Person:Mary Bedford (3)

Mary Bedford was baptised on 5th April 1790 at Simpson in Buckinghamshire, daughter of Mary Bedford, formerly Smith, and her husband, John Bedford. A sister, Elizabeth, was baptised on the same day. As it was six years since her parents' previous child had been baptised it is quite likely that either Mary or Elizabeth was a couple of years old. Mary's parents had previously lived in the nearby village of Bow Brickhill. Mary's mother died in 1812 and was buried at Simpson, after which the family appears to have returned to Bow Brickhill. It is not clear when Mary's father died.

In 1813 Mary had a daughter, Lydia, who was baptised at Bow Brickhill. She was described as a lace maker at this time. Mary's next sighting is on 17th January 1816 when she was married at Bow Brickhill to a labourer named James Cook. They went on to have a daughter, Sally (or Sarah), baptised four months later at Bow Brickhill.

By 1818 Mary and James had moved to Husborne Crawley, about four miles east of Bow Brickhill and over the border into Bedfordshire. At Husborne Crawley they had five more children: Ann, John, Mary, Samuel and Hephzibah, although Mary and Samuel both died under the age of two years old.

The 1841 census finds Mary and Hephzibah living together at Aspley Guise, which is between Husborne Crawley and Bow Brickhill. Mary was again described as a lace maker. James was not at home on census night.

Mary lived to see at least four of her children marry, starting with her daughter Sally in 1833. Mary became a grandmother in 1834. She appears to have had at least 21 grandchildren born in her lifetime.

Mary died on 4th April 1848 at Aspley Guise, and was buried at Husborne Crawley. She was said to be 60 or 61 years old. James survived her by seventeen years.

1. ↑ Simpson, Buckinghamshire, England. Parish Records (Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies, Aylesbury).

   1790 / Mary & Elizabeth Daughters of John & Mary Bedford April 5th

   This baptism has been linked to the Mary Bedford who married James Cook at Bow Brickhill in 1813 on the basis that her parents had married and had their first two children at Bow Brickhill and at least two of her siblings were later married at Bow Brickhill. Whilst in the 1841 census Mary said she had been born in the county in which she was then living (Bedfordshire), she did live very close to the border between Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire - the "New Town" in the parish of Aspley Guise she was living in in 1841 is quite likely to be part of Woburn Sands, which straddles Bedfordshire and Buckinghamshire.

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 2; Folio 4; Page 2, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: New Town, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Mary Cook, female, 50 [1786-91], Lacemaker, born in county
   Hephzibah Cook, female, 12 [1828/9], born in county

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

   Registration District Woburn Union
   1848 Death in the Sub-district of Woburn in the County of Bedford
   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
   17	Fourth April 1848 Aspley	Mary Cook	Female	60 years [1787/8]	Wife of James Cook, Laborer	Scrofula Abscess of the Throat Certified	X The Mark of Mary Keans In attendance Aspley	Seventh April 1848	J. Dexter, Registrar

   
4. ↑ England. National Burial Index.

   bur. 9 Apr 1848, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire: Mary Cook, aged 61 [1786/7]

   Needs to be confirmed at Bedfordshire Archives.