78 
WILLIAM COOKSON OF PENRITH, MERCER. 
William Cookson of Penrith, mercer, son of Thomas the mercer, 
and grandson cf William and Alice, married Dorothy Crakenthorpe, 
daughter of Mr. Christopher Crackenthorpe of Newbiggin Hall, 
Westmorland, the last but one of that ancient line, his son James 
(Mrs. Cookson’s brother) being the last. Wordsworth’s biographer, 
his nephew, Christopher Wordsworth, D.D., says Mrs. Cookson 
was James’ daughter, but this is an error. Nicolson and Burn, 
and all other authorities I have met with, say that James, although 
married, died without issue, leaving the estates to his widow for 
life, and after her to his sister Darotha and her heirs (male), failing 
which they were to go to the Rev. Adam Askew of Newcastle, 
whose mother was a Crackenthorpe, and second cousin to the said 
James. The first indication that Penrith was to produce an heir 
to Newbiggin, and not Newcastle, appears in the following entry 
in registers :— 
1742, Oct. 26—Crackenthorpe, Richard, son of Mr. William 
Cookson, baptized. 
This prospective heir to the Newbiggin estates died at two years 
of age. However, another is again forthcoming, as the following 
baptismal register indicates :— 
1745, May 2o—Christopher Crackenthorpe, son of Mr, William 
Cookson, baptized. 
Next we have -— 
1748, Jan. 20o—Ann, daughter of Mr. Cookson, mercer, baptized. 
Here we meet for the first time, with the future mother of 
Wordsworth, the poet. In 1750 Thomas is baptized; he died in 
1771. 1754, Dec. 26, we have William, son of Mr. William 
Cookson, mercer, and Dorothy his wife, baptized. Then, after a 
few years’ interval we come to a very interesting entry in the 
marriage registers :— 
John Wordsworth, of Cockermouth, bachelor, and Annie Cookson, 
of Penrith, spinster, a minor, Feb. 5, 1766. 
These are the future parents of the poet. 
