William Hilton Cooke junior

Given as William H. Cooke in the slave compensation records for the award for Chester Castle estate in Hanover. Identified as William Hilton Cooke in the Jamaica Almanac 1840.

1. Son of William (Hilton) Cooke (q.v., 1787-1829, the builder of Rookery Hall), and Eliza Edleston. Chester Castle reportedly passed from John Hilton to his brother William Hilton under John's will of 21/11/1808. William Hilton Cooke (1814-1879) reportedly moved to Jamaica c. 1836, married Mary Elizabeth Harvey in 1844 and was Custos of Hanover 1871-78.

2. Will of John Hilton of Hanover, Cornwall proved 22/01/1811. Contrary to the above, the will shows John Hilton leaving his estate to his nephew William Cook [sic] of Westmoreland.

3. The association of William Hilton Cooke (1787-1829) with both the Rookery and with Chester Castle in Jamaica is firmly embedded in histories of Rookery Hall but the precise linkages are not yet established. The will of William Cooke of Worleston Rookery, Nantwich proved in July 1830 in the Chester court had not yet been examined but is almost certainly the same man.

T71/915 p. 38 Hanover claim no. 15; Chester Castle given as William Cooke in the Jamaica Almanac between 1811-1838.

1. Family History of the McNeil's of Jamaica http://www.genealogy.com/users/c/o/o/Ian-M-Cooke/FILE/0001page.html, unsourced [accessed 02/06/2011].

2. PROB 11/1518/325.

3. See for example http://www.handpickedhotels.co.uk/hotels/rookery-hall/History/ [accessed 02/06/2011]; Ancestry.com, UK, Extracted Probate Records, 1269-1975 [database on-line].