The Talented Cooke Family

Their family name was originally ‘Guck’ (to rhyme with ‘Cooke’). Johann Bernhardt Guck of Frankfurt am Main, was a high quality confectioner, said to have worked firstly in Russia, and then set up his business in Holborn in about 1770. John and his wife, Maria Anna lived in Leather Lane, and as the business and their family grew, moved to Charles Street, Holborn. John Bernard Cooke, as he styled himself, and Maria Anna made the business a family affair, and their eldest son, John Conrad eventually succeeded his father as a high class confectioner, and ran his business from Hatton Wall, Hatton Garden. Their daughters also became skilled in the catering trade, and married accordingly: Lucy to Leonard Shuckard, proprietor of The Old Ship, Brighton, and Mary Ann to Francis Martin, of East Street, Brighton, pastry cook to The Prince Regent. Mary Ann, a widow in 1803, continued her husband’s business, and subsequently married Christian Kramer, leader of the Prince’s Private Band and later, Master of the King’s Music.

The Cooke family, including two more sons, William Bernard and George, who became notable engravers, enjoyed frequent visits to Brighton. The lives and work of William and George are the subject of an article in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography^[i]John Munday. The Cooke Family. Oxford DNB/65034 John Conrad’s confectionery business was well-marketed by the production of finely engraved business stationery produced by his brother George.

Both William Bernard and George engraved illustrations of Brighton and Sussex, involving collaboration with J M W Turner, Peter de Wint etc (notably in ‘Picturesque Views of the Southern coast of England’.) It was said that George as a young designer painted an inn sign for The Old Ship,which may have been the lettering or similar, shown in the painting by Quartermain.

Their parents, John Bernard and Maria Anna, retired to a small house at 3 George St, Brighton, supported by their two daughters, Lucy Shuckard and Mary Ann Kramer. Two letters at the Keep written by Maria Anna in 1819 to the Lewes Parish guardians give a picture of the daily lives of older folk with fairly limited means, but aspiring to a middle class standard of living, and keen to ‘keep up appearances’. Maria Anna and her daughter Lucy had discovered that taking impoverished young women from the workhouse was a cheap way of obtaining domestic help.^[ii]Letter from A Cooke to the parish officers of St Michael, Lewes. ESRO PAR 414/35/1/97Brighton July 3^rd 1819

Gentlemen

I take the Liberty of writing a few lines to you concerning a poor girl who was recommended to me by a Relation of her Mary Coats who was in your poorhouse. She has been with 3 weeks and I can’t say but that her conduct has been exceeding well til now and I hope she may go on in like maner as I have no fault to find but she is very bare of cloaths. She is in great want of a few things her best shoes are too little for so that her fete are sweld at Night, she cant walk. She had not a pair of stoking to wear but 2 pair of rags she has to mend every night since she has been with us. She has only one gown for everyday and Sundays only two old rags for aprons only one old rag of an upper coat al in slits, has not a decent bonet to put on and only 2 old rag undercoats. So if you would be so good to assist her those few that I have mentioned you cannot bestowe a greater charity than to let her have thee few articles I think that she will not trouble you any more if she keeps her health and is a good girl.

Now Gentlemen, I must tell you who I am . We are the parents of Mrs Schuckardt who keeps The Old Ship. Our name is Cooke No 3 George Street Brighton. You hear of us if you please to inquire at Mr Hodds who keeps the White Heart, Mr and Mrs Martin at Crown and Mr Frish, watchmaker, ware you may have our character. We are Old People, both of us very lame and infirm.I dont want no other sort of servant but a girl that is a little steady as she has no other work but to make 3 beds to make, 2 parlours to clean .We have no lodgers not children, no cooking as my daughter send me our dinner every day, very few errants to go .She has to assist me when I go out as I cant go alone being very lame (the person who came with her when she came to be hired will tell you the same. On account of her going out with me I was obliged to buy her a bonet as cost 6 shillings and 6 pence so she has that to work out. She has 7 pence a week of me so if you wold let her have the few things i mentioned it will be a great help to her and the wages as she will earn shall keep her stock of cloaths so that she may appear decently so as to be seen. She shall make all those things herself I shall instruct her so I hope you will be so kind and I trust you will take this petition in consideration and let her have those few articles and I will make her careful of them. I only hope she will go on so as she has health to. If she should alter her conduct I will be sure to let you know
Remain your honourable servant
M A Cooke
No 3 George St Brighton

the things as are wanting are a best gown, 2 peticoats, an upper and under one, 2 best aprons check or any sort, not coarse ones as I have given her a course one, some stockings and a pair of shoes not small, as I have bought her a bonet she must pay for

and 2 weeks later:

^[iii]Letter from A Cook 3 George St Brighton to William Davey High St Lewes, plumber. ESRO PAR414/35/1/98Sir, I send this note to beg of you to send a young woman out of your poorhouse to take a place if she is not ingaged. (her name is Kasia Williams) It is a kitchin or la(u)ndry maid at Mr Schuckardt Old Ship Tavern here at Brighton. Mary Coats told me of her and she will have a very good place of it if she behaves well as Mary tells me she is not a young girl so she may by this time be able to gard herself and Mr and Mrs Sh do take as much care of their servants as possible and she will have good wages. She must be able to have a good character for Honesty and Sobriety and she must be willing to do the business of her apertinent. I dont know which it as is wanted. I believe it is 8 per year. if she goes on well she will be rewarded,so if she is not ingaged and you approve of situation for her please to send her on Sunday or on Monday morning to speak to Mrs Shuckard after the morning service at church. She can have her dinner at Mrs Sch.

Sir I wrote to you a little wile ago for Mary Coats to have a few cloathes as she is so very bare of cloaths If you could be the means of her obtaining a few you would do a great charity, you could tell the gentlmen of the Vestry. She has been very good girl since she has been with me.I only wish her to be a little deasent so as you might wish a servant to be as might live with you. If you could answer me with line by the young women as you might send to Mrs Schukard. If the young women ask for The Old Ship she will be sure to find or I think if she comes to me first it might be best, as I can send Mary Coates with her to Mrs Sch. If the young women dont come please to let me know by a note.

Maria Anna died at 3 George Street in 1821, and her husband died 2 months later aged 86, at the house of Christian and Mary Ann Kramer. Christian and Mary Ann Kramer lived at Carlton Cottage until 1825. The house was advertised as follows:

Sale of Carlton Cottage, Dorset Gardens. Once described as ‘Rus in Urbe but although encroached upon by development on the seafront, has been much improved by Kramer, who is relucant to leave it. Now has to be sold on the removal of the King and the Band to Windsor. His majesty’s predilection for Kramer these thirty long years is proverbial”

Morning Post 26 October 1825

In 1834, Mary Ann, widowed for the second time, moved back to Brighton, where she remained until her death in 1837 at Upper St James’ Street. Mary Ann had lived in Brighton from 1799 to 1825, and another 4 years before she died, but she probably stayed in Brighton often during the period of the Band’s work at Windsor.

^[iv]Brighton Patriot 13^th June 1837The press obituary in 1837 described her life as “exemplary and remarkable for benevolence, hospitality and kindness to all, and for every excellence combined” It would appear that Mary Ann was also hard-working and capable. She had continued the confectionery business of her first husband at 33 East Street after his death, and helped Christian Kramer set up his China and Glass Emporium. A head for business enabled her to ensure an income from property, at Marine Parade, where the Kramers let lodgings, and also at 3 Royal Crescent where they let the whole house. There is also some indication that Mary Ann herself was musical, and in her will she left a square piano and a cabinet piano. In 1809 a Mrs Kramer of Dorset Place was on the subscription list to Brighton: A Poem, by Mary Lloyd. The story of her attendance at the coronation of George IV indicates her assertive nature. Apparently, admission to Westminster Abbey was by ticket only, and Mary Ann, so disappointed that she could not obtain one, disguised herself in ‘court dress’ and marched in with the Band. ^[v]Adam Carse. The Prince Regent’s Band. Music and Letters. July 1946 Vol.27. No 3.

Christian and Mary Ann Kramer had no children and therefore no direct descendants to inherit their estate. As a result, Mary Ann’s will contains an informative list of her family and social circle. There are some familiar names here, notably Sake Dean Mohammed known as ‘Dr. Brighton’ who treated her husband for gout at his Indian Medicated Vapour Baths. The Brighton artist and drawing master, Joseph Cordwell was clearly a friend who was left £5 as were his sister Maria, his daughter Arabella and his mother Elizabeth Bromage. The executor of Mary Ann’s and Christian’s wills was Frederic Crace, interior designer of the Music Room at the Royal Pavilion, and decorator of The Old Ship when it was refurbished by Leonard Shuckard. To her companion, Jemima Stone, Mary Ann left £100, her entire wardrobe, and a parrot, apparently intended to keep Jemima company after her human companion had died. But the bulk of her estate was divided nine ways to members of the Cooke family, including Leonard Shuckard of the Old Ship, her brother in law, and his descendants.

Leonard Shuckard’s son, as ‘my nephew and only godson Thomas Shuckard [I leave] the gold snuff box presented to my dear late husband by the band of his late most gracious majesty King George IV.’ …which is the subject of my next post.