Lost marriage circa 1850-5

[myghaelangof]

Can anyone help with a problem on my Cornish ancestry?
We have been trying to trace the ancestry of Adelaide Amelia COOK, born 30th Dec 1856 at Albert Terrace, Kensington, Middlesex. Parents listed as William COOK, office clerk, and Elizabeth COOK formerly WEBB.

I am not aware of any siblings for Adelaide, however she is in Saltash, Cornwall, on the 1861 census with my ggg grandma Jane JOHNS (nee COOK), and gg grandma Mary Elizabeth JOHNS age 6. The places of birth have possibly been mixed up on the census with Mary stated as Paddington, and Adelaide as Saltash! Unfortunately they are all lodgers of the EDWARDS family so no relationships are shown! It would make sense that they are cousins

I cannot locate the parents marriage on bmd? Neither can I place William and Elizabeth COOK on the 1861 census, primarily as they have common names and I know nothing else about them.
Tracing the marriage may well help to resolve other issues in COOK family, especially around Jane COOK'S marriage to Samuel JOHNS (or a.n.other lol!)

Any help greatly appreciated :-)
Thanks, Mike

[Cornish Terrier]

G'day Mike!

There is an Adelaide Cook of the right age in the 1871 Census. She is age 15, born London, and is a boarder at a School on Holloway Street, Holy Trinity, Exeter.

I have had a quick look for a possible marriage for her parents with no luck but it does suggest the possibility that Elizabeth had been previously married.
If you are looking for her marriage under the name Webb then that is one explanation for not being able to find it. As a widow she would probably have remarried using her deceased husband's surname.

If William was an Office Clerk then it would seem to rule out a possible overseas marriage also.

Unfortunately, with Adelaide being packed off to boarding school seemingly at a very young age it is going to make it very difficult to track down that marriage.
It might be helpful if you could track down some descendants of Adelaide but otherwise it seems like being a hard slog.

CT

[londoner]

a long shot but how about:
RG9; Piece: 5; Folio: 42; Page: 23;

at Clarendon Terrace, Paddington
William Cook b 1819 Somerset Railway Clerk
Elizabeth Cook b 1815 Plymouth
William Cook 1851 Middx
May Walker - mother-in-law b 1776 Plymouth

Rule that one out - found them in 1851 she was Elizabeth Westlake and they married in Bristol in 1843 - at least that's one less to worry about!

[myghaelangof]

Thanks CT and Londoner,

Bristol is on the way to Paddington by train! But I tend to agree we can rule out the Westlake lady/marriage.
Adelaide disappears off the radar after the 1871 census, although 1871 is interesting in itself as the school she lived at, was the same address as a gentleman named EASTON, and without trying to confuse anybody the EASTON family crop up with my COOK/JOHNS family in Saltash circa 1840! More tantalising clues, and maybe tracing Adelaide's grandparents might resolve where she fits in the family, and how much truth is in the family story about her.... I'll save that one for another day if i ever divulge it! For now her name Adelaide Amelia, was the same as the Queen of William IV

I think, on this glorious blue sky day in St Just I'm going to sit in the lounge and arrange lots of pieces of paper around the floor until they all fit together lol! Or maybe a walk over Kenidjack....

[londoner]

Have you ruled out or identified this lot ? :
HO107; Piece: 1900; Folio: 424; Page: 22;
Elizabeth 30 mar
William 27 marr
Richard (brother?) 18
William jnr 11

Ah but they are still around in 1861, 81 and 91 so not them I guess!

[Deleted]

There was a marriage of a William Cook to a Caroline Amelia Webb in East London
in the 4th quarter 1843.

Perhaps it was William who married twice within the same Webb family.

[londoner]

Sorry Lamorna - she married James Laming Lyons not William Cook - London Marr & Banns on Ancestry

[myghaelangof]

Thank you ladies, keeping me glued to the kitchen table at the moment, but just remembered I must pop over to Newlyn as it was my cousins birthday yesterday. I'll let you know the outcome of my paper chase later today

Just bear in mind they are common names, and I do not know where in the world they got married, yet!

Mike basking in the sun ;D

[Deleted]

Thanks Londoner but that marriage didn't come up for me.

There is another marriage coming up for a William Cook who married an Eliza Webb
in West Ham 1st quarter 1856.

[myghaelangof]

Ah! Getting closer thanks Lamorna. Not aware of any other siblings for Adelaide Amelia, so a marriage in q1 1856 would fit with a birth 30th Dec 1856. Worth a punt for a certificate maybe..

Thank you

[londoner]

I see what you mean about Jane's "marriage"
She seems to have managed to have three children whilst a widow:
William H 1861
Alfred H 1865
William 1871

Was Samuel supposedly their father too?

I presume she was the daughter of William & Elizabeth (just to confuse things) baptised at Menheniot 1 Feb 1829?

[myghaelangof]

Thank you Londoner, yes strange family:

Known info (I have all 4 birth certficates)

Mary Elizabeth Cook JOHNS, no father named on birth, on marriage father Samuel JOHNS, mariner
William Henry Cook JOHNS, (birth Jan 1861, buried Oct 1861) mother Jane JOHNS formerly COOK, no father.
Alfred Henry JOHNS - 15th April 1865 Saltash; son of Samuel JOHNS sailor in the Royal Navy, and Jane JOHNS formerly COOK of Saltash.
William Thomas JOHNS - 22 March 1871 son of Samuel JOHNS, seaman in the Royal Navy, and Jane JOHNS formerly COOK informant of 30 Tamar Street, Saltash.

And then somewhere along the line Jane JOHNS sems to have picked up little Adelaide Amelia COOK!

William Thomas JOHNS was a Petty Officer, Royal Navy 1901, and died 1906 of pneumonia, occupation Torpedo Instructor.
His sister Mary Elizabeth Cook JOHNS married Samuel Thoimas KING in 1874 and he was later a gunnery instructor Royal Navy.

This is one of brick walls, and should I really be researching the JOHNS family lol!

I have been making great inroads to the COOK family today, and should hopefully be able to work forwards to a few candidates for the William COOK , father of Adelaide (who apparently circulated in 'high places'). The marriage certificate of Wm COOK and Elizabeth WEBB would certainly make life a little easieR.

I need a beer........

[myghaelangof]

Oops, nearly forgot..
Yes Jane COOK was the daughter of William COOK, sojourner of St Cleer, and Elizabeth SHEER (married Southill 4 Apr 1828).
All censii place William as being born Menheniot 1804 to John COOK and Mary nee WENMOUTH