Dorman, John Frederick, Adventurers of Purse and Person, 4th ed., v1 pp926-929
  9. ^ Stanard, William Glover (1921). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 29. Richmond, VA: Virginia Historical Society.
  10. ^ Stanard, William Glover (1921). The Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Volume 29. Richmond, VA: Virginia Historical Society.
  11. ^ Brock, Robert Alonzo (1886). Documents, chiefly unpublished, relating to the Huguenot emigration to Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Historical Society. p. 193.
  12. ^ Brock, Robert Alonzo (1886). Documents, chiefly unpublished, relating to the Huguenot emigration to Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Historical Society. p. 193.
  13. ^ Brock, Robert Alonzo (1886). Documents, chiefly unpublished, relating to the Huguenot emigration to Virginia. Richmond, Virginia: Virginia Historical Society. p. 193.
  14. ^ Henrico County Land Book 1, page 403, page 407, Book 3, page 133, Book 5, page 12 and page 399.
  15. ^ Torrence, Rev. Clayton (1922). "Cocke Family". Sons of the Revolution in State of Virginia quarterly magazine. 1–2: 52.
  16. ^ Torrence, Rev. Clayton (1922). "Cocke Family". Sons of the Revolution in State of Virginia quarterly magazine. 1–2: 52.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richard_Cocke&oldid=502092757"