Genealogy & Family History
Tooker of Rotherham
In January, 1627/28 Charles Tooker of Rotherham bought land from Thomas Cock of Tinsley ' ... at in or nere a place there commonly called Canklowe Moregate (Moorgate) also Canklowe Lydgate ...' for £90. In 1642 he was living at Moorgate Hall, Rotherham.
Tooker along with Lionel Copley were typical of men from gentry families, such as the Sitwells of Renishaw Hall, Derbyshire, and the Spencers of Cannon Hall, Cawthorne, who prospered by investing in the metal trades.
A document of 1667 records that Sir John Reresby of Thrybergh leased to Charles Tooker: the water course, a steel mill or forge called Thrybergh Steele Forge (formerly in the tenure of Charles Tooker, father of Charles) together with the mill or site of the mill, for a term of 21 years (provided that Reresby's corn mill had priority of water in times of scarcity and that the walk mill had priority when there was cloth in the stocks) at a rent of £10 10s.
Charles Tooker (died 1680), son of Charles and brother of Thomas Tooker, Master Cutler 1685, he married Ann, daughter of Richard Mountney, a barrister, in 1656. They had 2 children, John of Moorgate, a barrister and Catherine who married Matthew Biggs.
In 1692, the Feoffees of Rotherham leased to John Tooker of Moorgate: Premises which comprised of a messuage and foldstead at Moorgate, butting on Canklow Field east, the Moore of Rotherham south, a piece of ground belonging to Robert Darwent, north and a little court of Tooker's west, were given to the Churchwardens of Rotherham for the use of the poor of Rotherham. Reciting that the messuage and foldstead with 2 furnaces and a smithy and other buildings (since demolished and the materials sold for the benefit of the poor) were leased to Charles Tooker, gent., father of John, at a rent of £3 per annum but are now of far less value because of the buildings that were pulled down and of a general decay in the value of property in and about Rotherham but especially at Moorgate of the said messuage and foldstead, at an annual rent of £10s. payable to the Churchwardens of Rotherham for the benefit of the poor of Rotherham.
Matthew Biggs and Catherine had a son Tooker Biggs (1709-1745), who became Tooker Tooker on becoming heir to his uncle, John Tooker.
Tooker Tooker(1709-1745) married in 1731 at Rawmarsh to Frances Buck(1715-1780), children:
- Samuel (1737-1806) of Moorgate, barrister.
- John died 1740
- Jane (1742-1800)
Rotherham Archives hold details of an Indenture of 1791 between Rev. George Markham, Chancellor of York Minster and Prebendary of Laughton-en-le-Morthen and Samuel Tooker of Moorgate, of a lease of the corn and hay tithes of the hamlets of Throapham and Thwaites and the corn, hay, wool, lamb and other tithes of Firbeck, together with the Chapel yard or garth and the tenement or house belonging to the Chapel of Firbeck, also the tithes, profits etc of the Chapel of Firbeck, and the townships of Letwell, Langold, Gildingwells and Wallingwells. The lease was made for a term of 21 years at an annual rent of £14 6s.8d. payable in half-yearly instalments.
The Tooker Memorial in Rotherham Minster.
In 1800, Samuel Tooker, Esq. Barrister of Moorgate Hall, bequeathed 48 shillings to the poor of Rotherham. Moorgate Hall was built by John Platt
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