The Great Migration Begins Sketches JOSIAS COOKE ORIGIN: Unknown MIGRATION: 1633 FIRST RESIDENCE: Plymouth REMOVES: Eastham OCCUPATION: Tavern keeper (licensed to sell wine at Nauset, 7 June 1648 [PCR 2:125]). FREEMAN: Admitted 3 January 1636/7 [PCR 1:48]; in Plymouth list of freemen of 7 March 1636/7 [PCR 1:53]; in Plymouth section of 1639 list of freemen, with name later crossed out and then included in "Nawsett" [Eastham] section [PCR 8:174, 177]; in Eastham section of lists of freemen of 1658 and 29 May 1670 [PCR 5:278, 8:201]. EDUCATION: Sufficient to be town clerk. His inventory included "2 Bible & other books" valued at 4s. The widow's inventory included "books" valued at 4s. OFFICES: Grand jury, 5 June 1638, 3 June 1656 [PCR 1:87, 3:100]; coroner's jury, 5 June 1638 [PCR 1:88]; petit jury, 7 March 1636/7, 3 March 1639/40, 1 February 1640/1, 1 September 1640, 6 July 1641, 1 March 1641/2, 7 June 1642, 1 November 1642, 5 March 1643/4, 3 March 1644/5, 6 June 1649, 7 June 1649, 9 June 1653, 25 October 1668 [PCR 2:7, 140, 7:5, 16, 17, 18, 22, 29, 31, 32, 37, 40, 46, 65, 151]. Plymouth highway surveyor, 3 March 1639/40, 2 June 1640 [PCR 1:141, 155]. Committee on dividing land at Green's Harbor, 1 June 1640 [PCR 1:153]. Committee to purchase land from the Indians, 5 June 1666 [PCR 4:131]. Plymouth constable, 2 March 1640/1, 3 May 1641 [PCR 2:9, 15].    Deputy from Eastham to Plymouth General Court, 1 June 1647, 5 June 1651, 6 June 1654, 2 March 1657/8, 1 June 1658, 7 June 1659, 7 August 1660, 4 June 1661, 3 June 1662, 1 June 1663, 8 June 1664, 5 June 1666, 2 April 1667, 5 June 1671 [PCR 2:117, 168, 3:49, 129, 135, 162, 198, 214, 4:14, 37, 60, 122, 146, 5:55]; auditor of treasurer's accounts, 10 June 1658, 7 June 1659, 4 June 1661, 10 June 1661, 5 June 1663, 9 June 1665 [PCR 3:164, 215, 8:93, 105, 108, 113].    Eastham selectman, 5 June 1666 [PCR 4:124]. Surveyor of highways, 7 June 1648 [PCR 2:124]. Town clerk, 7 June 1648 [PCR 2:125]. Deputed to make contracts of marriage and to administer oaths at Eastham, 8 June 1664 [PCR 4:65, 74].    In Plymouth section of 1643 Plymouth list of men able to bear arms [PCR 8:188]. ESTATE: Assessed 9s. in the Plymouth tax list of 27 March 1634 [PCR 1:29].    Granted six acres, for the purpose of building in Plymouth, "these lands to belong to their dwelling houses there, & not to be sold from their houses," 7 November 1636 [PCR 1:46]; allotted mowing ground, 20 March 1636/7, 2 July 1638 [PCR 1:57, 90]; granted forty acres of land, 5 March 1637/8 [PCR 1:78]; granted twenty-five acres "for Steephen Deane's children (in consideration of a lot they had on Duxburrow side)," 3 September 1638 [PCR 1:96]; granted "a little parcel of meadow ground," 4 March 1638/9 [PCR 1:115]; granted ten acres "in the South Meddows towards Aggawam, Colebrook Meddowes," 2 November 1640 [PCR 1:166].    On 30 November 1638 "Mr. Steephen Hopkins" sold to Josias Cooke "all those his six acres of land lying on the south side of the Town Brook of Plymouth" [PCR 12:39]. On 7 May 1642 "Josuah Pratt" sold to Josias Cooke "all those his two acres of marsh meadow lying at the Wood Island" [PCR 12:81].    In an undated deed, but probably about 1644, "Josias Cooke" sold his barn and garden to Gyles Rickett Sr. [PCR 12:107]. He sold to the same Gyles Ricket Sr. of Plymouth, weaver, nine acres of upland, six acres of it purchased from "Mr. Steeven Hopkins," and three acres purchased from "Samuell Fuller," 26 September 1645 [PCR 12:114]. In response to a petition by Mr. John Done, Josias Cooke, Richard Sparrow, and Richard Higgens, the court on 6 October 1657 consented to allow them land about thirteen English miles from Rehoboth provided they observed the orderly purchase from the native proprietors [PCR 3:123, 142, 4:67].    On 25 December 1655 "Josias Cooke of Eastham" sold to John Rickard of Plymouth twenty-five acres of upland at Fresh Lake in Plymouth [MD 10:18, citing PCLR 2:1:163]. On 25 May 1657 "Josias Cooke" with the consent of his wife sold to Thomas Sherive six acres in the New Field in Plymouth [MD 15:30, citing PCLR 2:2:42]. On 9 July 1660, at the request of "Gorg Bonum" regarding their portions in the South Meadow, "Edward Banges, Nicholas Snow and Josias Cooke do upon our certain knowledge affirm that Josias Cooke had the first portion laid out to him by lot namely ten acres" [MD 15:30, citing PCLR 2:2:42].    At court 3 June 1662, liberty was granted that "ancient freemen" and servants could look for lands in other places if the Saconett Neck lands could not be acquired. Josias Cooke was credited as both an "ancient freeman" and as a servant [PCR 4:18].    On 25 October 1665 "Pompino and Simon my son" sold to "Josias Cooke of Eastham ... a parcel of upland commonly called Weequasett containing sixscore acres" and six acres of meadow adjoining [PCLR 3:68]. On 11 August 1669 "Josias Cooke Sr. of Eastham, husbandman," exchanged this land with Mr. John Freeman of Eastham, gent., receiving in return twenty acres of upland and four acres of meadow at Little Billingsgate [PCLR 3:163, 194].    In his will, dated 22 September 1673 and proved 29 October 1673, "Josias Cooke senior aged about 63 years" bequeathed to "my loving wife Elizabeth" during her life, and after her decease to "my natural son Josias Cooke all my abovesaid upland and meadow, orchard, house and housing ... excepting my share of the land at Pochett Island and about two or three acres lying without the fence"; after wife's decease all moveables "to be equally divided betwixt my son Josias Cooke and my daughter Bethyah Harding, or her children after her," except the following legacies: to "my grandchild Joseph Harding all my share of land at Pochet Island"; to "my grandchildren Josiah and Maaziah Harding forty acres of upland and five or six acres of meadow in the township of Plymouth adjoining to a place called Cook's Pond"; to "my grandchild Anna Snow" several head of livestock; to "my grandchild Steven Twining a musket which was formerly his grandfather Deane's"; to "my daughter Merriam Deane" a cow and £5; to "my son Josias" wearing clothes; to "grandchild Josias Cooke my rapier, belt and musket"; to "my other grandchildren Richard Cooke and Maaziah Harding my proportion of land at Saconett"; and to "my grandchild Richard Cooke after my wife's decease my Great Bible" [PCPR 3:1:90, abstracted in MD 15:34]. On 29 October 1673 administration was granted to "Elizabeth Cook" on the estate of "Josias Cook," deceased [PCR 5:132].    The inventory of the estate of "Josias Cook of Eastham" was taken 20 October 1673 and totalled £104 17s. 4d., with no real estate included [PCPR 3:1:90-92].    The inventory of the estate of "Elizabeth Cook deceased the wife [worn] Josiah Cook" was taken 3 May 1687 and totalled £15 7s. 7d. with no real estate included [MD 4:179-81, citing BarnPR 1:16]. BIRTH: About 1610 based on age stated in will. DEATH: Eastham 17 October 1673 [MD 6:203]. MARRIAGE: Plymouth 16 September 1635 "Elizabeth Dean widow" [PCR 1:35]; she was widow of <A HREF="http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=greatmigrationindex&f3=jumptoSTEPHENDEANE">STEPHEN DEANE</A> and daughter of widow <A HREF="http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=greatmigrationindex&f3=jumptoMARYRING">MARY RING</A> [TAG 42:198]; she died at Eastham by 3 May 1687.    At court 9 June 1653, "Josias Cooke, late of Eastham, at the time of his marriage with Elizabeth, his wife, sometimes the wife of Steven Dean, deceased, did engage to pay several portions unto the children of the said Steven Deane" and confirmed that he had done so [PCR 2:140, 3:37]. CHILDREN:    i   ANNA, b. Plymouth about 1636; m. Eastham 18 January 1654[/5] Mark Snow [PCR 8:15]; "Anna, the daughter of Josias Cooke, and wife of Marke Snow," d. Eastham 24 July 1656 [PCR 8:30; see also TAG 42:200, MF 6:14-15].    ii   BETHIA, b. Plymouth say 1640; m. Eastham 4 April 1660 Joseph Harding [PCR 8:27; see also TAG 42:201].    iii   JOSIAH, b. say 1643; m. Eastham 27 July 1668 Deborah Hopkins [MD 8:88]. (See also TAG 42:201, MF 6:30.) ASSOCIATIONS: Josias Cooke has, not unsurprisingly, been claimed as a son of <A HREF="http://search.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/sse.dll?db=greatmigrationindex&f3=jumptoFRANCISCOOKE"> FRANCIS COOKE</A>. George Ernest Bowman demonstrated that this could not be true [MD 3:97]. COMMENTS: On 24 March 1633/4 Josias Cooke was fined 6s. 8d. for an altercation with Edward Doty in which Doty "drew blood from the said Josias" [PCR 1:26]. On 12 March 1638/8 "Josias Cooke" was bondsman for William Hiller of Plymouth [PCR 1:119]. On 4 February 1638/9 "Josias Cooke" sued John Combes, gentleman, for £4 debt and won a judgment of £3 [PCR 7:11]. He was presented with other Eastham surveyors of highways for not mending the roads in a number of places at court 1 December 1640 [PCR 2:5]. Joseph Hollway sued Josias Cooke at court 6 June 1643 [PCR 7:34]. At court 7 October 1651 "Josiah Cook of Eastham" sued John Smith, Sr., of Plymouth for slander and Smith confessed that he had "much wronged the plaintiff by his unbridled tongue in these base and false charges he had charged him withall, by a letter, and otherwise" [PCR 7:55]. Josias Cooke delivered the letter of William "Nicarson" complaining about defamation by several Indians at court 6 July 1669 [PCR 7:155]. At court 1 November 1679, William "Nicarson" Sr. of "Mannamoyett" unsuccessfully sued "Josiah Cooke Sr. of Eastham" for taking a pair of andirons and one silver dram cup, saying that "said Cooke did under color of his office, for he said he was constable of Eastham, and showed him ... his black staff; and his demand was 6s. 7 1/2d., which was the first part of the rate he demanded" [PCR 7:218-19].