Genealogy Chat

I thought if I typed it in word and pasted it wouldn't do the message squash, thanks for fixing it up. The Countess had been married and divorced before she married William and they were banished from the Ringwood Estate, however they were given the Eastleigh Estate in the new forest, more family trouble meant the loss of these estates. The estates went to the crown. As I have a certificate and I have searched census information I really feel that my information is correct. Whats the chances of that information being so similar apart from Williams fathers name. I think Nellie could be Elizabeth. well I have an Evelyn that was known as Ginnie. I guess I could buy Williams birth certificate that way I would know for sure. I will try searching the free sites and see what info I can find. thanks everyone for your help Caroline

Hi From the 1881 and 1891 census entries, it would appear that you have the correct children for the Whittinghams, wonder where they got their info ? Perhaps one of the girls - Martha, Elizabeth or Sarah was called Nellie (you should see the nicknames in my family). You can follow up and check records like freebmd and the census and further back the IGI. A quick check of the freebmd, confirms the marriage of John Cooke and Sarah Ann Hudson, but I could not find a William Cooke -Mary Goodchild marriage. Nerther could I find a William Cooke with a father William in the 1891 or 1901 census, but I could find William with father John. What is your 'gut feeling' about it ? I found a family early on in my research which looked like mine, but never felt 'right', so when the 1841 census came out, I was able to find a girl who had migrated before 1851, and so was able to find the family I really wanted. Diane

I would reckon that you are on the right lines and they are on the wrong ones, unless they have some very good proof that William's father's name is wrong on the marriage cert! Very likely they never bothered to get the marriage cert and just put the tree together from census information etc and got two Williams muddled up somewhere along the line. Personally, I would be very wary of any tree that includes anybody with a title (such as Countess) in it!! Kate. P.S. It seems very unlikely that a Countess's grandson, and son of an artist, would be working as a painter / decorator, doesn't it?

make it easier on eyes first part of thread always scrunches up Help! which info is correct. I started tracing this family with very little help and was just given some more information but it doesn’t match what I have how do I go about finding which information is correct. I have Addie Whittingham b 1883 Leigh Staffordshire d 1947 who married William Henry Cooke b 1884 Uttoxeter Staffordshire d 8th June 1966. They were married on the 15th Apr 1906 in the Parish church Leigh Staffordshire. Addie’s siblings are Martha, Samuel Henry, Elizabeth, Clara, Sarah Jane, William and Rose Alice. Parents Henry Whittingham and Martha Bailey. William’s siblings are Henry Hudson, Lucy Eveline Cooke and Emma Cooke. Parents John Cooke and Sarah Ann Hudson. John Cooke’s father is also John Cooke b 1794 in Uttoxeter who married Frances Unknown b 1801 Barton Under Needwood. I purchased a marriage certificate for Addie and William to find out their fathers names which showed William’s father as John Cooke and Addie’s father as Henry Whittingham. Samuell Henry Whittingham and Rose Alice Whittingham were witnesses. William and John were both Painter/decorators. Henry was a sinker. On some census information I found that’s a well sinker. But now I was just given the following information from some family that I have come across through this site. Addie Whittingham b 1884 in the village of Leigh Staffordshire was one of 5 children, Rose, Clara, Nellie and Sam. Her father (no name given) was a herdsman. Addie married William Henry Cooke in the parish church in Leigh 1906. Addie died in 1947. William Henry Cooke b 1884 in the same area, died 8th June 1966. William left school at 13 and worked with a painter/decorator. Then joined the army which he left at age 20. Worked in the coal mines, then back to painter/decorator. Now this is where the real confusion starts: William’s father was also William Henry Cooke who married Mary Goodchild, he was an artist. His father was also William Henry Cooke who married Countess Caroline Bassett. His father was Frederick Henry Cooke who married Elizabeth Brown. His father was William Henry George Cooke born in Aye Scotland. How do I find out which information is correct? Everything on the marriage certificate matches apart from Williams fathers name which has sent me in one direction and this family member in another. I’m not sure yet where they got their information from, I’ve asked and I’m waiting for a reply. Any ideas on where I should go from here, any help please thanks Caroline

Message as typed below thanks Caroline