Bartholomew Cooke

Bartholomew Cooke, son of William and Bridget Cooke, was born in Cork in 1818. He had one sister, Eliza. His first marriage was to Eliza Eccles who died June 28 1847 aged 22, when their daughter Anna Christina born August 1, 1847, was just over a year old. We were very fortunate to meet one of her descendants earlier this week; Patricia Sargent who still lives here in Cork. She makes amazing delicious rocky-road style chocolate squares!

Bartholomew married Sarah Jane Kiely Connor in 1850 (no children recorded).  She died in 1856 aged 34. When he was 42 years old he married our great grandmother Alice Levingston and they had one son together, William Levingston Cooke born 13 July 1865 in Cork. 

Bartholomew was a successful businessman but lost all his savings in the Munster bank crash. However he must have partially recovered financially by the time he died as his will held in the record Office, Dublin gives the value of his estate at 3064 pounds which would be worth about half a million pounds today. He was a book lover, who used to buy books on lay-by.

Family members can read more about him in the "Cookebook" prepared by our cousin David Cooke.

Bartholomew Cooke and Alice Levingston

Bartholomew, Alice and William

In 1852 his address was given as 3 Fitton St, Cork.

He died 28 November 1888 in his home of about 3 decades at 4 Western Rd, Cork where he had lived with his wife Alice, sister Eliza and son William. He must have been living there totally unaware that Darkey Beamish, the mother of his son's future wife was growing up just a stone's throw away on the nearby Beamish estate that is now Fitzgerald Park. It's a small world...

William, Alice and Bartholomew

4 Western Rd, Cork

4 Western Rd 2017

4 Western Rd

Burial place of Bartholomew, Alice and Eliza at St Finbarr's cemetery, Cork.