Who's That Sleeping in My Grandfather's Grave?

 After an arduous 40 hour journey from Cork to Nelson I am home and energy levels are restored. The lawn is mown, the courtyard weeded and spuds planted to be ready by Christmas. The dolphins have been past to say hello and the cat has forgiven me for abandoning him to the bony knee of the house sitter.

I would have liked another 2 weeks in Cork to finish off what I set out to do. By the time I left there was a snowball effect of meeting interesting people one after another. Historians, storytellers, museum curators -all willing to help me with my questions. I will keep posting information that I found on this blog as I get time to write it up.

At St. Fin Barres cemetery plans to re-inscribe the headstone on the family grave were brought to an abrupt halt when we were informed by the staff that there are 2 extra people buried in the grave that we didn't know about. We had to find out who they are through the Cork City and County Archives.  They are Isaac Cooke, a bookbinder from Peters St, Cork who died of paralysis in 1873 aged 62, and his wife Eliza Cooke (another one!) who died of Debility at the Cork Incurable House in 1877 aged 63. None of our family knew these people existed and they are not mentioned in family records. I think that this person  who signed Isaac's death certificate claiming to be his brother in law, is John B Lacy who married a Sarah Anne Cooke in 1849. If she was Bartholomew and Isaac's sister that would make sense but in her marriage record to John Lacy, Bartholomew Cooke is listed as her father. If the dates are to believed he became a parent at age 11!

Marriage record for Sarah Anne Cooke to  John Boswood Lacy


 It seems more likely that as her older brother he stood in and "gave her away" in the father role because their father was deceased. We were told that the Lacy's were close friends of the Cookes, possibly distant cousins. Their family grave at St Finbarrs cemetery which includes Sarah Anne and her husband's, is right next to the Cooke's.

Cooke grave on left shared the metal surround with Lacy grave on right


Signature on Isaac Cooke's death record 1873- JBLacy?


 This signature on Isaac's wife Eliza's death record looks like it could belong to Bartholomew Cooke but we know that his sister didn't die until 1900 and she has her own burial record to that effect. Family history taken from the family bible indicates that he only had one sibling, yes an Eliza but with completely different dates. And why would the first Eliza have the surname Cooke if she was married?

Signature on Eliza Cooke's death record 1877- Bartholomew Cooke?

 Confused? Me too.

 And I didn't anticipate the multiple drafts (7) required for getting the text correct on the Cooke family grave and am anxiously waiting for what will hopefully be the final one. Then it will be fingers crossed that there are no mistakes on the final engraving. But at least the mystery pair Isaac and Eliza Cooke will now be acknowledged.


The Cooke family grave in 2017

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