Paternal Family Tree: Cocks
Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke was born to [her father] Charles Cocks and [her mother] Mary Somers.
On 21st February 1637 [her future husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke was appointed Lord Chancellor which position he held until 19th November 1756.
In or before 1716 William Lygon and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke were married.
In 1716 [her husband] William Lygon died.
On 16th May 1719 Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 28) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke were married.
On 9th December 17201. [her son] Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 30) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. We take as our source the Life and Correspondence of Philip Yorke.
Note 1. Wikipedia says 9th March 1720. He married 1740 Jemima Campbell 2nd Marchioness Grey, daughter of John Campbell 3rd Earl Breadalbaine and Holland and Amabel Grey, and had issue.
On 30th December 1722 [her son] Charles Yorke was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 32) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. He married (1) 19th May 1755 Catherine Blount Freeman and had issue (2) 30th December 1762 Agneta Johnson and had issue.
Before 1723 Godfrey Kneller (age 76). Portrait of Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
Chronicle of Geoffrey le Baker of Swinbroke
Baker was a secular clerk from Swinbroke, now Swinbrook, an Oxfordshire village two miles east of Burford. His Chronicle describes the events of the period 1303-1356: Gaveston, Bannockburn, Boroughbridge, the murder of King Edward II, the Scottish Wars, Sluys, Crécy, the Black Death, Winchelsea and Poitiers. To quote Herbert Bruce 'it possesses a vigorous and characteristic style, and its value for particular events between 1303 and 1356 has been recognised by its editor and by subsequent writers'. The book provides remarkable detail about the events it describes. Baker's text has been augmented with hundreds of notes, including extracts from other contemporary chronicles, such as the Annales Londonienses, Annales Paulini, Murimuth, Lanercost, Avesbury, Guisborough and Froissart to enrich the reader's understanding. The translation takes as its source the 'Chronicon Galfridi le Baker de Swynebroke' published in 1889, edited by Edward Maunde Thompson.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 24th June 1724 [her son] Joseph Yorke 1st Baron Dover was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 33) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. He married 1783 Christiana Charlotte Margaret Henrik.
In August 1725 [her daughter] Elizabeth Yorke was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 34) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. She married 1st April 1748 George Anson 1st Baron Anson.
On 27th August 1728 [her son] John Yorke was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 37) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. He married 1762 Elizabeth Lygon.
On 9th March 1730 [her son] Bishop James Yorke was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 39) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. He married before 5th May 1762 Mary Maddox, daughter of Bishop Isaac Maddox, and had issue.
On 23rd March 1733 [her daughter] Margaret Yorke Lady Heathcote was born to [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 42) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke. She married 22nd June 1749 Gilbert Heathcote 3rd Baronet, son of John Heathcote 2nd Baronet.
In 1740 Philip Yorke 2nd Earl of Hardwicke (age 19) and Jemima Campbell 2nd Marchioness Grey (age 16) were married. She being the heiress of Henry Grey 1st Duke Kent (age 69). She the daughter of John Campbell 3rd Earl Breadalbaine and Holland (age 43) and Amabel Grey. He the son of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 49) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
In 1746 [her son] John Yorke (age 17) was appointed Clerk of the Chancery worth £1200 a year by his father [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 55).
On 1st April 1748 [her son-in-law] George Anson 1st Baron Anson (age 50) and Elizabeth Yorke (age 22) were married. The difference in their ages was 28 years. She the daughter of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 57) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy
The Gesta Normannorum Ducum [The Deeds of the Dukes of Normandy] is a landmark medieval chronicle tracing the rise and fall of the Norman dynasty from its early roots through the pivotal events surrounding the Norman Conquest of England. Originally penned in Latin by the monk William of Jumièges shortly before 1060 and later expanded at the behest of William the Conqueror, the work chronicles the deeds, politics, battles, and leadership of the Norman dukes, especially William’s own claim to the English throne. The narrative combines earlier historical sources with firsthand information and oral testimony to present an authoritative account of Normandy’s transformation from a Viking settlement into one of medieval Europe’s most powerful realms. William’s history emphasizes the legitimacy, military prowess, and governance of the Norman line, framing their expansion, including the conquest of England, as both divinely sanctioned and noble in purpose. Later chroniclers such as Orderic Vitalis and Robert of Torigni continued the history, extending the coverage into the 12th century, providing broader context on ducal rule and its impact. Today this classic work remains a foundational source for understanding Norman identity, medieval statesmanship, and the historical forces that reshaped England and Western Europe between 800AD and 1100AD.
Available at Amazon in eBook and Paperback format.
On 22nd June 1749 [her son-in-law] Gilbert Heathcote 3rd Baronet (age 29) and Margaret Yorke Lady Heathcote (age 16) were married. She the daughter of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 58) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
In 1754 [her husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 63) was created 1st Earl Hardwicke, 1st Viscount Royston. Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke by marriage Countess Hardwicke.
On 19th May 1755 Charles Yorke (age 32) and Catherine Blount Freeman (age 18) were married. He the son of Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 64) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
In 1760 [her daughter] Elizabeth Yorke (age 34) died.
In 1761 Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke died.
On 6th March 1764 [her former husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (age 73) died. His son Philip (age 43) succeeded 2nd Earl Hardwicke, 2nd Viscount Royston. Jemima Campbell 2nd Marchioness Grey (age 40) by marriage Countess Hardwicke.
After 6th March 1764. St Andrew's Church, Wimpole [Map]. Monument to [her former husband] Philip Yorke 1st Earl of Hardwicke (deceased) and Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke.
Framed inscription panel in white marble surmounted by an enriched sarcophagus in brown veined marble against a grey obelisk to which is affixed an achievement of arms in oval frame; around the base are putti with wreaths and emblems of office; on each side, life-size figures, one of Athene; two medallions on the sarcophagus depict the Earl and Countess; signed 'J. STUART (age 51), INVT P. SCHEEMAKERS, SCULPR (age 73).'
GrandFather: Thomas Cocks of Castleditch Herefordshire
Father: Charles Cocks
Margaret Cocks Countess Hardwicke
GrandFather: John Somers
Mother: Mary Somers