C - Richard Cocke I

Richard "Lt. Col" Cocke I was born 05 Sept 1597-1602 in Stottesdon, Shropshire, England.  Died after  04 Oct 1665 in Bremo, Henrico Co. Virginia. He was my 10th Great Grandfather. He was married to Mary Aston and then Temperance Baley.    He was the son of John and Elizabeth Cocke, and came to Virginia before age of  3.

Richard was Lt. Colonel in the militia, and also served in the House of Burgesses.  Lt. Col. Cocke represented Henrico County in the Virginia House of Burgesses (1644, 1654-5) and was likely the Richard Coxe who had represented Weyanoke as early as 1632.  He was the county justice in 1657.

Richard married 1st Temperance Baley who was then the widow of John Browne. He married 2nd Mary Aston, daughter of Lt. Col. Walter Aston who served in the Virginia House of Burgesses as well. Richard and Mary were the parents of four children; William, John, Richard “the younger,” and Edward Cocke.

Richard Cocke secured a patent to 3,000 acres 6 March 1636/7, which was next to land of Robert Hallom and Thomas Harris. Among his headrights was John Browne twice.  The re patent of 2,000 acres 10 March 1639/40 named 3 plantations associated with the Cocke family: “Bremo,” “Curles,” and “Malvern Hills.” in present day Chesterfield County.  He was the viewer of tobacco.  In 1652 he added 248 acres to his 2,000-acre “Bremo” plantation that included 100 acres “due by patent to Temp. Bayley.”  With John Beauchamp in 1664, he got 2,994 acres on the south side of the Chickahominy River.  Beauchamp heirs and Thomas Cocke Sr., Richard Cocke Sr., and Richard Cocke Jr. agreed on a division of this land 1 Oct. 1689.

Portrait of Richard Cocke at Bremo

Here is the Will of Richard Cocke:

Will of Richard Cocke
4 October 1663
In the name of God Amen I Richard Cocke Sen’r being at present in perfect health & memorie for which I render hearty thanks to Almighty God my Creator Yet Considering the uncertainty of this transitory life have therefore for the peaceable settling the little Estate God in his Goodness hath given me made and ordained this my last will and testament hereby reversing all former wills at any time made by me. Imprimis I bequeath my Soule to God that gave it trusting in the merits of my Redeemer to obtain a joyfull Ressurection & my bodie to the grave to be Interred in my Orchard near my first Wife decently according to the Usual solumnities of the Church of England & my estate I dispose as followeth.
It. After my debts are paid I give & bequeath the one third of all my estate whether in land or Chattels to my loving wife Mary Cocke. The sd third of the land to be held by her for her natural life & no longer & it is hereby declared that my will is that she lay no Claime to any part of that land formerly given by me to my sons Thomas & Richard Cocke but that they enjoy the same entirely to them and their heirs according to a deed of gift thereof recorded in the Henrico Court.
It. I give & bequeath to my sons William & John the residue of that dividend of land not disposed of by the aforesaid deed of gift & the will always excepting in the gift the 640 a. called Bremo to be held to them & their heirs forever to be equally divided between them when the come of age. I give and bequeath the afore excepted 640 a. of land to my Eldest Son Richard Cocke, the heir males of his body lawfully begotten, for want of such I give to my son Thomas Cocke & the Heir males of his body lawfully begotton, for want of such issue to my son William Cocke & the heir males of his body lawfully begotten, & for want of such heir males, to the heir males of John Cocke, & for want of such to the heir males of Richard Cocke, My Youngest Son, provided always that my first named son Richard if Live to inherit it or any other of my sons or their heirs, that after my decease first possess the sd land, shall pay to my daughter Elizabeth Cocke for her portion one hundred pounds sterling & if he & they shall resist payment or fail of making good payment of the said Sum to the sd. Elizabeth when she attained the age of Seaventeen years or at the day of her Marriage, which shall first happen, then the sd land to be extended to the use of the sd Eliz: until the said Sum by the Annuall value of the land shall be accomplished in the Case the sd Elizabeth should die before either of the sd terms of 17 years of age or Marriage, then my will is that the sd hundred pounds be paid to my other children by my now wife, equal portion as they shall attain lawful age.
It. I give & bequeath to my now youngest son Richard Cocke & his heirs seaven hundred and fifty acres of Land out of the pattent of land taken up jointly between Mr. John Beauchamp & my self of which seaventeen hundred and fifty acres belong to me, the residue of which seaventeen hundred & fifty I have already given & hereby Confirm to my sons Thomas Cocke & Richard Cocke the older & their heirs. And for my personall Estate I do hereby acknowledge that all the Cattle of my older Son Richard & the hogs being of a distinct rank & all known by my Cozen Daniell & confirm they being never by me refuted as any part of my proper Estate. As for the rest of my Estate my wifes third being deducted I give to be equally divided between my Children by my present wife Mary Cocke, willing that the Mares & Stock of Cattle & Sheep run in Common for their joint benefit & as any of my said Children come of Age, that they receive their equall portion of the female Stock then in being & all the males Tawear [?] to the Guardian of my children.
It. I give & bequeath to my Couzen Daniell Jordan as much manored land as he & his hands shall be able & well manned & with a Hoame during his life or abode in this Country provided he accept the same upon these Tuwear [?] Vizt. to employ himself & one Hand more my Son finding home & Seede & all houseing & taccling belonging to it & one hand more & to have my said Cozen the third part of this ___din of all ___ labours. Item. My will is that in Case my Son Thomas Cocke will looke to the Mill for the use of my other Children until they come of Age, that then he shall have for his paines & care the grinding of his Corn to be free & three thousand p’dd of Tobacco & C to come out of the profits my wife’s Children’s estate ….
It. I make my loving Wife Mary Cocke & my Sons Thomas & Richard Cocke to be my Executors of this my will, appointing my wife the Guardian for all my Young Children born of her until they come of age & in Case of her decease then my said Sons Thomas & Richard. It. I desire & request the justices of the County of Henrico in whose fatherly Care & integrity towards the Widow and fatherless Ine___se much Confidence to bee my Overseers of this my last will & Testament & to take Care that it be performed according to the true Intent & meaning thereof. 
Dated under my hand and Seale this fourth day of October 1665.
Rich’d Cocke Senr.

Descendants of Richard Cocke is George H.W. Bush.