William Charles Cook (abt. 1818 - 1886)

Born about 1818 in Leicestershire, England

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Fowler) Cook — married 1847 in Parramatta, NSW, Australia

Descendants

Died 13 May 1886 at about age 68 in Parramatta NSW Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Beverley Melchior [send private message]

Biography

Parents:Johnathan_Birth:Oct 1760 - England, U.K. Death: 1836 - England, United Kingdom Wife: Elizabeth COOK (born TOBEROR) Son: William Charles COOK AKA Charles William Cook

William Charles Cook, who arrived as a convict in Sydney, in 1840, and went on to marry the daughter of two convicts.

His wife Eliza Fowler was the daughter of Samuel Fowler and Mary Ann Parker, who were both convicted and sentenced to transportation.

On their arrival in Sydney they found themselves working in the Female Factory at Parramatta. William Charles Cook was charged with Horse Stealing and was arraigned at the Leicestershire Assizes in 1839.

He was sentenced on 22nd March, 1839 to transportation for 14 years.The records of his sentence show that he was 21yrs of age, his native place is listed as Leicestershire, he could read and write, was a Protestant and a Sawyer and Groom.

Further records show that he was 5 feet 3 1/2 inches tall, had a dark ruddy and freckled complexion, dark brown hair, brown eyes, two scars on right eyebrow and another over the same, scar on left temple, hairy mole on left side of chin, mole on back of neck, scar on forefinger of left hand, scar inside right knee.

At a time of the Industrial Revolution and the Enclosure Acts, many people worked long hours for minimal pay in the factories and the mines. Those who could not get work or could not survive on the wages received, were left without a social support structure and fell to crime. Perhaps this is what happened to William Charles Cook.

After his conviction, he was sent to the hulk “Fortitude” at Chatham before he was transported to Sheerness to join the “Woodbridge”, which already had 130 male prisoners from the hulks at Woolwich.

The “Woodbridge” departed for Sydney from Sheerness on the 12th October 1839 under Captain Dobson, George S Moxey was the Surgeon on board, and arrived in NSW on the 26/02/1840.

Soldiers, wives and children, of the 28th, 50th and 96th Regiments also travelled on the trip. There was 230 convicts onboard for the 4 month journey and it is a testament to the humanity and skills of Captain Dobson and Surgeon Moxey, that only one convict lost his life during the trip.

It would appear that William Charles Cook and Eliza Fowler had 11 children, one (Emily Cook) died as a baby, Samuel Cook did not marry, and the rest married as follows:- Elizabeth Cook m. James McMahon (2 children), Mary Anne Cook m. Thomas Clements Green ( 8 children), Sarah Sophia Cook m. Edward Samuel Leabeater (10 children), Charles John Cook m. Matilda Alice Bryant (2 children), William Henry Cook m. Esther Nailan (12 children), Frederick Cook m. Ann Frances Barnes (4 children), Albert Ernest Cook m. Ellen Knighton (10 children), Emiline Cook m. Joseph Thornley (5 children), Eliza Heather Cook m. Alfred John Gray (6 children).

Thus, it would seem that William and Eliza were grandparents to 64 children and many of their grandchildren had multiple children.

Charles was a original convict sent to Australia named as William Cook

Name: Charles Cook Age: 21 Date of Conviction: 22 Mar 1839 Place of Conviction: Leicester,England Estimated Birth Year: abt 1818 Vessel: Woodbridge

Port of Arrival: New South Wales Date of Arrival: 27 Feb 1840

Also known as William Cook. Born approx. 1818...Married in New South Wales Australia, Rego#V184723732C/1847.

Died Parramatta ,New South Wales Australia 1886..Rego#8564/1886.

Inscription On His Wife's Grave:

Sacred to the memory of SAMUEL FOWLER died December19 1878 Aged 78 years. Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live.

Erected by his beloved daughter ELIZA COOK Also of WILLIAM CHARLES COOK Died May 13 1886 Aged 63 years. Not lost but gone before.

Also ELIZA Beloved wife of the above died 18 Sep.er 1918 aged 87 years

Also SAMUEL COOK son of the above Died 3rd May1925 Aged 74 years. Sexton of the cemetery for 50 years

Burial: St. John's Cemetery, Parramatta. Parramatta New South Wales, Australia

https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=83302796

Do you have information about Cook? Please contribute to his biography. Everything on WikiTree is a collaborative work-in-progress.

Sources

http://www.convictrecords.com.au/convicts/cook/charles/62342

http://person.ancestry.com.au/tree/47227733/person/24051392060/facts

https://williamcharlescook.wordpress.com/

Footnotes

Acknowledgments

Thanks to Beverley Drayton for starting this profile.