Leiden from 1602
Mayflower 1620: Francis & son John
Hester followed in 1623
Marriage, church and baptism registers follow a household moving between English and French-speaking Leiden.
The story in the records
Francis Cooke first appears in this Leiden collection on 21 February 1602, named as a witness at the baptism of Marie le Roy. In July 1603 the marriage register describes him as an English wool comber and records his banns with Hester Mahieu.
Later entries place Francis inside the French-speaking congregation. He witnessed Philippe de Lannoy’s baptism, appears with Hester in the Walloon Church register and is named as father when Jean and Elizabeth were baptised.
One short burial entry carries a different kind of detail. On 20 May 1608 a child of Francis was buried at the Pieterskerk, and the clerk noted that Francis lived at Levendaal. The child’s name was not recorded.
Piere and Marie, son and daughter of Jan le Roy and Jeanne. The witnesses for the son are Gabriel Hennedouce, Abraham Lambin, Racel de Banne and Hester le Mahieu; the witnesses for the daughter are Francoo de Heu [identified as Francis Cooke in the archive abstract], Jan de Lannoy, his wife Grar Vayllan, and Chaterine Crocogon.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Piere et Marie, fils et fille de Jan le Roy et de Jeanne. Tesmoigs du fils sont Gabriel Hennedouce et Abraham Lambin et Racel de Banne et Hester le Mahieu; tesmoigs de la fille sont Francoo de Heu, Jan de Lannoo sa femme Grar Vayllan et Chaterine Crocogon
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 11
Genealogical reading
Entered on 5 July 1603. Francis Cooke, wool comber, bachelor from England, accompanied by Philippe de Veau and Raphael Roelandt, his acquaintances; with Hester Mahieu, spinster from Canterbury in England, accompanied by Jeanne Mahieu, her mother, and Jeanne Mahieu, her sister.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Aengeteyckent 5 july 1603 Franchoys Couck wolcammer jongman uyt Engelant vergeselschapt met Philippe de Veau ende Raphael Roelandt zyn bekenden met Hester Mahieu jongedochter van Cantelberch in Engelant, vergeselschapt met Jenne Mahieu haer moeder ende Jenne Mahieu haer zuster.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 5 · folio 69v
Genealogical reading
Philippe, son of Jan de Lannoy and Marie de Lannoy. Witnesses: Francis Cooke, Philippe Marines, Tonnette de Lannoy and Merguerite de Lannoy.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Philippe, filz de Jan de Lannoy et Marie de Lannoy. Tesmoins François Cock et Philippe Marines et Tonnette de Lannoy et Merguerite de Lannoy.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 20
Genealogical reading
Jean, son of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu. Witnesses: Paul Telier, Guilliaume des Rancquier, Pironne Coulonville and Jacqueline, widow of Francois Lambin.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Jean, fils de Frans Houck et d' Ester Mahieu, tesmoings Paul Telier et Guilliaume des Rancquier et Pironne Coulonville et Jacqueline vefve de Francois Lambin.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 27
Genealogical reading
Francis Cooke and Esther his wife, from Norwich.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Francois Cooke et Esther sa femme, de Norwich
Source: View this record · record group 0535 · call no. 16 · folio 13v
Genealogical reading
Child of Francis Cooke, living at Levendaal.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
kint van franchoijs kouck op levendeel
Source: View this record · record group 0501A · call no. 1314 · folio 161
Genealogical reading
Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Elizabeth fille de Francois Cook et Ester Mahieu.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 42
Genealogical reading
The story in the records
Hester Mahieu is named in Leiden before her marriage. In February 1602 she stood as a witness for Piere le Roy at a baptism in the French-speaking congregation.
Her banns with Francis Cooke were entered on 5 July 1603. The clerk called her a spinster from Canterbury and recorded two women named Jeanne Mahieu beside her: her mother and her sister.
The later church records name Hester as Jean and Elizabeth’s mother and enter her together with Francis as a member of the Walloon Church. They also connect the couple with Norwich, although the brief entry does not explain that part of their story.
Piere and Marie, son and daughter of Jan le Roy and Jeanne. The witnesses for the son are Gabriel Hennedouce, Abraham Lambin, Racel de Banne and Hester le Mahieu; the witnesses for the daughter are Francoo de Heu [identified as Francis Cooke in the archive abstract], Jan de Lannoy, his wife Grar Vayllan, and Chaterine Crocogon.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Piere et Marie, fils et fille de Jan le Roy et de Jeanne. Tesmoigs du fils sont Gabriel Hennedouce et Abraham Lambin et Racel de Banne et Hester le Mahieu; tesmoigs de la fille sont Francoo de Heu, Jan de Lannoo sa femme Grar Vayllan et Chaterine Crocogon
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 11
Genealogical reading
Entered on 5 July 1603. Francis Cooke, wool comber, bachelor from England, accompanied by Philippe de Veau and Raphael Roelandt, his acquaintances; with Hester Mahieu, spinster from Canterbury in England, accompanied by Jeanne Mahieu, her mother, and Jeanne Mahieu, her sister.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Aengeteyckent 5 july 1603 Franchoys Couck wolcammer jongman uyt Engelant vergeselschapt met Philippe de Veau ende Raphael Roelandt zyn bekenden met Hester Mahieu jongedochter van Cantelberch in Engelant, vergeselschapt met Jenne Mahieu haer moeder ende Jenne Mahieu haer zuster.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 5 · folio 69v
Genealogical reading
Jean, son of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu. Witnesses: Paul Telier, Guilliaume des Rancquier, Pironne Coulonville and Jacqueline, widow of Francois Lambin.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Jean, fils de Frans Houck et d' Ester Mahieu, tesmoings Paul Telier et Guilliaume des Rancquier et Pironne Coulonville et Jacqueline vefve de Francois Lambin.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 27
Genealogical reading
Francis Cooke and Esther his wife, from Norwich.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Francois Cooke et Esther sa femme, de Norwich
Source: View this record · record group 0535 · call no. 16 · folio 13v
Genealogical reading
Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Elizabeth fille de Francois Cook et Ester Mahieu.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 42
Genealogical reading
The story in the records
Jean appears in one supplied Leiden entry. The French register names him as the son of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu and records four witnesses: Paul Telier, Guilliaume des Rancquier, Pironne Coulonville and Jacqueline, widow of Francois Lambin.
The year is given as 1607. No day or month is included in the supplied record.
Jean, son of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu. Witnesses: Paul Telier, Guilliaume des Rancquier, Pironne Coulonville and Jacqueline, widow of Francois Lambin.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Jean, fils de Frans Houck et d' Ester Mahieu, tesmoings Paul Telier et Guilliaume des Rancquier et Pironne Coulonville et Jacqueline vefve de Francois Lambin.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 27
Genealogical reading
The story in the records
Elizabeth appears in a single baptism entry from December 1611. The brief French text names her directly as the daughter of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu.
The supplied entry contains no exact day and does not name baptismal witnesses.
Elizabeth, daughter of Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection.
Elizabeth fille de Francois Cook et Ester Mahieu.
Source: View this record · record group 1004 · call no. 270 · folio 42
Genealogical reading
Cooke–Mahieu family timeline
Hester accompanies Piere le Roy; Francis is named among the witnesses for Marie le Roy.
The register names his trade and her Canterbury origin, with acquaintances and family beside them.
Francis appears among four baptismal witnesses.
The French register names Francis and Hester as his parents.
The couple are entered together and associated with Norwich.
The Pieterskerk register places Francis at Levendaal.
The entry names Francis and Hester as her parents.
Family history beyond the Leiden deeds
Francis Cooke is the passenger whose beginnings have never been found. The Leiden records describe him as a woolcomber out of England, and that is the whole of it — no parish, no parents, no baptism. Caleb Johnson places his birth around 1583, possibly near Canterbury or Norwich, while stating that nothing has been established. [mayflowerhistory.com] The General Society of Mayflower Descendants records his origins and parentage as unknown. [General Society of Mayflower Descendants]
His wife’s background is far clearer. The Mahieus were Walloon Protestants from Lille who fled first to Canterbury, then to London in the 1570s, and reached Leiden around 1590. [General Society of Mayflower Descendants] Hester joined the Walloon church shortly before her betrothal. Sources disagree on the date of that betrothal: it appears as both 30 June and 4 July 1603, with the third reading of the banns on 20 July; the General Society corrects 30 June to 4 July. [General Society of Mayflower Descendants]
Bradford supplied the family’s closing line himself. Writing in 1651, he noted that Francis Cooke was still living, a very old man who had seen his children’s children have children. [Bradford, Of Plymouth Plantation] Cooke died at Plymouth on 7 April 1663. Hester died between 8 June 1666 and 18 December 1675. [mayflowerhistory.com]
Continue your own research
This site follows Francis Cooke and Hester Mahieu through their Leiden years specifically. To trace the Cooke or Mahieu line further back or forward in time, external genealogy databases can help.
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