Elizabeth Cocker

[kiterunner]

Name - "official" name and what they were known as Elizabeth Cocker, aka Betty
Date and place of birth 3 May 1785 Chorley, Lancashire
Names of parents William Cocker and Martha nee Glover
Date and place of baptism - if applicable 22 May 1785 St Laurence, Chorley, Lancashire
Details of each of his or her marriages - if any 19 Nov 1820 at St Leonard, Walton le Dale, Lancashire, to Hugh Ryding. Elizabeth spinster OTP, witnesses John Cocker and James Tomlinson jr. William Cocker, farmer, of Walton le Dale, is bondsman.
Occupation(s) - if any Farmer's wife
Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK) - and please list which censuses you have or haven't found him/her on (if s/he lived in census times!).
Children baptised at Leyland 1821-1826
1841 - Jones Farm, Whittle-le-Woods, Lancashire
1851 - Catforth Lane, Woodplumpton, Lancashire, visiting unmarried sister Nancy (Ann) Cocker.
1861 - Catforth Lane, Woodplumpton, Lancashire with unmarried sister Nancy (Ann) Cocker.
Date, place and cause of death Not found
Date and place of burial. Not found
Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable Not found
Memorial inscription - if any Not found

[kiterunner]

Hmmm, I've found a possible burial 10 Jan 1858 at St John the Evangelist, Whittle le Woods, Elizabeth Ryding age 72, abode Whittle, but if that's her then she should be on the 1851 census. Her husband Hugh died in 1842.
There is an Elizabeth, wife of Francis, age 64, in Whittle in 1851 so that is probably the one who died in 1858.

[kiterunner]

There are two Elizabeth Rydings the right age in Whittle in 1851 but I don't think either of them is mine. But probably one of those is the one buried in 1858.

[JayG]

There's a 65 year old Betty Ryding living in Clayton le Woods in 1851, tho i'm guessing you've already seen her.

[JayG]

This caught my eye with Hugh's residence given as Leyland. Tho it's after 11 years after the first child you have & there also appears to be quite a few Hugh Ryding's about!

Marriage: 19 Nov 1820 St Leonard, Walton le Dale, Lancashire, England
Hugh Riding - Farmer of Leyland
Elizabeth Cocker - Spinster of Walton
Witness: John Cocker; James Tomlinson, Jun
Married by Licence by: James Greenwood Off Minister
Register: Marriages 1815 - 1830, Page 117, Entry 350
Source: LDS Film 1656765

[JayG]

Actually thinking about it I suppose it's possible Hugh was married twice, the 1820 marriage to the second Elizabeth might explain the gap in the baptisms?

[kiterunner]

Yes, I was just wondering about that marriage, Jay. I thought the reason I hadn't found any of those Coppull children on the censuses was because they all died young (which they did) but maybe they also didn't belong to my Hugh and Elizabeth at all. Though if Elizabeth is 55 - 59 in 1841, it seems a bit unlikely she would have got married in 1820 as a spinster. But maybe.

[kiterunner]

There's a 65 year old Betty Ryding living in Clayton le Woods in 1851, tho i'm guessing you've already seen her.

Yes, I already looked at that one, thanks, but I don't think she's mine because of the occupation (weaver) and although daughter Ann is about the right age it says born Houghton (or Haughton?) and my Ann was born Whittle-le-Woods. Although I have no idea where Houghton or Haughton is!

[JayG]

I think it's Hoghton.

Lancs OPC has Ryding entries for Holy Trinity, Hoghton.

[JayG]

This is just my observations of a few hours research, obviously you've spent much more on the Rydings than I have so make of it what you will.


I think the marriage of Hugh Ryding to Betty Barker in Wigan 1808 produced six children.

Richard 1809 parents Hugh & Elisabeth, bapt Chorley, abode Coppul - buried Standish Nov 1813 aged 4, abode Coppull

John 1811 parents Hugh & Elisabeth, bapt Chorley, abode Coppul - buried Standish Nov 1813 aged 2, abode Coppull

James 1813 parents Hugh & Elisabeth, bapt Chorley, abode Coppul - buried Standish Nov 1814 aged 18 months, abode Coppull

Richard 1815 parents Hugh & Betty, bapt Coppull, abode Coppul

Mary 1817 parents Hugh & Betty, bapt Coppull, abode Coppul

John 1821 parents Hugh & Betty, bapt Coppull, abode Coppul


I think the marriage of Hugh Riding & Elizabeth Cocker in 1820 produced 3 children

Martha 1821 parents Hugh & Elizabeth, bapt Leyland, abode Whittle

Ann 1824 parents Hugh & Elizth., bapt Leyland, abode Whittle

Mary 1826, parents Hugh & Elizth., bapt Leyland, abode Whittle

[kiterunner]

Ooh, thanks for that, Jay. If that's right then it's Elizabeth Cocker that I'm after as OH's ancestor is Mary born about 1826. Whittle-le-Woods is so near to Coppull. It's confusing, isn't it? I'm still not sure if it's the same Hugh!

[JayG]

Yes it is confusing!

I'm still leaning towards Elizabeth Cocker being the person your'e after.

There's a marriage between William Cocker & Martha Glover in Standish 1781, they have several children at Chorley including an Elisabeth in 1785. There's also a John in 1781, a John Cocker witnessed the Ryding/Cocker marriage.

I think this William & Martha Cocker are buried at Leyland in 1825 & 1835.

The Elisabeth Cocker born 1785 might be the mother of Margaret Cocker was baptised in 1809 at Chorley.


One of my 4 x great grandmothers married aged 39 in 1830, she had had three illegitimate children (1812, 1818 & 1823) by that point. There were two legitimate children from the marriage in 1831 & 1833. So it's always possible Elizabeth Cocker was a 35 year old when she married.

[JayG]

The William Cocker who was buried in 1835 appears to have left a will

Testator's name: WILLIAM COCKER
Occupation/status: FARMER
Minor place: Not given
Township: COTTAM
Parish: PRESTON
County/Country: LANCASHIRE
Other information: None
W/RW/A/R159b/2

http://archivecat.lancashire.gov.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?src=CalmView.Catalog&id=W%2fRW%2fA%2fR159b%2f2&pos=8

Not sure it the link will work.

[kiterunner]

Thanks for that, Jay. Do you know whether there is a Walton near Chorley?

[Gert in Oz]

Though if Elizabeth is 55 - 59 in 1841, it seems a bit unlikely she would have got married in 1820 as a spinster. But maybe.

Kate.. I have a copy of a marriage of a couple that married in thier 40s in 1818 and had 2 children, it states they are batchelor and spinster, though i suspect they were previously married to other people.

[kiterunner]

I've sent an enquiry to Lancashire Record Office asking for a quote for William Cocker's will. Had a look at the Index to Death Duties Register and the executor was a Nancy Cocker. Hopefully the will should help.

[JayG]

There's a place called Ulnes Walton in that area Kate, maybe about 5 miles from Chorley.

Hopefully you'll hit lucky with the will.

I tried searching for the marriage license/bond but never got any result. Not sure if that would list their ages or not, I know I have some that do & other that just say aged upwards of 21 years.

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Jay.

[Lara]

There is this another Walton too near Chorley. Jay mention a marriage there on page one. Walton - le - Dale. Also Higher Walton not far from Houghton

http://www.waltonledale.co.uk/History.cfm


http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&q=Walton+le+dale+map&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Walton-le-Dale,+Preston,+United+Kingdom&gl=uk&ll=53.736427,-2.650452&spn=0.040006,0.091152&z=13

[kiterunner]

Thanks, Lara. So it could be any of several!

[Lara]

Kate yes looks like it :( wish I could help you more :)

[kiterunner]

Now that the Wigan PR's are on ancestry, I can view the image of the Hugh Ryding / Betty Barker marriage (1808) and that Hugh was of Haigh and made his mark, so I don't think he was the same Hugh who married Elizabeth Cocker in 1820 at Walton le Dale as that one was a farmer of Leyland and signed his name. Unfortunately the 1820 marriage doesn't say bachelor or widower.

[kiterunner]

Ooh, I've found this about Jones Farm, Whittle le Woods, which is where the Ryding family were living in 1841:
http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-950-1/dissemination/pdf/archaeol16-80668_1.pdf

[kiterunner]

There are a few possible Elizabeth Cocker baptisms on Lancashire OPC.

[kiterunner]

Perhaps the Elizabeth Cocker baptised 22 Mar 1785 St Laurence, Chorley, parents William and Martha, dob 3 May 1785, as my Elizabeth's eldest daughter was named Martha. They also had a son John baptised 9 Sep 1781, abode Charnock Richard. A John Cocker was witness at Elizabeth's wedding and a William Cocker was bondsman.