John Cocking married Anna Maria Whitmore 20 June 1816 in London or Surrey. They had 10 or 11 children names Ann, Anna Maria, Ellie, John William, William, Peter, Mary Ann, Elizabeth, Lydia, Emma and Charles Henry. Charles Henry is the only one who was born in Braidwood NSW Australia. I have found John Cocking recorded as being a draper in Surrey in 1831. In 1835 there is record of Anna Maria arriving in Sydney on the "Margaret". However between England and Australia the family changed their name from Cocking to Roberts. Records of the "Margaret" show Maria Roberts with nine children and Robert Roberts and his wife Mary arriving in Australia. There does not appear to be a John Roberts arriving at the same time. Robert Roberts was also a Cocking his occupation was a shoemaker and his wife Mary's maiden name was Chatterton.

John Cocking aka Roberts moved to Wellington in New Zealand leaving all his family behind in Australa. He changed his name again to Robert Jenkins and he died there in November 1859.

His family settled in and around Braidwood and Goulburn and members of the family continue to live there.

I have not been able to find out the origins of John Cocking's family or who his parents were.


On searching the Whitmore side of the family I have found a Valentine Cocking linked to the family as a witness to a Will. Anna Maria Whitmore's father's name was John Whitmore occupation silk merchant and he married Ann Pontin 10 July 1794 at St Lawrence Jewry and St Mary Magdalene, Milk Street, London. It is on one of the Pontin wills that Valentine Cocking's name appears.

However I have no knowledge of the origins of John Whitmore silk merchant.

I am looking for any information that may shed some light on these 2 families