COOKE, Samuel (Grimwade p.400)

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buckler
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COOKE, Samuel (Grimwade p.400)

Post by buckler »

Parentage untraced, but he could be the son of Samuel Cooke, Silversmith of Foster Lane who died c 1764 .
See http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 74&t=23192" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Certainly there are remarkable co-incidences of family Christian names - a good indication of direct affinity.

On 13th December 1762 a Samuel Cooke was apprenticed to Thomas Hatton of St Anne’s Soho, Westminster, Bucklemaker
(NA. IR1/ 23 f. 14. Register date Friday 21st January 1763 No 5 )
Both Thomas and his brother Samuel were silver bucklemakers but neither appear to have been of the Goldsmiths' Company. If this is the apprenticeship , as seems very likely , then Samuel would have been born c1748 and free around 1770.

He registered his first mark as a bucklemaker at Crown and Sceptre Court, St James Street on 16 December 1776.
The 1776 was the slightly larger of his two marks and had slightly rounded or cut corners . His second mark of 1789 was very small and had sharp cut corners

According to the Poor Rate book of Pall Mall division, St James, he succeeded a La Tour at this address (Southwick “ London Silver Hilted Swords “ ) Later Sun insurance records indicate that the premises were No 2 Crown and Sceptre Court. It is a very fashionable part of St. James.

His name is shown in the rate book from 1776 to 1829, but in 1830 it was crossed out, and in 1831 just the name Cooke is given. (Southwick, op cit ) . However he actually died before 1817 and the premises were run by his son, John and daughter Susannah , which illustrates that the rate books are not always reliable if the same family continues to occupy the premises.

With the decline of the fashion for buckles he appears to have diversified by 1790 into the making of sword furniture, including a gold mounted sword given by Nelson to Captain George Cockburn of the HMS Minerva and one dated 1801/1802 in Royal Armouries (IX..2578). He continued however to make, or at least retail under his mark, small court shoe buckles. These may have been sub-contracted to James Atkins of Well Street .

The insurance on his Crown & Sceptre premises dated 12 November 1812 (MS 11936/459/875318 Sun Life) indicates he also owned or rented 21 Sloane Square, probably his private house.

He died some time before 15 November 1817 when his will was proved at PCC. (T NA ref PROB 11/1598). The naming of Susannah Cooke and John Cooke, whom Sun Insurance documents indicate took over the Crown and Sceptre address, to get much of the personal effects and tools of trade, prove beyond reasonable doubt that this is the correct will..

The main provisions were :-

I appoint my son John Cooke and John Humphries to be my joint executors to whom I intrust the whole property
See http://www.925-1000.com/forum/viewtopic ... 74&t=23194" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I order an exact amount to be divided in four following shares my son John Cooke one share , to my daughter Susannah Cooke, one share , to my son Henry Cooke, one share , and to the three children of my late son, Samuel Cooke, George, Henry and Frederick (or Ferdinand ) one share

I will also that the sum of sixty pounds be paid to my sister Elizabeth Cooke

To my daughter Susannah Cooke all my furniture plate and apparel, and to my son John Cooke the lease of my house and all the implements of trade of any description

Signed and sealed by me this day April 24th 1816.

Witnessed
Geo Wood
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Re: COOKE, Samuel (Grimwade p.400)

Post by buckler »

Curiously although he registered what is almost certainly his first mark in 1776 I have never seen his SC on anything pre - duty .
Considering the large number of small court style shoe buckles bearing his mark in the 1790 - 1813 period and fairly frequently encountered larger shoe buckles it is surprising that the earliest I've ever seen is a solitary pair bearing the incuse George head.
Equally unusual is the absence of any other types of buckle by him. No knee buckles or stock buckles bear his mark , only shoe buckles.
He also never appears in any London or British directory. At least to my knowledge .
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