Ancestors

Peter Larsson Cock

Peter Larsson Cock was born in Sweden in 1610, the son of Lars Petersson of Bångsta, in Stockholm County. Larsson means son of Lars. Cock was a name he picked up on the way to America.

In 1641 he was a soldier held at Smedjegården, the place in Stockholm where imprisoned soldiers were kept. His offence is not recorded. He was sent out on the Charitas, the ship of the fourth expedition to New Sweden, the Swedish colony on the Delaware River. The roll of that voyage lists him: "Per Kock, an imprisoned soldier from Smedjegården. He must serve as a soldier for penalty, and is to receive necessary sustenance and clothing." On board he worked as the cook, and kock, the Swedish word for cook, became his surname. It was later written Cock, and among his descendants Cox.

On the same ship sailed Måns Svensson Lom, a tailor who had been a lieutenant, with his wife, two almost grown daughters and a little son. Peter married the eldest daughter, Margaret. Their eldest son, Lasse, was born on 21 March 1646.

When his term of service was over he became a freeman, a settler farming for himself rather than serving the company. He rose quickly. In 1658 he was one of four magistrates who met the Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, at Tinicum "with a petition for various privileges." The Dutch had taken the colony in 1655, and the English took it from them in 1664. He served under both.

On 14 November 1676 he was sworn a justice at the court at Upland, now Chester, Pennsylvania, under the new commission of Governor Edmund Andros. Peter Gunnarsson Rambo, Israel Helm, Lace Andries, Oele Swen and Otto Ernest were sworn with him. He became presiding justice of the Upland Court. It was the court for the Swedish, Finnish and Dutch settlers on the west bank of the river under English rule, before William Penn arrived in 1682. He is also remembered as an interpreter for Penn.

On 1 October 1669 Governor Francis Lovelace of New York gave him a patent for the island he was already living on. It lay between Minquas Kill, a creek running into the Schuylkill, and the main river, bounded on the east by the Schuylkill and on the west by Anders Boon's kill. He called it Kipha. It was later known as Province Island.

In 1671 eleven of his twelve children still lived at home: Eric, born about 1650; Anna, about 1652; Måns, about 1654; Johan, 1656; Peter, 1658; Magdalena, 1659; Maria, 1661; Gabriel, 1663; Brigitta, 1665; Margaret, 1667; and Catharina, 1669. Lasse, the eldest, had married Martha Ashman on 15 May 1669 and had a house of his own. He later became Captain Lawrence Cock. There were six sons and six daughters.

His daughter Anna married Gunnar Rambo, the eldest son of his fellow justice Peter Gunnarsson Rambo. Another daughter, Brigitta, married John, a younger Rambo son. Peter Cock died on Kipha on 10 November 1687, at the age of 77.

If Peter Larsson Cock is in your family, start your own tree.

Cite: Heirology, "Peter Larsson Cock (1610-1687)", https://heirology.com/ancestors/peter-larsson-cock-1610-1687-c2090d.