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Thomas Cook and Sarah Filder ©

The only information held on Thomas Cook and his wife Sarah has been gleaned from the Cuckfield Parish Records. These indicate they were both born around 1755 and that they were married, after Banns, in the Holy Trinity Parish Church, Cuckfield, on the 23^rd January, 1787¹. The record indicates Thomas was a Single they were both were from the parish, both made their mark and the witnesses were Richard Cook, possibly Thomas’ father, and Sarah Standen.

Cuckfield records indicate the couple were from Pookride, Sussex, and had at least five children: Mary 1781; Thomas 1788; Sarah 1789;  Richard 1793, he married Mary Botting 1812; and William 1796, all baptised in Cuckfield.  Pookride was a large farm holding (150acres) in the Cuckfield Parish which, according to records, consisted of: a Manor house; barns; stables; stalls; outhouses; orchards; gardens; lands; meadows; pastures; and grounds, lying near or adjoining to the lane or highway leading from St. Johns Common to Cuckfield Church.

A large village and a Civil Parish, Cuckfield is in the Mid-Sussex District of West Sussex, on the southern slopes of the Weald, 55km south of London. The origin of the name, Cuckfield, earlier spelled Kukefeld, Cucufeld, and Cucufelda, is debated but it is generally associated with the cuckoo which is the village emblem. The name is pronounced with a long 'u' sound, and does not rhyme with the nearby town of Uckfield which is pronounced with a short 'u' sound. The village grew as a market town and an important coaching stop between London and Brighton, since it lay on the turnpike. Up to 50 coaches a day were passing through Cuckfield in 1820, but the village lost its importance as a coach stop when the railway to Brighton was constructed through neighbouring Haywards Heath during the early 1840s. Cuckfield is known locally for its idiosyncratic system of mayoral voting, where an unlimited number of votes can be purchased for the price of one penny each, with the winner receiving the most votes. The position is purely honorary and the money raised supports local charities².

Cuckfield Parish records indicate that Sarah, the wife of Thomas, was buried in the Cuckfield Parish Churchyard on the 6^th November, 1821, she was 66years old³.

At the age of 63, on the 11^th May, 1825, Thomas, a Farmer, was buried³, also in the Cuckfield Parish Churchyard.

Both Sarah’s & Thomas’ burial records indicate he was a farmer and from this it is assumed he was possibly a tenant farmer on the larger Pookride estate. However, no records to support this have been located.

 References:

1. Parish Marriage Record via Sussex Record Office

2. British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/sussex/vol7/pp147-163

3. Parish Burial Record  via Sussex Record Office

Other Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk http://www.ancestry.co.uk

Cuckfield: Village Life online http://www.cuckfield.org/page.php?pg=37

FamilySearch https://familysearch.org

 

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