Looking for any possible clues on his origins. We have his 2 marriages (Martha Booth 1772 in Dronfield, and Sarah Havenhand 1784 in Cathedral St Peter Sheffield). Don't know his death for sure but am wondering if he is the 1813 burial at St Pauls Pinstone, which would make him born around 1744 (but where and to whom?). We are descended through his daughter Ann Cockayne (married William Ash edge tool maker) from his second wife, and through DNA testing we have also matched a descendant from his son William Cockayne from his first wife. Because of this DNA link I am sure that our William Cockayne (breeches maker) is not the father of the William Cockayne (flax dresser) who founded the draper/department store Cockayne line. I believe the flax dresser's origins are also unclear.
Thank you -yes I have already seen this site and it prompted me to evaluate whether the chess/draper Cockaynes were part of the breeches maker line and my conclusion is they aren't. The breeches maker also had a son called William who seemed to be a grocer later accountant but not the same person as the William Cockayne who married Betty Bagshaw and founded the department store/chess playing dynasty. The DNA descendant I match definitely comes from son William Cockayne born to the breeches maker but who married a Sarah Owen. There were multiple Cockayne families in Sheffield in the late 1700s but all their origins are a bit obscure.