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Thomas Cockey Sr.

Birth
Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
Death
22 Nov 1784 (aged 59)
Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
Burial
Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA Add to Map
Plot
CY 123 against North Wall (unmarked grave next to the rest of the small stones)
Memorial ID
View Source
Thomas was bequeathed his father's gold watch and six silver spoons in his father's will, in addition to his share of his father's personal estate.

Thomas is mentioned in the will of his uncle, Col. Thomas Cockey (1678-1737): "Nephew Thomas, son of brother, John, and male heirs, residue of real estate."

Thomas married Prudence (Gill) Cockey (born 6 Feb 1727) on 15 May 1753 at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland. Prudence and Thomas had signed a marriage contract on 14 May 1753, and it was witnessed by Stephen and Elinor Gill.

On 29 Aug 1752, Thomas Cockey was the highest bidder for 400 acres of "Melinda" and 30 acres of "Addition to Melinda" at a public auction of the estate of the late, Col. William Hammond (1702-1752), held at William's house in Baltimore Town. William Rogers was the auctioneer. This land had previously been up for auction on 1 Aug 1752, but there were no bidders. In Dec 1752, Thomas Cockey received the deed from Col. Hammond's widow and executrix, Sarah Hammond. He paid 141 pounds sterling money of Great Britain. The land lay on the north side of the Patapsco River in the woods at a place called Newfoundland [Batson's Forest]. The deed says that "Melinda" bore a patent date of 10 Oct 1707. [Liber TR D, Folio 528]

In 25 June 1764, Thomas Cockey, planter, and wife, Prudence, sold 45 acres of "Begrudged" to Charles Gorsuch, planter, for 15 pounds current money. The tract adjoined "Grove" surveyed for Col. John Smith. [Liber B N, Folio 288]

On 26 Aug 1774, Thomas Cockey, planter, purchased 1,000 acres of "Prospect" from William Fenston, gentleman, of Philadelphia, PA, for 2,000 pounds current money. The tract is adjoining "Melinda." [Liber AL L, Folio 454].

In the 1783 Assessment for Baltimore County, Thomas Cockey, Sr., owned 400 acres of part of "Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," "Selsed," 27 acres of part of "Spring Garden" (at the head of the Piney Run of the Great Falls of the Gunpowder River), 350 acres of part of "Stansbury's Plains," 400 acres of "Melinda," 59 acres of "Cockey's Delight," 1,000 acres of "Prospect," and 225 acres of "Young Richard" in the Middle River Upper and Back River Upper Hundred.

Thomas Cockey's plantation in the Worthington Valley was called "Melinda's Prospect," and it was near Glyndon, Baltimore County, Maryland.

Thomas and Prudence had a very public spat, details of which were published in the Baltimore Gazette. A family file at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore details what was going on. In 1779 three years after Prudence left Thomas, she charged that he had, among other atrocious acts, cruelly whipped and cut with a knife one of his Negro men, and shot another; that he had stabbed his son John with a knife, badly wounding him; that he had accused his son Thomas of stealing his gold watch; that he had offered his "favorite" daughter Achsah £1,000 to poison her mother; and that he had pointed a loaded pistol at Prudence and ordered her to leave immediately or be killed. Prudence left, even though it was night, and took refuge in a neighbor's house.

Thomas Cockey, Sr., wrote his will on 6 Aug 1784, and it was probated on 9 Feb 1785. It mentions that his eldest son, Thomas Cockey, Jr., (1754-1813), was to receive "one shilling and it is my desire that he never enjoy any portion of my estate by the death of any of my children." Thomas' son, Charles Cockey (1762-1823), received parts of "Selsed" and "Addition to Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," and all of "Land's End," and the home place. His son, John Cockey (1758-1824), received the remainder of "Addition to Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," among other lands. Thomas' sons, Stephen Cockey (1764-1797) and Caleb Cockey (1768-1800), inherited properties in the Worthington Valley.

According to Thomas' grandson, Mordecai Gist Cockey, Thomas had some stipulations about who could be buried on the family property called "Melinda's Prospect." However, when the property left the Cockey family, Thomas, Prudence, and Thomas, Jr., all ended up together at a cemetery. Mordecai said you could hear the bodies rolling.

Mordecai Gist Cockey (1802-1872) was the son of Thomas Cockey, Jr., and Ruth (Brown) Cockey.

Written in 1966 - "The Cockey family cemetery in the Worthington Valley was on the estate known as "Melinda's Prospect." In March 1930, the bodies and markers were removed by the Cockey family to the graveyard of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, at Owings Mills, Baltimore County. Here a plot, located in the old section, against a north wall, they were re-interred and the original markers remain in place to this day."

_____

Thomas' parents, Capt. John Cockey and Elizabeth (Slade) Cockey Baker, were originally buried in another Cockey family cemetery. It was in the Green Spring Valley at the top of a slight hill about 300 yards from Falls Road. John and Elizabeth's gravemarkers were moved to St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Owings Mills, and are resting against a wall in Lot 123 of the Church Yard.

"In Memory of John Cockey, son of William the immigrant,
aged 66 years. Died Aug. 15th 1746."

"Elizabeth Baker, wife of Rev. Charles Baker, and formerly wife of John Cockey, aged 95, died Aug. 5th, 1780."
Thomas was bequeathed his father's gold watch and six silver spoons in his father's will, in addition to his share of his father's personal estate.

Thomas is mentioned in the will of his uncle, Col. Thomas Cockey (1678-1737): "Nephew Thomas, son of brother, John, and male heirs, residue of real estate."

Thomas married Prudence (Gill) Cockey (born 6 Feb 1727) on 15 May 1753 at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland. Prudence and Thomas had signed a marriage contract on 14 May 1753, and it was witnessed by Stephen and Elinor Gill.

On 29 Aug 1752, Thomas Cockey was the highest bidder for 400 acres of "Melinda" and 30 acres of "Addition to Melinda" at a public auction of the estate of the late, Col. William Hammond (1702-1752), held at William's house in Baltimore Town. William Rogers was the auctioneer. This land had previously been up for auction on 1 Aug 1752, but there were no bidders. In Dec 1752, Thomas Cockey received the deed from Col. Hammond's widow and executrix, Sarah Hammond. He paid 141 pounds sterling money of Great Britain. The land lay on the north side of the Patapsco River in the woods at a place called Newfoundland [Batson's Forest]. The deed says that "Melinda" bore a patent date of 10 Oct 1707. [Liber TR D, Folio 528]

In 25 June 1764, Thomas Cockey, planter, and wife, Prudence, sold 45 acres of "Begrudged" to Charles Gorsuch, planter, for 15 pounds current money. The tract adjoined "Grove" surveyed for Col. John Smith. [Liber B N, Folio 288]

On 26 Aug 1774, Thomas Cockey, planter, purchased 1,000 acres of "Prospect" from William Fenston, gentleman, of Philadelphia, PA, for 2,000 pounds current money. The tract is adjoining "Melinda." [Liber AL L, Folio 454].

In the 1783 Assessment for Baltimore County, Thomas Cockey, Sr., owned 400 acres of part of "Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," "Selsed," 27 acres of part of "Spring Garden" (at the head of the Piney Run of the Great Falls of the Gunpowder River), 350 acres of part of "Stansbury's Plains," 400 acres of "Melinda," 59 acres of "Cockey's Delight," 1,000 acres of "Prospect," and 225 acres of "Young Richard" in the Middle River Upper and Back River Upper Hundred.

Thomas Cockey's plantation in the Worthington Valley was called "Melinda's Prospect," and it was near Glyndon, Baltimore County, Maryland.

Thomas and Prudence had a very public spat, details of which were published in the Baltimore Gazette. A family file at the Maryland Historical Society in Baltimore details what was going on. In 1779 three years after Prudence left Thomas, she charged that he had, among other atrocious acts, cruelly whipped and cut with a knife one of his Negro men, and shot another; that he had stabbed his son John with a knife, badly wounding him; that he had accused his son Thomas of stealing his gold watch; that he had offered his "favorite" daughter Achsah £1,000 to poison her mother; and that he had pointed a loaded pistol at Prudence and ordered her to leave immediately or be killed. Prudence left, even though it was night, and took refuge in a neighbor's house.

Thomas Cockey, Sr., wrote his will on 6 Aug 1784, and it was probated on 9 Feb 1785. It mentions that his eldest son, Thomas Cockey, Jr., (1754-1813), was to receive "one shilling and it is my desire that he never enjoy any portion of my estate by the death of any of my children." Thomas' son, Charles Cockey (1762-1823), received parts of "Selsed" and "Addition to Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," and all of "Land's End," and the home place. His son, John Cockey (1758-1824), received the remainder of "Addition to Poor Jamaica Man's Plague," among other lands. Thomas' sons, Stephen Cockey (1764-1797) and Caleb Cockey (1768-1800), inherited properties in the Worthington Valley.

According to Thomas' grandson, Mordecai Gist Cockey, Thomas had some stipulations about who could be buried on the family property called "Melinda's Prospect." However, when the property left the Cockey family, Thomas, Prudence, and Thomas, Jr., all ended up together at a cemetery. Mordecai said you could hear the bodies rolling.

Mordecai Gist Cockey (1802-1872) was the son of Thomas Cockey, Jr., and Ruth (Brown) Cockey.

Written in 1966 - "The Cockey family cemetery in the Worthington Valley was on the estate known as "Melinda's Prospect." In March 1930, the bodies and markers were removed by the Cockey family to the graveyard of St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, at Owings Mills, Baltimore County. Here a plot, located in the old section, against a north wall, they were re-interred and the original markers remain in place to this day."

_____

Thomas' parents, Capt. John Cockey and Elizabeth (Slade) Cockey Baker, were originally buried in another Cockey family cemetery. It was in the Green Spring Valley at the top of a slight hill about 300 yards from Falls Road. John and Elizabeth's gravemarkers were moved to St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, Owings Mills, and are resting against a wall in Lot 123 of the Church Yard.

"In Memory of John Cockey, son of William the immigrant,
aged 66 years. Died Aug. 15th 1746."

"Elizabeth Baker, wife of Rev. Charles Baker, and formerly wife of John Cockey, aged 95, died Aug. 5th, 1780."


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  • Created by: myta
  • Added: Jan 5, 2011
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63745997/thomas-cockey: accessed ), memorial page for Thomas Cockey Sr. (24 Dec 1724–22 Nov 1784), Find a Grave Memorial ID 63745997, citing Saint Thomas Episcopal Church Cemetery, Owings Mills, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA; Maintained by myta (contributor 47351841).