Person:Sarah Cook (138)

Childhood

Sarah, or Sally, Cook was baptised on 13th May 1816 at Bow Brickhill in Buckinghamshire, daughter of a lace maker named Mary Cook, formerly Bedford, and her husband James Cook, a labourer. Sally was their eldest child; they had married four months before her baptism. The family did not stay long in Bow Brickhill after Sally's baptism. By the time their next child was baptised in 1818 the had moved about seven miles east to Husborne Crawley, across the county boundary in Bedfordshire.

At Husborne Crawley, Sally's parents went on to have another five children between 1818 and 1829, although two of them died before they reached two years old.

Marriage

Sally was married on 4th October 1833 at Husborne Crawley, aged 17, to a pig dealer named Thomas Lewis. She was ten years younger than him. He appears to have been born and brought up at Husborne Crawley.

Six months after their marriage they had their first child baptised, a son named Henry. He was followed by Samuel in 1835, Alfred in 1837, Eusebia in 1838 and Susannah in 1840. All were baptised at Husborne Crawley. Later in 1840 or early in 1841 the family left Husborne Crawley and moved to the nearby village of Aspley Guise, where they appear in the 1841 census living at West Street. All five children are listed with Thomas and Sally, although it appears their son Henry was also listed as staying with his grandparents, Thomas's parents George and Mary Lewis, who were living at Church End in Husborne Crawley. Sally's mother Mary and sister Hephzibah appear in the 1841 census living in another house on West Street, Aspley Guise.

At Aspley Guise, Thomas and Sally went on to have a daughter named Jane Maria in late 1841 or early 1842, followed by a son named Arthur Bedford Lewis in 1843. Although the family was now living in Aspley Guise, both Jane and Arthur were baptised back at Husborne Crawley. Sadly young Jane died when she was about two years old in late 1843.

Thomas and Sally had a daughter Mary Ann at Aspley Guise in 1844.

In 1846 Sally is mentioned in a newspaper report in the Northampton Mercury. Thomas was summoned by a chimney sweep named Frederick Whitlock for assault. Apparently Whitlock had gone to the Lewis's house while Thomas was out, and told Sally that "her master" had ordered him to sweep the chimney. She let him, and paid him three pence. When Thomas returned he said he had not ordered the sweep, describing the sweep's story as "all gammon". Thomas claimed he had wanted to sweep the chimney himself in order to put the soot on the garden. The soot was still in a sack by the door, and when Whitlock came to collect it Thomas refused to let him have it, shaking his fists in the sweep's face. Whitlock then claimed there was an assault, which Thomas denied. Both produced witnesses supporting their version of events. The court dismissed the case.

Later that year Thomas and Sally's daughter Susannah died aged just six years old, being buried at Husborne Crawley.

In 1847 Sally and Thomas had a daughter, Sarah Jane. In 1848 Sally and Thomas each gave depositions about some oranges which were stolen from them. Apparently they sold oranges and other 'small articles' from their public house, which was named as The Swan in Aspley Guise. After Thomas and Sally had closed up and gone to bed one evening some men came to the door wanting food and drink. Sally opened a window and said she would not let them in. One of the men then apparently said to his companions "if they won't let us have some beer I'll have some oranges," and broke the bar window, stealing five oranges that were standing in the window and went away. Thomas and a lodger went down to the village and found the men with the oranges and called the constable.

Sally's mother Mary died in 1848.

In March 1849 they had a son, Thomas. Another newspaper report in the Northampton Mercury from September 1849 describes The Swan as one of a number of public houses which were not well conducted, and the magistrates had deferred their decision on whether to renew Thomas's licence. It is not clear whether or not his license was renewed, but there is a fair chance it was not; by April 1850 the family had left Aspley Guise and moved to Little Brickhill, three miles south-west of Aspley Guise. It is perhaps significant that Little Brickhill was just over the county boundary into Buckinghamshire and therefore came under the jurisdiction of a different set of magistrates for the purposes of granting licences.

Little Brickhill

At Little Brickhill, Sally and Thomas had another daughter named Susannah, baptised there in April 1850, but sadly she died as a baby of only five weeks old. The 1851 census finds Sally, Thomas and their children at Little Brickhill, with Thomas now described as a victualler, which is consistent with him running a public house. Their eldest son, Henry, was living with his grandparents back at Church End in Husborne Crawley.

Sally and Thomas had daughters named Ellen in 1852 and Amy in 1855 at Little Brickhill. In 1856 Thomas was found to have unjust measures in his possession. He was fined by the Newport Pagnell petty sessions £1 2s 6d.

In 1857 Sally and Thomas's youngest child, Ann Elizabeth, was born. In total they had a remarkable fifteen children together, although four had died young. By the time Ann Elizabeth was born, Sally was 41 years old.

In 1859 Sally's eldest daughter Eusebia was married, and Sally's first known grandchild was born shortly after.

The 1861 census finds Sally, Thomas and many of their children still living at Little Brickhill, but the census gives the added detail that they lived at the King's Arms. The following year Sally's recently married daughter Eusebia died aged only 24 years old.

Thomas was still running a public house in Little Brickhill in 1863, when a newspaper report recounts how some of his customers stole his dog. They had been drinking, and soon after they left the dog was missed. Thomas went after them and found they had taken the dog.

Sally's father died at Aspley Guise in 1865.

Luton

Some time between 1863 and 1866 Thomas and Sally left Little Brickhill and moved to Luton, where they took on the Shepherd and Flock public house (later renamed the Round Green Tavern) at Round Green, then a slightly removed hamlet on the hill to the east of the town itself but on the main road from Luton to Hitchin. Thomas had another fine from the magistrate in 1867 when he refused to produce his measures on request.

The family does not appear to have stayed long at the Shepherd and Flock. By 1870 Thomas had ceased to be a publican and was working as a dealer, and living at Burr Street in the High Town area of Luton, between the town centre and Round Green. His son Thomas stole various things from him, including a glazier's diamond, and Thomas gave evidence in his son's trial. Thomas junior was sentenced to three months' hard labour.

The 1871 and 1881 census each find Sally and Thomas living at 4 Burr Street, and on each occasion they had grandchildren living with them. In 1871 Sally was working as a sewer.

Sally died on 15th August 1890 in Luton Union Workhouse, aged 74. Her cause of death was given as paralysis. Thomas survived Sally by less than a year.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Baptisms register, in Church of England. Bow Brickhill Parish Registers, 1653-1885. (Aylesbury: Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Bow Brickhill in the County of Buckingham in the Year 1816
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   57	1816 May 13	Sally Daughter of	James & Mary	Cook	Bow Brickhill	Labourer	Edward Jones

   This baptism has been linked to the Sarah / Sally Cook who married Thomas Lewis on the basis that one of the witnesses to their marriage was Ann Cook, which was the name of one of this Sarah's sisters, it is in the right parish and about the right time to fit the age and place of birth she quoted in the censuses, and it also explains the unusual middle name Sarah gave her son Arthur Bedford Lewis - it was Sarah's mother's maiden name.

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 5; Book 1; Folio 5; Pages 4-5, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: West Street, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Tho[ma]s Lewis, male, 30 [1806-11], Pig dealer, born in county
   Sally Lewis, female, 25 [1811-16], not born in county
   Henry Lewis, male, 7 [1833/4], born in county
   Sam[ue]l Lewis, male, 5 [1835/6], born in county
   Alfred Lewis, male, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Eusabia Lewis, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Susanna Lewis, female, 1 [1839/40], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1723; Folio 89; Page 3, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Thomas Lewis, head, married, male, 40 [1810/11], Victualler, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, wife, married, female, 34 [1816/7], b. Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Alfred Lewis, son, male, 13 [1837/8], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Eusibaous Lewis, daughter, female, 12 [1838/9], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mary Ann Lewis, daughter, female, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Aspley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, daughter, female, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Aspley, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, son, male, 2 [1848/9], b. Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Arthur Bedford, visitor, male, 8 [1842/3], b. not known

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 871; Folio 61; Page 10, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Kings Arms, Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Thomas Lewis, head, married, male, 50 [1810/11], Victualler, b. Husband Crawly, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, wife, married, female, 42 [1818/19], b. Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Samuel Lewis, son, unmarried, male, 24 [1836/7], Baker, b. Husband Crawly, Bedfordshire
   Mary A. Lewis, daughter, female, 15 [1845/6], Plaitter of Straw, b. Aspley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, daughter, female, 12 [1848/9], Scholar, b. Aspley, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, son, male, 11 [1849/50], Scholar, b. Aspley, Bedfordshire
   Ellen Lewis, daughter, female, 8 [1852/3], Scholar, b. L. Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Annie Lewis, daughter, female, 6 [1854/5], Scholar, b. L. Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Ann Lewis, daughter, female, 3 [1857/8], b. L. Brickhill, Buckinghamshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1573; Folio 58; Page 1, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: 4 Burr Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, head, married, male, 65 [1805/6], Dealer, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, wife, married, female, 52 [1818/19], Sewer, b. Bow Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Ammey Lewis, daughter, female, 16 [1854/5], Sewer, b. Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Ann Lewis, daughter, female, 13 [1857/8], Sewer, b. Little Brickhill, Buckinghamshire
   Sarah Lewis, granddaughter, female, 5 [1865/6], Scholar, b. Islington, Middlesex

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1650; Folio 57; Page 1, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 4 Burr Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Tho[ma]s Lewis, head, married, male, 78 [1802/3], Furniture Dealer, b. Usborn Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, wife, married, female, 65 [1815/16], Furniture Dealer Wife, b. Usborn Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Lewis, granddaughter, female, 15 [1865/6], Servant, b. London
   Elizabeth Lewis, granddaughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. London
   Ellen Whiles, granddaughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Luton
   ~second household at same address~
   Tho[ma]s H. Cook, head married, male, 25 [1855/6], Iron Moulder, b. Birmingham
   Sarah Cook, wife, married, female, 24 [1856/7], Iron Moulder Wife, b. Northampton
   Wm? Cook, son, male, 1 month [1881], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   Registration District Luton
   1890 Death in the Sub-district of Luton in the Counties of Beds and Herts
   No.	When and where died	Name and surname	Sex	Age	Occupation	Cause of death	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   446	Fifteenth August 1890 Union Workhouse, Luton U.S.D.	Sarah Lewis	Female	73 years [1812/13]	Wife of Thomas Lewis, Hawker of Hitchin Road, Luton	Paralysis Certified by S.T. Lewis L.R.C.S.	Eli[zabe]th Bandon Matron, Union Workhouse, Luton	Nineteenth August 1890	John Gardner, Registrar

   
8. ↑ Burials in Luton 1813-1904, in Bedfordshire Family History Society. Luton Parish Register Transcript. (Bedford).

   Name: Sarah LEWIS
   Abode: Luton
   Buried: 20 Aug 1890
   Aged: 75 [1814/5]

9.   Bedfordshire & Luton Archives & Records Service
   Ref: QSR1848/2/5/5-6
   Depositions and examinations - Daniel Crute and William Jenkyns charged with stealing 5 oranges (value 3d) from Thomas Lewis
   
   18 Mar 1848
   
   Sally Lewis of Aspley Guise – she is the wife of Thomas Lewis. They live at the Swan public house in Aspley Guise. They sell oranges and other small articles. When they went to bed about 10.15pm the previous night (March 17) there were 5 oranges in the bar window. Soon after they got upstairs some men came to the door and said they wanted something to eat and drink. She opened the window and saw Jenkyns and 3 others. She said she would not let them in at that time of night. They persisted and asked her to let them have some beer in a bottle to take away. She opened the window again and saw Jenkyns in front of her bedroom window. Another man was standing near the bar window and she could not see the other two. She remembered she had not taken the oranges out of the window as usual and went downstairs to do so. In the bar she found a pane of glass broken and all the oranges gone. She then called her husband who went outdoors. The light was put out before they came the second time. She lit it again before she went to the window. The bar window is easily reached from the ground. Jenkyns was 3 or 4 yards from the bar window when she saw him. She believes the 4 oranges produced are those taken.
   
   Thomas Lewis of Aspley Guise, victualler – he went to bed soon after 10pm. At about 10.30 his wife told him about the glass and the oranges. He went outdoors and saw the window was broken and the boards taken off the cellar window. He went down to the village and saw Crute standing in Woodin’s Yard. He spoke to Crute and Jenkyns came. He collared Jenkyns who denied breaking the window and stealing the oranges. He told his lodger who was with him to call the constable. The constable came and he gave Jenkyns and Crute into custody. Jenkyns said the other two had gone home, and that they were his brother David and William Keech. He picked up 3 oranges close to where Crute was standing and saw one on the hedge near the gate. That morning he found the peel of another orange fresh gnawed close to the same place.
   
   William Keech of Husborne Crawley, labourer – he was with Jenkyns and Crute when they went to Lewis’s public house. He waited there about 5 or 10 minutes, then he and David Jenkyns left as Mrs Lewis would not let them in. Wm Jenkyns and Crute were standing against the bar window. Crute had a knife and was cutting the lead of the window. David Jenkyns saw it and said to him “come on and go home we won’t have anything to do with that”. [Cross-examined] He did not see any oranges in the window. He did not hear them say what they were going to do. Crute had the knife in his hands. Wm Jenkyns stood close to him. He did not see Wm Jenkyns do anything.
   
   David Jenkyns of Woburn Sands, labourer – he was with the other three. When the Lewises refused to let them in he waited a few minutes. Crute said “if they won’t let us have some beer I’ll have some oranges”. Crute then put his hand in his pocket and went up to the bar window, with his brother following. He and Keech left. He did not see a knife or anything else in Crute’s hand. They had not got far when he heard the window break. After he got further he heard one of them call out again to Lewis for some beer. When he saw what they were about he called to Keech and said they should leave.
   
   William Jenkyns – he went to the [Bill?] to inquire after his father. They then went to Lewis’s and called at the window. Mrs Lewis would not give them any and they left, but he thought he saw a light as if someone was coming down so he and Crute went back. He thinks Keech and his brother did not follow. Mrs Lewis said she would not come down. He went away and Crute followed after a minute or so. He went to Woodin’s beer shop and stayed a minute but did not have any beer. He left and saw Lewis and Crute in the yard. Lewis collared him and accused him of stealing the oranges. It is all false. He never went near the bar window. The knife Mr Young has is his. Young took it from him.
   
   Daniel Crute – Lewis says he found the oranges just where he stood. If so, he found them in the middle of the path for that is where he was. He did not steal or meddle with any oranges. When Keech says he saw him under the window he went there to make water. He has not got a knife.