Post by Zenobia on Jul 24, 2007 1:07:25 GMT -5
Have been meaning to post this one for quite awhile...
It involves a hunch I had, which had nothing much to back it up, barring chronology and omnastic evidence.
But thanks to the wonderful A2A, it is now proven.
William Cock of Connerwartha in Gwithian was twice married, and had a whole passel of children from 1605 - 1632, including 6 sons who survived to adulthood.
His sons Roger and Anthony never married, and his sons Henry and Bennett were most diligent in seeing to it that their children were baptised in the church.
Not so the two youngest sons, James and Charles.
James had his only daughter baptised (at Phillack), but neglected to baptise his 4 known sons. Their names survive because they are mentioned in the will of James' brother Anthony, and the three survivors in the will of their maternal aunt, and in James' will himself.
Charles managed to get 5 of his seven children recorded, but 3 were births as opposed to baptisms, and all 5 were scribbled in the register at the most awkward places, and frequently crossed out. His two eldest daughters, who only had their births in the register, and his eldest son Charles, were all baptised again as adults (the daughters together, and Charles with two of James' sons, his cousins.
James' eldest was born in 1665 and Charles' children from 1663 to ca. 1675.
Proving the wives for James and Charles Cock was even more challenging.
James named his wife Barbara in his will, and the will of Grace White, widow, proved that Barbara was her sister, and was a daughter of John Andrewartha.
Charles Cock did not leave a will, and his wife Mary is known only from her inclusion as the mother at the adult baptisms of her two eldest daughters Mary and Grace.
While messing with the IGI one day, I ran across two very interesting marriages, about 80 miles away from Gwithian, in the parish of St. Winnow:
Charles Cock and Mary Harris 25 Nov 1662
James Cock and Barbara _______ 2 Sep 1664
Could this be the Gwithian Cock brothers? The wives names were right, and the time period was perfect. The St. Winnow register contained no subsequent baptisms for Cocks after these marriage entries, nor could I find any children of a James and Charles Cock in the near vicinity.
I decided to follow my hunch.
Since James' wife, Barbara Andrewartha, was also a Gwithian girl, I decided to see if there was a Mary Harris at Gwithian who was a candidate for Charles' wife.
There was only one who would fit - Mary, d/o John and Grace (Angove) Harry of Gwithian, chr. there 29 Dec 1640. This John Harry/Harris was called John of Tolsethen, to distinguish him from his cousin John Harry of Angarrack. Besides daughter Mary, he also had a daughter Jane chr. in 1642/3, who m. Thomas Carthew at Gwithian in 1660. No marriage could be found at Gwithian or surrounding parishes for Mary.
This is where omnastics became very important.
Charles and Mary had the following children:
Grace b. 9 Oct 1663
Mary b. 2 Feb 1664/5
Charles b. 1 Apr 1667
Jane chr. 2 Feb 1669/70
John chr. 6 Feb 1670/1
Agnes ca. 1673
Constance ca. 1675
Mary and Charles were obviously named after their parents. Constance would appear to be named for Charles' spinster sister. Jane and Grace were names of two of Charles' sisters, but would also be the names of Mary Harris' sister and mother. There was no John or Agnes in Charles' family, but Mary Harris had a father named John, and a grandmother named Agnes, who lived till 1671, well into Mary's adulthood.
I felt extremely confident in my identification of Charles' wife, but there was always a thread of doubt. I mean, what would they have been doing in St. Winnow? And what is his wife was a St. Winnow girl, and not from his home parish?
Then along came A2A:
There are a number of document in the Arundell of Lanherne and Trerice files that relate to the Harry and Cock families holding Tolsethan.
The three most pertinent are:
ref. AR/4/352 - date: 13 October 1630 - Agnes, wife of Richard Harry; and John Harry, their son
ref. AR/4/353 - date: 20 January 1650/51
(1) Sir John Arundell of Lanherne to
(2) John Harrye of Talsethan in Gwithian, yeoman
Counterpart of lease for 99 years on life of Mary Harrye, daughter of John Harrye of Talsethan in Gwithian, yeoman; to commence from deaths of John Harry and Agnes Harrye, widow, mother of said John Harry
ref. AR/4/354 - AR/4/355 - date: 15 June 1675 - Lease and counterpart, in reversion, for 99 years, on lives of Mary wife of Charles Cock of Gwithian, yeoman, and John Cock their son; to commence from termination of the estate of John Harrys
Success!
Sometimes a hunch pays off!
It involves a hunch I had, which had nothing much to back it up, barring chronology and omnastic evidence.
But thanks to the wonderful A2A, it is now proven.
William Cock of Connerwartha in Gwithian was twice married, and had a whole passel of children from 1605 - 1632, including 6 sons who survived to adulthood.
His sons Roger and Anthony never married, and his sons Henry and Bennett were most diligent in seeing to it that their children were baptised in the church.
Not so the two youngest sons, James and Charles.
James had his only daughter baptised (at Phillack), but neglected to baptise his 4 known sons. Their names survive because they are mentioned in the will of James' brother Anthony, and the three survivors in the will of their maternal aunt, and in James' will himself.
Charles managed to get 5 of his seven children recorded, but 3 were births as opposed to baptisms, and all 5 were scribbled in the register at the most awkward places, and frequently crossed out. His two eldest daughters, who only had their births in the register, and his eldest son Charles, were all baptised again as adults (the daughters together, and Charles with two of James' sons, his cousins.
James' eldest was born in 1665 and Charles' children from 1663 to ca. 1675.
Proving the wives for James and Charles Cock was even more challenging.
James named his wife Barbara in his will, and the will of Grace White, widow, proved that Barbara was her sister, and was a daughter of John Andrewartha.
Charles Cock did not leave a will, and his wife Mary is known only from her inclusion as the mother at the adult baptisms of her two eldest daughters Mary and Grace.
While messing with the IGI one day, I ran across two very interesting marriages, about 80 miles away from Gwithian, in the parish of St. Winnow:
Charles Cock and Mary Harris 25 Nov 1662
James Cock and Barbara _______ 2 Sep 1664
Could this be the Gwithian Cock brothers? The wives names were right, and the time period was perfect. The St. Winnow register contained no subsequent baptisms for Cocks after these marriage entries, nor could I find any children of a James and Charles Cock in the near vicinity.
I decided to follow my hunch.
Since James' wife, Barbara Andrewartha, was also a Gwithian girl, I decided to see if there was a Mary Harris at Gwithian who was a candidate for Charles' wife.
There was only one who would fit - Mary, d/o John and Grace (Angove) Harry of Gwithian, chr. there 29 Dec 1640. This John Harry/Harris was called John of Tolsethen, to distinguish him from his cousin John Harry of Angarrack. Besides daughter Mary, he also had a daughter Jane chr. in 1642/3, who m. Thomas Carthew at Gwithian in 1660. No marriage could be found at Gwithian or surrounding parishes for Mary.
This is where omnastics became very important.
Charles and Mary had the following children:
Grace b. 9 Oct 1663
Mary b. 2 Feb 1664/5
Charles b. 1 Apr 1667
Jane chr. 2 Feb 1669/70
John chr. 6 Feb 1670/1
Agnes ca. 1673
Constance ca. 1675
Mary and Charles were obviously named after their parents. Constance would appear to be named for Charles' spinster sister. Jane and Grace were names of two of Charles' sisters, but would also be the names of Mary Harris' sister and mother. There was no John or Agnes in Charles' family, but Mary Harris had a father named John, and a grandmother named Agnes, who lived till 1671, well into Mary's adulthood.
I felt extremely confident in my identification of Charles' wife, but there was always a thread of doubt. I mean, what would they have been doing in St. Winnow? And what is his wife was a St. Winnow girl, and not from his home parish?
Then along came A2A:
There are a number of document in the Arundell of Lanherne and Trerice files that relate to the Harry and Cock families holding Tolsethan.
The three most pertinent are:
ref. AR/4/352 - date: 13 October 1630 - Agnes, wife of Richard Harry; and John Harry, their son
ref. AR/4/353 - date: 20 January 1650/51
(1) Sir John Arundell of Lanherne to
(2) John Harrye of Talsethan in Gwithian, yeoman
Counterpart of lease for 99 years on life of Mary Harrye, daughter of John Harrye of Talsethan in Gwithian, yeoman; to commence from deaths of John Harry and Agnes Harrye, widow, mother of said John Harry
ref. AR/4/354 - AR/4/355 - date: 15 June 1675 - Lease and counterpart, in reversion, for 99 years, on lives of Mary wife of Charles Cock of Gwithian, yeoman, and John Cock their son; to commence from termination of the estate of John Harrys
Success!
Sometimes a hunch pays off!
