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Richard Cook and Mary Botting © Richard, the son of Thomas and Sarah Cook of Pookride, was baptised in Cuckfield on the 26th May, 17931. Nothing more is known of Richard until the Cuckfield parish records show he married Mary Botting on the 14th April, 18122. The record shows Banns were read for three weeks prior to the marriage, and at the time of the marriage both Richard and Mary were said to be of the Parish of Cuckfield. The marriage register also tells us that Richard was a Bachelor and Mary a Spinster, and it is assumed both were of full age. It appears both Richard and Mary signed their names, and the witnesses were Joseph Anscombe and Elizabeth Parker. It is thought Mary’s parents were Henry Botting and his wife Elizabeth nee Potter, and that Mary was born around 1791, possibly in or near Cuckfield, Sussex. Further examination of the parish records around Cuckfield tell us that Richard was a Currier, and that he and Mary had at least nine children, all baptized in the Parish of Cuckfield; Mary 1813; Elizabeth 1815; James 1816; Caroline 1817; William 1818; Harriett 1821; Henry 1823, he married Eleanor Dench 1874; Edward 1832; and Richard 18331. Records indicate Richard & Mary may also have had another daughter, Sophia in 18274. A Currier is a specialist in the leather processing industry6. After the tanning process, the Currier applies techniques of dressing, finishing and colouring to the tanned hide to make it strong, flexible and waterproof. The leather is stretched and burnished to produce a uniform thickness and suppleness, and dyeing and other chemical finishes give the leather its desired colour. After currying, the leather is then passed on to the fashioning trades such as Saddlers or Shoe/Boot Makers. The term 'Currier' has also been applied to a person who grooms horses. It is not known whether Richard was a Currier of leather goods, or if he was a horse Currier. In 18413, Richard and Mary, both age 50, were living in Cross Ways, Lower Beeding, with daughter Elizabeth and sons Edward and Richard. Richard's occupation is recorded as Currier, and the record indicates they were all were born in Sussex. Centred around the Holy Trinity Church and 10km north-east of Cuckfield, the small village of Lower Beeding lies in the heart of rural West Sussex, between the North and South Downs and on the edge of St Leonards Forest5. For centuries the Forest was a rich source of iron ore and the area is known for its Hammer ponds, which were established in the 16th Century to supply water to the smelting forges. To-date Richard and Mary have not been positively identified on any later Census. However, a Richard Cook, age 63, has been found on the 1851 Census3, recorded as an Inmate of the Union Workhouse in Cuckfield, Married, a Tanner, and born in Lewes. Also a possible record for Mary has been found on the 1851 Census, living in West Green, Ifield, birthplace Balcombe, Sussex3. Age 60, she is listed as Head of Family, Married and the wife of an Agricultural Labourer. With her are children: Elizabeth 36; Edward 19 and Richard 16. To-date, neither of these have been proved as my Richard & Mary. Possible death records4 have been located for Richard Cook and Mary Cook in Cuckfield, however references are again inconclusive and certificates have not yet been sighted.
References:
2. Parish Marriage Record via Sussex Record Office 6. The Currier Family Tree Magazine September, 1995
Other Sources: Ancestry.co.uk https://www.ancestry.co.uk FamilySearch https://www.familysearch.org/search/ |
