Cooling Genealogical Records

Cooling Birth & Baptism Records

England & Wales Birth Index (1837-2006)

An index to births registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of birth certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Kent Bishop's Transcripts (1560-1911)

Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.

Kent Parish Registers (1538-1911)

Browsable images of registers the recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in Kent. Names are not indexed.

Kent PR Index (1538-1870)

An index to around 40,000 various parish register extracts for Kent.

British Birth and Baptism Records (1400-2010)

A collection of indexes and transcripts of birth and baptism records that cover over 250 million people. Includes digital images of many records.

Cooling Marriage & Divorce Records

England & Wales Marriage Index (1837-2008)

An index to marriages registered throughout England & Wales. This is the only national marriage index that allows you to search by both spouse's names. Provides a reference to order copies of marriage certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Cooling Marriage Records (1719-1837)

A searchable database containing a transcription of the marriage registers of Cooling. These records may help trace a family as far back as 1719.

Canterbury Diocese Marriage Licences (1751-1837)

Abstracts of marriages licences granted by the Diocese of Canterbury. These records can contain more details than marriage records, including details such as age, occupation, residence and names of parents or guardians.

Vicar General’s Office Marriage Licences (1600-1679)

Abstracts of marriage licences granted by the Vicar-General in London. These licences could be used to marry in any church in the Province of Canterbury.

Canterbury Diocese Marriage Licenses (1568-1750)

Abstracts of records that granted parties the right to marry. They list name, marital condition, residence, year of licence and a reference to order the original document. Coverage is for: 1568-1618, 1661-1700 and 1726-1750.

Cooling Death & Burial Records

England & Wales Death Index (1837-2006)

An index to deaths registered throughout England & Wales. Provides a reference to order copies of death certificates from the national registrar of births, marriages and deaths – the General Register Office.

Kent Bishop's Transcripts (1560-1911)

Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.

Kent Parish Registers (1538-1911)

Browsable images of registers the recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in Kent. Names are not indexed.

Kent PR Index (1538-1870)

An index to around 40,000 various parish register extracts for Kent.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

Cooling Census & Population Lists

1939 Register (1939)

An index to and digital images of records that detail 40 million civilians in England and Wales. Records list name, date of birth, address, marital status, occupation and details of trade or profession.

England, Wales, IoM & Channel Islands 1911 Census (1911)

The 1911 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Kent Hearth Tax (1664)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Kent Register of Electors (1570-1907)

Browsable images of Kent electoral rolls poll books, which list those eligible to vote as well as lists of freemen, apprentices, burgess records and militia musters.

1901 British Census (1901)

The 1901 census provides details on an individual's age, residence, place of birth, relations and occupation. FindMyPast's index allows searches on for multiple metrics including occupation and residence.

Newspapers Covering Cooling

Chatham News Index (1895-1965)

An index to thousands of people, places, organizations and all manner of other things mentioned in the newspaper from 1895 to 1965.

Kent & Sussex Courier (1873-1939)

A conservative-oriented newspaper reporting on local news, births, marriages and deaths in the two counties.

Kent & Sussex Courier (1873-1950)

A record of births, marriages, deaths, legal, political, organisation and other news from the counties of Kent and Sussex. Original pages of the newspaper can be viewed and located by a full text search.

Kentish Chronicle (1859-1867)

A regional paper including news from the Kent area, legal & governmental proceedings, family announcements, business notices, advertisements and more.

Maidstone Telegraph (1859-1870)

The county paper of Kent, containing news by locale, adverts and family announcements.

Cooling Wills & Probate Records

England & Wales National Probate Calendar (1858-1966)

Searchable index and original images of over 12.5 million probates and administrations granted by civil registries. Entries usually include the testator's name, date of death, date of probate and registry. Names of relations may be given.

Tyler's Index to Kent Wills (1460-1882)

Abstracts and references to 10,000s of wills and probate documents, primarily from East Kent.

Diocese of Rochester Wills and Probate (1662-1784)

Browsable images of inventories. Also includes freeman papers for Queenborough.

Archdeaconry of Rochester Wills and Probate (1635-1857)

Browsable images of administrations, inventories and wills.

Diocese of Canterbury Wills and Probate (1559-1858)

Browsable images of account papers, administration bonds, affidavits, depositions, interrogations, visitations, caveats, guardian registers, inventories, renunciation papers, testamentary bonds and wills.

Cooling Immigration & Travel Records

Prisoners Transported from Kent (1851-1852)

A small list of convicts transported to the colonies.

Passenger Lists Leaving UK (1890-1960)

A name index connected to original images of passenger lists recording people travelling from Britain to destinations outside Europe. Records may detail a passenger's age or date of birth, residence, occupation, destination and more.

UK Incoming Passenger Lists (1878-1960)

A full index of passenger lists for vessels arriving in the UK linked to original images. Does not include lists from vessels sailing from European ports. Early entries can be brief, but later entries may include dates of births, occupations, home addresses and more. Useful for documenting immigration.

Victoria Assisted & Unassisted Passenger Lists (1839-1923)

An index to and images of documents recording over 1.65 million passengers who arrived in Victoria, Australia, including passengers whose voyage was paid for by others.

Alien Arrivals in England (1810-1869)

Details on over 600,000 non-British citizens arriving in England. Often includes age and professions. Useful for discerning the origin of immigrants.

Cooling Military Records

The Queens Own Royal West Kent Regiment (1914-1920)

A great deal of information relating to the regiment, including a thorough history, biographical details, photographs, information on honours etc.

West Kent Queen's Own Yeomanry (1794-1909)

A general history of the yeomanry, including extracts from original records

Victoria County History of Kent, Vol. 3 (43-1900)

A volume from the most respected work concerning English history. It covers military history, country houses, industry, roads and a transcription of Domesday entries relating to Kent.

QORWKR Battalion Orders (1914-1916)

A finding aid for records detailing orders relating to ordinary rank men in the Royal West Kent Regiment.

Kent Voluntary Aid Detachments (1914-1918)

Details of voluntary aid workers in Kent during WWI.

Kentish Prison Hulk Registers (1811-1843)

Registers recording details of around 9,000 prisoners held in ships stationed in Kent. Records describe a convict's name, age, place of birth, physical description, offence, conviction, sentence, discharge and conduct report.

Kent Workhouse Records (1777-1911)

Over 70,000 browsable pages detailing the administration of poor law unions in Kent. Records contain details on births, marriages & deaths; punishments; admissions and discharges and more.

Kent Quarter Sessions Index (1657-1804)

A name index to 1,000s of people mentioned in legal records relating to crime and administration. The records include settlements, removals and bastardy orders.

Kent Quarter Sessions & Court Files (1558-1899)

Legal records covering a variety of issues from land to bastardy.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

Cooling Taxation Records

Poll Book for the County of Kent (1832)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Kent Hearth Tax (1664)

A transcription of records naming those who had taxes levied against them for the privilege of owning a hearth.

Kent Land Tax Assessments (1689-1832)

Browsable images of registers that record owners and occupiers of land. Useful for tracing succession of freehold and tenancies.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Land Tax Redemption (1798-1811)

This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.

Cooling Land & Property Records

Poll Book for the County of Kent (1832)

A list of those who voted in the election, stating their residence and for who they voted.

Kent Land Tax Assessments (1689-1832)

Browsable images of registers that record owners and occupiers of land. Useful for tracing succession of freehold and tenancies.

Kent Register of Electors (1570-1907)

Browsable images of Kent electoral rolls poll books, which list those eligible to vote as well as lists of freemen, apprentices, burgess records and militia musters.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Land Tax Redemption (1798-1811)

This vital collection details almost 1.2 million properties eligible for land tax. Records include the name of the landowner, occupier, amount assessed and sometimes the name and/or description of the property. It is a useful starting point for locating relevant estate records and establishing the succession of tenancies and freehold. Most records cover 1798, but some extend up to 1811.

Cooling Directories & Gazetteers

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1938)

A directory of settlements in Kent detailing their history, agriculture, topography, economy and leading commercial, professional and private residents.

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1938)

An exhaustive gazetteer, containing details of settlement's history, governance, churches, postal services, public institutions and more. Also contains lists of residents with their occupation and address.

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1934)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1930)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1922)

A comprehensive place-by-place gazetteer, listing key contemporary and historical facts. Each place has a list of residents and businesses. Contains details on local schools, churches, government and other institutions.

Cooling Cemeteries

Kent Monumental Inscriptions (1500-1920)

Transcriptions of thousands of memorials and headstones found in Kent.

Kent Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Kent's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

Deceased Online (1629-Present)

Images of millions of pages from cemetery and crematoria registers, photographs of memorials, cemetery plans and more. Records can be search by a name index.

Billion Graves (1200-Present)

Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.

Mausolea and Monuments (1500-Present)

Profiles of several hundred mausolea found in the British Isles.

Cooling Obituaries

iAnnounce Obituaries (2006-Present)

The UKs largest repository of obituaries, containing millions of searchable notices.

United Kingdom and Ireland Obituary Collection (1882-Present)

A growing collection currently containing over 425,000 abstracts of obituaries with reference to the location of the full obituary.

Quakers Annual Monitor (1847-1848)

A collection of 364 obituaries of Quakers from the British Isles. The volume was published in 1849 and includes obituaries of those who died in late 1847 through 1848.

Musgrave's Obituaries (1421-1800)

This transcribed and searchable work by Sir William Musgrave contains 10,000s of brief obituaries. The work is a reference point for other works containing information on an individual.

British Medical Journal (1849-Present)

A text index and digital images of all editions of a journal containing medical articles and obituaries of medical practitioners.

Cooling Histories & Books

History & Topographical Survey of Kent (1189-1801)

A sprawling work containing a detailed history of the county and each parish.

Victoria County History: Kent (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Victoria County History of Kent, Vol. 3 (43-1900)

A volume from the most respected work concerning English history. It covers military history, country houses, industry, roads and a transcription of Domesday entries relating to Kent.

Kent Church Photographs (1890-Present)

Photographs and images of churches in Kent.

Kent Church Photographs (1851-Present)

Photographs of parish churches in Hampshire, with architectural details and extracts from the 1851 ecclesiastical census.

Cooling School & Education Records

National School Admission & Log Books (1870-1914)

A name index connected to digital images of registers recording millions of children educated in schools operated by the National Society for Promoting Religious Education. Records contain a variety of information including genealogical details, education history, illnesses, exam result, fathers occupation and more.

Teacher's Registration Council Registers (1870-1948)

A name index linked to original images of registers recording the education and careers of teachers in England & Wales.

Oxford University Alumni (1500-1886)

A name index linked to original images of short biographies for over 120,000 Oxford University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge University Alumni (1261-1900)

A transcript of a vast scholarly work briefly chronicling the heritage, education and careers of over 150,000 Cambridge University students. This is a particularly useful source for tracing the ancestry of the landed gentry.

Cambridge Alumni Database (1198-1910)

A searchable database containing over 90,000 note-form biographies for students of Cambridge University.

Cooling Occupation & Business Records

Smuggling in Kent (1697-1830)

Articles detailing several smuggling gangs that operated in the county.

Smuggling on the South East Coast (1675-1871)

An introduction to smuggling in on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.

Smuggling on the East Coast (1600-1892)

An introduction to smuggling on the east coast of England, with details of the act in various regions.

Kent Pub Histories (1820-Present)

Histories of Kent pubs, with photographs and lists of owners or operators.

South England Mines Index (1896)

Profiles of coal and metal mines in the south of England.

Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering Cooling

Victoria County History: Kent (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Pedigrees of Kent Families (1066-1840)

Hand-draw genealogical charts covering Kent's gentry. Includes descriptions of coats of arms.

Tyler's Kent Families (1500-1900)

A collection of pedigrees, family notes and historical extracts relating to Kent and its families.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Cooling Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records

Victoria County History: Kent (1086-1900)

A detailed history of the county's hundreds, parishes and religious houses.

Pedigrees of Kent Families (1066-1840)

Hand-draw genealogical charts covering Kent's gentry. Includes descriptions of coats of arms.

Kent Church Monuments (1300-1900)

Photographs and descriptions of Kent's most illustrious church monuments, often featuring effigies, medieval inscriptions and heraldic devices.

British & Irish Royal & Noble Genealogies (491-1603)

Extensive and impeccably sourced genealogies for British, Irish & Manx royalty and nobility. Scroll down to 'British Isles' for relevant sections.

FamilySearch Community Trees (6000 BC-Present)

A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.

Cooling Church Records

Visitations of the Archdeacon of Canterbury (1557-1679)

Extracts relating to the ecclesiastical history of the Archdeaconry of Canterbury.

Kent Church Photographs (1851-Present)

Photographs of parish churches in Hampshire, with architectural details and extracts from the 1851 ecclesiastical census.

Kent Bishop's Transcripts (1560-1911)

Browsable images of summaries of registers of baptisms, marriages and burials.

Kent Parish Registers (1538-1911)

Browsable images of registers the recorded baptisms, marriages and burials in Kent. Names are not indexed.

Act Books of the Archbishops of Canterbury (1663-1859)

An index to names and places mentioned in act books of the Province of Canterbury. It records various licences and conferments, such as marriage and physician licences.

Biographical Directories Covering Cooling

Debrett's Peerage (1923)

A searchable book, listing pedigrees of titled families and biographies of their members.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1902)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Dod's Peerage, Baronetage & Knightage of Britian (1885)

A book containing genealogies and biographies of Britain's titled families.

Crockford's Clerical Directories (1868-1914)

Brief biographies of Anglican clergy in the UK.

The Concise Dictionary of National Biography (1654-1930)

A directory containing lengthy biographies of noted British figures. The work took over two decades to compile. Biographies can be searched by name and are linked to images of the original publication.

Cooling Maps

Maps of Kent (1522-1922)

Digital images of maps covering the county.

UK Popular Edition Maps (1919-1926)

Detailed maps covering much of the UK. They depict forests, mountains, larger farms, roads, railroads, towns, and more.

Ordnance Survey 1:10 Maps (1840-1890)

Maps showing settlements, features and some buildings in mainland Britain.

Tithe Apportionments (1836-1856)

An index to 11,000,000 parcels of land and property, connected to digital images of registers that record their owner, occupier, description, agricultural use, size and rateable value.

Parish Maps of Britain (1832)

Maps of parishes in England, Scotland and Wales. They are useful in determining which parish records may be relevant to your research.

Cooling Reference Works

England Research Guide (1538-Present)

A beginner’s guide to researching ancestry in England.

Parish Register Abstract (1538-1812)

Compiled in 1831, this book details the coverage and condition of parish registers in England & Wales.

Building History Research Guide (1066-Present)

A comprehensive guide to researching the history of buildings in the British Isles.

Surname Origins (1790-1911)

A service that provides advanced and custom surname maps for the British Isles and the US.

British Family Mottoes (1189-Present)

A dictionary of around 9,000 mottoes for British families who had right to bear arms.

Historical Description

Cowling Church consists of a nave and a chancel, with a tower at the west end, having a turret at the south east angle. In the south wall are a curious double Piscina and Credence.

Of Cowling Castle, which formerly occupied a low situation, at a short distance from Cowling Church, five miles on the right of our road, little more remains, excepting the gateway, than a mass of ruins. The body of the castle was quadrangular, flanked by towers, and environed by a moat, which still contains water, though partly filled up.— At the southeast corner are remains of a circular tower, finely covered with ivy; in the front of the eastern tower is affixed an engraved plate of brass, in imitation of a deed or grant, having an appendant seal of the Cobham arms, and containing these lines."Knoweth that beth and shall be, That I am made in help of the Contre, In knowing of which thing This is Chartre and Witnessing." This is said to have been fixed up by John de Cobham, the builder, who in the fourth year of King Richard II. obtained a licence to fortify his dwelling, but fearing that the strength of his castle might give offence to the court, took this method to escape censure.

Topography of Great Britain (1829) by George Alexander Cooke

COOLING (or Cowling) is a parish 2 miles north-east from the Cliffe station on the hundred of Hoo branch and 4 ½ north-east from Higham station on the main line of the South Eastern & Chatham railway, 6 north from Rochester, and 32 from London, in the Mid division of the county, lathe of Aylesford, Shamwell hundred, Hoo union, Rochester petty sessional division and county court district and in the rural deanery of Gravesend, archdeaconry and diocese of Rochester. A small portion of the parish is marsh land extending to the Thames. The church of St. James is in the Early English style, and has a tower containing 3 bells: the font is Transition Norman: there are 200 sittings. The register dates from about 1707. The living is a rectory, net yearly value £312, with 5 acres of glebe and residence, in the gift of Mrs. Shilcock, and held since 1898 by the Rev. William Alfred Shilcock M.A. of Christ’s College, Cambridge. The Wesleyan Chapel, built in 1889, is of brick with stone dressings, and has sittings for 150 persons. Here are the ruins of a castle, fortified by John de Cobham in the time of Richard II. and besieged by Sir Thomas Wyatt in the reign of Queen Mary I.; the remains are considerable, and some of the towers and walls are still standing, but in a ruinous condition: on the front is a metal tablet bearing the following inscription in Old English:—

“Knoweth that be’eth And shall be, That I am made in help of the country, In knowing which thing, This is charter and witnessing.” The Earl of Darnley is lord of the manor. The principal landowners are W. Baldock esq. of Chilworth House, Southampton, and the Wardens of Rochester Bridge. The soil is sandy loam; subsoil, chalk. In the marshes are osier beds. The chief crops are grain. The area is 2,088 acres of land, and 20 of water; rateable value, £2,608; the population in 1901 was 203.

By Local Government Board Order No. 20,633, dated March 24, 1887, a detached part of Frindsbury was transferred to this parish.

Dame’s School (infants'), erected in 1864, closed at present (1902) for lack of children.

Wesleyan School (mixed & infants’), for 60 children; average attendance, 56 (about half of these come from Cliffe).

The elder children in this parish attend the National Schools at High Halstow or Cliffe.

Kelly's Directory of Kent (1903)

Most Common Surnames in Cooling

RankSurnameIncidenceFrequencyPercent of ParentRank in Shamwell Hundred
1Sandys-Reed121:20100.00%8,042
2Long111:221.19%140
2Twitchett111:2257.89%5,815
4Barnes91:260.56%62
4Cherry91:265.14%990
6Spearman81:3038.10%5,415
7Taylor71:340.13%3
7Munn71:341.82%437
7Blomfield71:3438.89%6,047
7Loveland71:3414.00%2,803
11Mulinder61:4075.00%10,921
12Day51:480.28%48
12Cousins51:481.91%661
12Wiley51:4816.13%4,063
15Smith41:600.03%1
15Ellis41:600.28%80
15Dowsett41:606.25%2,324
15Barden41:600.95%383
15Durling41:601.61%710
15Elleray41:60100.00%18,001
15Hodshon41:6040.00%9,168
15Sisely41:60100.00%18,001
23Ball31:790.66%347
23Savage31:790.62%321
23Manning31:790.78%437
23Parrott31:792.94%1,555
23Solomon31:793.19%1,672
23Deller31:7910.71%4,379
23Comfort31:795.56%2,637
30Brown21:1190.03%2
30Clark21:1190.06%13
30Young21:1190.08%20
30Kelly21:1190.58%493
30Grant21:1190.25%169
30Page21:1190.13%61
30Jarvis21:1190.18%115
30Atkins21:1190.23%148
30Farrow21:1191.80%1,439
30Hines21:1192.56%1,967
40Williams11:2380.03%9
40White11:2380.03%8
40Wood11:2380.02%5
40Green11:2380.04%28
40Scott11:2380.06%65
40Martin11:2380.02%6
40Cooper11:2380.04%21
40Watson11:2380.06%58
40James11:2380.08%94
40Shaw11:2380.16%251
40Phillips11:2380.06%50
40Price11:2380.08%92
40Rogers11:2380.06%55
40Palmer11:2380.06%53
40Lloyd11:2380.22%344
40Butler11:2380.07%75
40West11:2380.05%35
40Bird11:2380.16%244
40Rose11:2380.09%114
40Stone11:2380.08%90
40Whitehead11:2380.10%128
40Warren11:2380.13%176
40Potter11:2380.12%157
40Gilbert11:2380.07%86
40Goodwin11:2380.09%108
40Nash11:2380.11%146
40Bull11:2380.22%347
40Kent11:2380.25%417
40Reeves11:2380.08%98
40North11:2380.50%871
40Hyde11:2380.56%968
40Hodges11:2380.13%173
40Simmonds11:2380.15%229
40Talbot11:2380.78%1,267
40Draper11:2380.39%677
40Mead11:2380.39%683
40Leigh11:2380.40%718
40Horne11:2380.35%611
40Brett11:2380.17%258
40Oxley11:2380.65%1,098
40Brooker11:2380.12%168
40Warne11:2381.75%2,530
40Sears11:2380.26%433
40Stiles11:2380.91%1,451
40Fenner11:2380.60%1,020
40Wakeling11:2380.97%1,542
40Scarlett11:2383.23%4,063
40Murton11:2380.66%1,113
40Sams11:2382.38%3,197
40Hounsell11:2382.33%3,140
40Wakely11:23810.00%9,168
40Vyse11:2382.33%3,140
40Vane11:2380.68%1,145
40Cowderoy11:238100.00%28,817