Biography of Anthony Cooke 1504-1576
Paternal Family Tree: Cooke
In 1467 Thomas Cooke commissioned the building of Gidea Hall [Map]. It was completed by his descendant Anthony Cooke.
In or before 1504 [his father] John Cooke of Gidea Hall and [his mother] Alice Saunders were married.
In 1504 Anthony Cooke was born to John Cooke of Gidea Hall and Alice Saunders.
In 1510 [his mother] Alice Saunders died.
On 10 Oct 1516 [his father] John Cooke of Gidea Hall died.
Before 1523 Anthony Cooke (age 19) and Anne Fitzwilliam (age 18) were married.
In 1526 [his daughter] Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley was born to Anthony Cooke (age 22) and [his wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 22).
In 1527, or 1528, [his daughter] Anne Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke (age 23) and [his wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 23).
In 1527 [his daughter] Elizabeth Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke (age 23) and [his wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 23).
Around 1530 [his son] Richard Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke (age 26) and [his wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 26).
Around 1535 [his son] Anthony Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke (age 31) and [his wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 31).
Before 1537 John Guildford (age 30) and [his sister-in-law] Mary Fitzwilliam (age 26) were married.
In or before 1539 Nicholas Strange (age 24) and [his sister-in-law] Ellen Helena Fitzwilliam (age 18) were married. He a great x 5 grandson of King Edward III of England. 
In 1545 Anthony Cooke (age 41) was appointed High Sheriff of Essex.
On 21 Dec 1546 [his son-in-law] William Cecil 1st Baron Burghley (age 26) and [his daughter] Mildred Cooke Baroness Burghley (age 20) were married.
On 22 Feb 1547 Thomas Fitzherbert (age 33) was knighted. Anthony Cooke (age 43) was created Knight of the Bath.
On 08 Nov 1547 Anthony Cooke (age 43) was elected MP Lewes.
In 1552 [his brother-in-law] William Fitzwilliam (age 62) died.
In 1553 [his son-in-law] Nicholas Bacon Lord Keeper (age 42) and [his daughter] Anne Cooke (age 26) were married.
On 27 Jul 1553 Anthony Cooke (age 49) was committed to the Tower of London on suspicion of complicity in Lady Jane Grey's movement.
On 27 Jun 1558 [his son-in-law] Thomas Hoby (age 28) and [his daughter] Elizabeth Cooke (age 31) were married.
On 27 Jun 1558 [his son-in-law] Ralph Rowlett of London and St Albans (age 45) and [his daughter] Margaret Cooke were married.
On 03 Aug 1558 [his daughter] Margaret Cooke died.
Henry Machyn's Diary. 03 Aug 1558. [The iij day of August was buried the [his daughter] lady Rowlett], wyff of ser [his son-in-law] Raffe Rowlett (age 45) knyght, in [saint] Mare Staynnynges, with ij goodly whyt branchys, (blank) stayff torchys, and iiij gylt candyllstykes, and iiij grett tapurs, with ij haroldes of armes, and iiij baners of saints; (blank) was cheyffe morner, and mony .... The cherche and the raylles hangyd with blake, and the street and the plasse hangyd with armes and blake, and ij song masses and a sermon, and after masse to the [place] to dener, for ther was a grett dener for vene[son, fresh] solmon, and fres sturgean, and with mony dysse (of) fy[sh.] ...
Note. Ibid. Funeral of lady Rowlett. Sir Ralph (age 45) buried two wives within seven months (see before, p. 362). The second was one of the daughters of sir Anthony Cooke (age 54), and the circumstances of the marriage are thus mentioned in the Diary of sir Thomas Hoby (age 28): "Monday June 27, 1558, a mariage was made and solemnised between me and Elizabeth Cooke (age 54), daughter of sir Anthony Cooke (age 54) knt. The same day was also her sister Margaret the queen's maid maried to sir Rauf Rowlet (age 45) knt. who (i. e. the lady) shortly after departed out of this lief." (Communicated by the Right Hon. Lord Braybrooke.) "Sir Raff Rowlett had maryed ij. wyves, and dyed withowt issue of ether at his howsse of St. Albons the xixth of Apryll 1571, and was beryed in the parish church of St. Albons by his father the xxixth of May next foloinge." His father, also sir Ralph, had been one of the masters of the mint to Henry VIII.
On 02 Sep 1558 [his sister-in-law] Mary Fitzwilliam (age 48) died.
In or before 1559 [his son] Richard Cooke (age 29) and [his daughter-in-law] Anne Caunton (age 32) were married.
On 04 Nov 1566 [his son-in-law] Henry Killigrew (age 38) and [his daughter] Katherine Cooke were married at St Peter le Poer, Broad Street.
Around 1575 [his sister-in-law] Ellen Helena Fitzwilliam (age 55) died at Hunstanton, Norfolk.
On 11 Jun 1576 Anthony Cooke (age 72) died.
On 05 Jun 1588 [his former wife] Anne Fitzwilliam (age 84) died.
[his daughter] Katherine Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke and Anne Fitzwilliam.
John Russell and [his daughter] Elizabeth Cooke were married. The difference in their ages was 26 years; she, unusually, being older than him. He the son of Francis Russell 2nd Earl Bedford and Margaret St John Countess Bedford.
[his daughter] Margaret Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke and Anne Fitzwilliam.
John Shelley of Mitchelgrove and Mary Fitzwilliam were married.
[his son] Edward Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke and Anne Fitzwilliam.
[his son] William Cooke was born to Anthony Cooke and Anne Fitzwilliam.
Great x 2 Grandfather: Robert Cooke of Lavenham in Suffolk
Great x 1 Grandfather: Thomas Cooke
GrandFather: Philip Cooke
Father: John Cooke of Gidea Hall
GrandMother: Elizabeth Belnap
GrandFather: William Saunders of Banbury in Oxfordshire
Mother: Alice Saunders
Great x 1 Grandfather: John Spencer of Hodnell in Warwickshire 
GrandMother: Jane Spencer