The family history of Cork or Corke ancestors is one of social mobility. The connections between the earliest generations were worked out by recording all the Cork(e)s in a range of parish registers around Tonbridge in Kent, and across the Sussex boundary to Rotherfield, since it is clear that is where my great-great-grandfather and his brother came from; these were then sorted chronologically and then by the name of the father shown in baptismal records, and relating that to marriages, and working on the assumption that an oldest son is named for the father's father. Presumably the family were ordinary agricultural labourers, one of whom eventually took out out a lease of a substantial value in Tonbridge in the mid 18th century, then two of his sons moved to London, one of whom was my great-great-grandfather James. Their children worked in ordinary working class jobs in and around Spitalfields and Aldgate, then north and west around London, to Hackney, Edmonton and Southgate/Friern Barnet, increasing in prosperity with my great-grandfather Ben. His mother signed her marriage certificate with a mark, but his estate was worth £4000 in 1906. His two eldest sons left the family and changed their name when he married the housekeeper within a few months of his first wife's death. The rest of the family broke up when his second wife remarried on his death a few years later, with three of his children emigrating to Canada.

Thomas Cork(e) m Elizabeth Harrys 4 JUL 1574, Tonbridge, Kent John Cork(e) chr. 21 DEC 1575 Brenchley, Kent Thomas Cork(e) chr. 29 JUN 1578 Brenchley, Kent Harry Cork(e) chr. 26 JUN 1580 Brenchley, Kent Agnes Cork(e) chr. 19 Nov 1581 Brenchley, Kent Thomas Cork(e)  chr. 20 JAN 1582 Brenchley, Kent Margaret Cork(e) chr. 19 FEB 1584 Brenchley, Kent William Cork(e), chr. 19 JUN 1586 Brenchley, Kent William Cork(e), chr. 27 MAY 1588 Brenchley, Kent Elizabeth Cork(e) chr. 5 APR 1590 Brenchley, Kent

Thomas Cork(e) m Elizabeth Goldsmith 13 SEP 1607, Tonbridge, Kent Thomas Cork(e) chr. 11 FEB 1609, Tonbridge, Kent George Cork(e), chr. 16 FEB 1611 Tonbridge, Kent Mary Cork(e) chr. 23 JUN 1616 Tonbridge, Kent

Thomas Cork(e) m Alice Baker Nicholas Cork(e) chr. 20 JAN 1638 Brenchley, Kent Margaret Cork(e) chr. 16 AUG 1640 Brenchley, Kent Ann Cork(e) chr. 16 DEC 1641 bur. 5 NOV 1647 Brenchley, Kent William Cork(e) chr. 17 DEC 1643 Brenchley, Kent Elizabeth Cork(e) chr. 7 DEC 1645 Brenchley, Kent Ann Cork(e) chr. 14 DEC 1648 bur.13 JUL 1649, Brenchley, Kent Thomas Cork(e) chr.15 SEP 1650 Brenchley, Kent

Thomas Cork(e) m Catherine Fishenden (bur. 17 APR 1722) 24 SEP 1672, Brenchley, Kent Anthony Cork(e) chr. 12 SEP 1675 bur. 25 JUN 1689 Brenchley, Kent Margaret Cork(e) chr. 28 APR 1678 Brenchley, Kent Nicholas Cork(e) chr. 26 DEC 1680 Brenchley, Kent Martha Cork(e) - twin chr. 2 SEP 1683 bur. 11 NOV 1683 Brenchley, Kent Elizabeth Cork(e) chr. 2 SEP 1683 Brenchley, Kent Ann Cork(e) chr. 25 APR 1686 bur.6 JUN 1689 Brenchley, Kent Sara Cork(e), chr. 25 JUN 1689, Brenchley, Kent John Cork(e) chr. 24 MAY 1691 Brenchley, Kent

Nicholas Cork(e) (bur. 13 MAY 1726) m Elizabeth Crouch (bur. 13 OCT 1733) 22 JAN 1704, Brenchley, Kent Thomas Cork(e) chr. 9 DEC 1705 bur.23 FEB 1710 Brenchley, Kent Nicholas Cork(e) chr. 27 JUL 1707 Brenchley, Kent William Cork(e) chr. 13 MAY 1709 Brenchley, Kent Thomas Cork(e) chr. 13 NOV 1710 Brenchley, Kent Elizabeth Cork(e) chr. 4 MAY 1712 bur. 12 AUG 1717 Brenchley, Kent Sara Cork(e) chr. 23 MAY 1714 bur. 17 JAN 1721 Brenchley, Kent John Cork(e) chr. 23 FEB 1717 Brenchley, Kent Daniel Cork(e), chr. 28 JUL 1723 Brenchley, Kent

Thomas Cork(e) (bur 23 MAY 1798) m Barbara Wicking 13 AUG 1728 LIttle Horsted, Sussex Thomas Cork(e) chr. 6 FEB 1729 Rotherfield, Sussex William Cork(e) chr. 12 FEB 1731 Rotherfield, Sussex Sarah Cork(e) chr. 16 OCT 1733, m. 24 MAY 1752 Henry Brooman Rotherfield, Sussex Elizabeth Cork(e) chr. 20 NOV 1735 m. 26 JAN 1761 John Lockyer , Rotherfield, Sussex Nicholas Cork(e) chr. 26 Jan 1738/9 Rotherfield, Sussex John Cork(e), chr. 4 APR 1740 Rotherfield, Sussex Benjamin Cork(e), chr. 25 SEP 1746 Rotherfield, Sussex Richard Cork(e) chr. 30 MAY 1749 Rotherfield, Sussex

Nicholas Cork(e) m Mary Crundwell 12 MAY 1764, Hadlow, Kent Thomas Cork(e) b. 2 FEB 1765 Farningham, Kent William Cork(e) chr. 19 AUG 1767 Farningham, Kent Richard Cork(e) James Cork(e) Anna Maria Cork(e) chr. 31 MAR 1773 Tonbridge m. 26 FEB 1797 Henry Headland Tonbridge Robert Cork(e) chr. 7 OCT 1774 Tonbridge Sally Cork(e) chr. 20 DEC 1776 Tonbridge Katherine Vigors Cork(e) chr. 14 OCT 1778 Tonbridge Clara Cork(e) chr. 8 OCT 1779 Tonbridge Fanny Cork(e) chr. 24 FEB 1782 Tonbridge

James Cork(e) labourer chr. 21 JUN 1771 Tonbridge d. 23 JUL 1846, bur. Abney Park Cemetery m. 19 SEP 1793, St Peter le Poer, London Deborah Wingod b.  19 MAR 1767, Boston, Lincs bur. 13 JUN 1813, St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, London James Cork(e) Robert Wingod Cork b 3 APRIL 1796 chr 26 DEC 1796 St Botolph Bishopsgate ?Richard Cork buried as infant St Botolph Bishopsgate 2 JULY 1797 Richard Wingod Cork(e) Mary Nevill Cork(e) b 6 APR 1804 chr 26 AUG 1804 Christ Ch Spitalfields m. 23 AUG 1835 Philip Cross Cannell St John Baptist Hoxton

Richard Cork(e) chr. 4 January 1769 Tonbridge m. 12 MAY 1801 Christ Church Spitalfields Swinfield Pullen b. ?1779/1781 Leyton Richard Cork(e) chr 10 MAR 1802 St Clement Danes Thomas Nicholas Cork(e) chr 22 NOV 1803 St Botolph Bishopsgate

James Cork Deborah Wingod James Cork(e) portmanteau/trunk maker b 31 MAY 1794 chr 27 NOV 1794 All Hallows London Wall d 4 NOV 1868, bur. Brompton Cemetery m 25 DEC 1819 at Christ Church Spitalfields Mary Elizabeth Corke James Corke b 16 OCT 1820 chr 12 NOV 1820 d 11 DEC 1880 bur Finchley Edward Richard Corke Benjamin Corke b 22 MAR 1824 chr 18 APR 1824 St Leonard's Shoreditch d 17 OCT1824 bur Bunhill Fields. Benjamin Corke Mary Ann Deborah Corke b 6 OCT 1828 d 5 DEC 1852 bur Abney Park Cemetery m 13 MAY 1847 Henry Douglas Fairnass

James Cork Deborah Wingod James Cork(e) Mary Elizabeth Corke Edward Richard Corke b. 15 MAR 1822 chr 14 APR 1822 St Leonard's Shoreditch d. 25 OCT 1913, Margate m.(1) 24 FEB 1845 at St Stephen Walbrook Jane Apps m.(2) 5 SEPT 1872 at St Giles Cripplegate Mary Anne Smith (d. 1897) m. (3) - DEC 1900 Caroline Maria Coombs (d. 30 JAN 1937)

 

James Cork Deborah Wingod       James Cork(e) Mary Elizabeth Corke Benjamin Corke b 12 AUG 1825 Walbrook d 5 JAN 1887 bur Abney Park Cemetery m.4 JULY 1859 at St Olave, Old Jewry Fanny Wood d. 16 DEC 1919, New Zealand Arthur Edward Corke Albert Bertram Corke Percy Benjamin Corke emigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand 1909 Kenneth Corke Hubert John Corke Archibald James Corke Clifford Selmes Corke emigrated to Dunedin, New Zealand 1909 m. 30 JULY 1911 Nellie Elizabeth Slaughter in Dunedin: 4 daughters, 9 grandchildren, and 29 great-grandchildren.

James Cork Deborah Wingod Richard Wingod Cork(e) b 13 JULY 1798, Paternoster Row, Spitalfields d 22 DEC 1879, Infirmary, Hackney Union Wine Porter/Cooper m 23 OCT 1831 at St Leonard's Shoreditch Sarah Keyes b 1802-1804, ?Maldon, Essex d 30 DEC 1880, 116 Ballance Road, Homerton Sarah Corke b 23 OCT 1832 Robert Street (St Leonards, Shoreditch) d 13 APRIL 1920 Burial: 22 APRIL 1920, Gt Northern Cemetery Southgate L1494 Alfred James Corke b 20 MAR 1834 Wellclose Square chr 20 MAR 1836 St George in the East drowned in Clapton Pond, Hackney 2 DEC 1846 Elizabeth Corke Mary Corke b. 29 NOV 1837 Goodmans Fields Whitechapel d 9 MAY 1866 5 Walcot Place Hackney Ann Crundall Corke b 7 MAR 1840 14 Church Lane St George in the East d 15 NOV 1863 8 Gloucester St David Corke b 8 JUN 1842 North St Hackney d. 21 JUN 1843 Exmouth Place Hackney Benjamin Corke

James Cork Deborah Wingod Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes Elizabeth Corke b 13 JAN 1836 chr 20 MAR 1836 St George in the East m. 1 AUG 1863 Congregational Church, Middleton Rd, Dalston William Callow, widower b 14 JAN 1836 Clement Callow Matilda (Gyp) Callow b. 1866 Henrietta (Hetty) Callow b. 1867, Salisbury d. 1931, Bournemouth Frances Mary (Polly) Callow Kathleen Callow b. 1870, Salisbury d. 1944, Salisbury Beatrice (Bee) Callow b. 1872, Salisbury d. 1963, Bournemouth Frank Harry Callow b. 23 Mar 1873, Salisbury d. 1948, Wolverhampton Charles Callow Harold Callow b. 1878, Salisbury

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes William Callow Elizabeth Corke Clement Callow b. 1865 Salisbury d. 1923 Croydon m.Elsa ?? Erik Victor Callow m.Eva Potier 1932, Steyning Marianne Callow

 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes William Callow Elizabeth Corke Charles Callow b. 1876, Salisbury m. Mary Elise Harvey (Toto) Neil Callow Maurice Callow Max Callow

 

William Callow Elizabeth Corke       Charles Callow Mary Elise Harvey (Toto) Neil Callow m. Yvonne ? Simon Callow

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes   William Callow Elizabeth Corke Frances Mary (Polly) Callow b. 1868 m.Samuel Yarham Brown Clement Brown emigrated to Canada Leslie Yarham Brown 1896-1914 Donald Brown emigrated to Australia 1922 Mary Joan Brown d. 1945 Monica Brown nurse in S. Africa 1930s d. Australia Antony Brown m. Fiona ? Iona Brown musician 1941-2004 Timothy Brown Ian Brown Sally Brown m. Norman Hallam

 

James Cork Deborah Wingod       Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes Benjamin Corke b 23 AUGUST 1844, Exmouth Place, South Hackney d 8 JUNE 1894, Friern Barnet Burial: 13 JUNE 1894, Gt Northern Cemetery Southgate  Distillers Gauger/Valuer m.(1) 27 APRIL 1867 at Register Office Hackney Mary Rippon George Seymour Sidney Seymour Alfred Corke b 1872, Hackney d 1872 Crofton Corke b 1872, Hackney d 1872 Maude Mary Corke Edith Symes Corke Gilbert Benjamin Corke Dora (Theodora Sarah Violet) Corke Muriel Faith Corke Crofton Richard (Dick) Corke b. 6 FEB 1885 d. 6 DEC 1892 Gt Northern Cemetery Southgate Amy Hilda Corke Edmund Coote b ?1874/5 (adopted) m.(2) 16 JAN 1886 at Parish Church Friern Barnet Agnes Selina Brown

 
 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon George Corke (later Seymour ) b 31 JULY 1868, Hackney d 13 APRIL 1905, Ireland m. 15 JULY 1891 Mary ?? George Seymour m.Violet ?? Georgie Seymour

 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Sidney Corke (later H S Rippon Seymour) b 22 MAY 1870, Hackney m. 22 JULY 1898 Elizabeth Reid b. ?1874 ( who d. 8 August 1917, Edinburgh)

 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Maude Mary Corke b 6 APRIL 1873, 3 Church Crescent Hackney d 17 MARCH 1948, St Luke's Hospital Chelsea Burial: Putney Vale  Nursery Governess m.Archibald Alexander Wilson

 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Edith Symes Corke b 8 NOV 1877, Edmonton

 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Gilbert Benjamin Corke b 8 MARCH 1879, Edmonton, Middlesex d 31 AUG 1967 Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada m.Marion Lyall Lyall Corke Doreen Corke Nora Corke Kathleen Corke Ben Corke

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Dora (Theodora Sarah Violet) Corke b 13 AUGUST 1880, Edmonton d 1970 m. Harry Willis Gilbert Willis Joan Willis Arthur Willis Sheila Willis

 

Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Harry Willis Dora (Theodora Sarah Violet) Corke Arthur Willis m. (1) Peggy Ball Paul Willis David Willis

Arthur Willis Peggy Ball  Paul Willis m. Andrea Lynch Carol Willis m.  David Johannesson | Adam Johannesson Tara Johannesson Ashley Johannesson m. Ben Ryon Jared Johannesson Faith Johannesson Michael  Willis Brenda Willis m. Jerry Peakman Derek Willis m. Louise Van Been | Gavin Willis m. Katie Van Delft Janita Willis Christian Willis Kieran Willis Mykala Willis

 

Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Harry Willis Dora (Theodora Sarah Violet) Corke Sheila Willis b. 1909 m.Thomas Laurence Walsh b. ?1912 Nicolas Walsh b. 6 April 1945 m. Amanda Laidler Amy Walsh b. 27 June 1992

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Muriel Faith Corke m.William Newman Berkeley (Billy) Newman

 
 

Richard Wingod Cork(e) Sarah Keyes       Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon Amy Hilda Corke b. 6 FEB 1885 d. 1974 m.Roland Cooper Vera Cooper Norah Cooper

Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon   Roland Cooper Amy Hilda Corke Vera Cooper m.(1) Ken Cameron Alasdair Cameron Neil Cameron  Robert Cameron m.(2) George Walton

 
 

Benjamin Corke Mary Rippon   Roland Cooper Amy Hilda Corke Norah Cooper m.William Mulligan John Mulligan Claire Mulligan Rosamund Mulligan