COOK
COOK
Henry Cook, immigrant ancestor, was born in England, and settled in Salem, Mass., where he was a proprietor as early as 1638. He was a butcher by trade. He married, June, 1639, Judith Birdsale. Some authorities locate him at Plymouth. He died at Salem, Jan. 14, 1661. His estate was administered June 26, 1662. His widow Judith died in 1689. Children: 1. Isaac, born April 3, 1640. 2. Samuel, Sept. 30, 1641; mentioned below. 3. Judith, Sept. 15, 1643. 4. Rachel, Sept. 25, 1645. 5. John, Sept. 6, 1647. 6. Martha, Sept. 14, 1650 (twin). 7. Mary, twin of Martha. 8. Henry, Dec. 30, 1652. 9. Eliza, born and died in 1654. 10. Hannah, Sept. 1658.
(II) Samuel, son of Henry Cook, was born in Salem, Sept. 30, 1641, died in 1703. Hinman says he moved to Wallingford. Savage says he came to Wallingford, Conn. in 1673. His will, dated March 1703, names twelve children. He was admitted a freeman in May 1669. He married May 2, 1667, Hope, daughter of Edward Parker. He married (second) Mary _____.
Children: Samuel, March 3, 1667-68, mentioned below; John, Dec. 3, 1669; daughter, March 3, 1671-72; Mary; Judith; Isaac; Joseph; Hope; Israel; Mabel; Benjamin; Ephraim; Elizabeth.
(III) Samuel (2) son of Samuel (1) Cook, was born at New Haven, March 3, 1667-68, died Sept. 18, 1725, according to the record. He was a farmer in the west part of Wallingford, near the present Cheshire line, and his descendants at last accounts owned and lived on the original homestead. His inventory amounted to three hundred and ninety pounds. He married (first) March 3, 1692, Hannah, daughter of William Ives, of New Haven. She died May 29, 1714. He married (second) Elizabeth Bedell, of Stratford.
Children, born at Wallingford: Hannah, May 8, 1693; Samuel, March 5, 1695; Aaron, Dec. 28, 1696, mentioned below; Lydia, Jan. 13, 1699; Moses, Jan. 4, 1700; Miriam, Nov. 4, 1703; Thankful, Dec. 24, 1705; Esther, March 8, 1707; Eunice, Feb. 23, 1709; Susanna, Sept. 5, 1771; Hope, Sept. 18, 17--.
Children of second wife: Moses, Nov. 6, 1716; Thankful, Nov. 14, 1718; Asaph, June 23, 1730[sic??]; Hannah, Nov. 4, 1721.
(IV) Captain Aaron, son of Samuel (2) Cook, was born at Wallingford, Dec. 28, 1696, died there Oct. 14, 1756. He became an extensive owner of lands in the souteast part of the town of Wallingford in the Northford survey. He married (first) Nov. 14, 1723, Sarah, daughter of James Benham. He married (second) Sarah Hitchcock, who died Aug. 11, 1735. He married (third) Feb. 7, 1736, Ruth Burrage, of Stratford, who died July 2, 1786.
Children born in Wallingford:
by first wife: Samuel, Sept. 25, 1723; Stephen, Dec. 28, 1727; Titus, Feb. 25, 1730; Abel, Feb. 23, 1732, mentioned below.
Child of second wife: Sarah, June 2, 1735.
Children of third wife: Lydia, 1736; Ruth, Sept. 7, 1738; Esther, May 14, 1740; Elizabeth, March 6, 1741-42; Aaron, June 5, 1744; Miriam, June 30, 1746; Lucy, Sept. 20, 1748; Elizabeth, June 7, 1751.
(V) Abel, son of Captain Aaron Cook, was born Feb. 23, 1732, died Aug. 10, 1776. He married Nov. 16, 1757, Mary Atwater, born Dec. 30, 1735, died Jan. 13, 1774, daughter of Deacon Benjamin and Elizabeth P. Atwater, of Wallingford.
Children born at Wallingford: Atwater, mentioned below, Porter, July 27, 1760; Elizabeth, March 13, 1763; Abel, March 27, 1765; Chester, Aug. 13, 1767; Daniel M., Feb. 16, 1770; Mary, April 2, 1773; Chester, Oct. 6, 1775.
(VI) Atwater, son of Abel Cook, was born at Wallingford, Nov. 3, 1758. He was a soldier in the revolution, a private in Captain Brackett's company, Colonel William Douglas' regiment, in 1776, at the battle of Long Island, and at White Plains in October following. He was living in Wallingford in 1790, when the census shows he had two males over sixteen, one under that age and six females in his family.
Later he went to Sheffield, Mass., and finally to Salisbury, Herkimer County, N.Y. He married Mary Bartholomew, who died July 2, 1844, aged eighty-six years. Children born at Wallingford:
Roxana, Sept. 25, 1777; died Sept. 15, 1852; married Moses Rice (see Rice V). Rosanna, April 14, 1782; Mary, April 3, 1784; Thaddeus R., July 23, 1786; Julia, July 2, 1788; Friend, Jan. 27, 1792; Atwater, Dec. 17, 1795, of Salisbury, a prominent man in Herkimer county, member of the assembly in 1831-39; Betsey, April 19, 1798; Abel, Sept. 27, 1801; Delia, Sept. 4, 1806.
SECOND ENTRY
The surname Cook is one of the oldest English surnames, derived from the occupation of some progenitor of the eleventh or twelfth century, and the family is found scattered throughout the United Kingdom. More than a dozen of this surname settled in Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies before 1650, and one of them, Francis Cook, was prominent among the Pilgrims who came in the "Mayflower."
(I) Walter Cook, immigrant ancestor, was born in England, about 1620, and settled as early as 1643 at Weymouth, Massachusetts. He was admitted a freeman May 18, 1653. He was one of the original proprietors of Mendon, then Quinepaug plantation, in 1663, and settled there. During King Philip's war, with the other inhabitants, he was driven from his home by the Indians. Gregory and Stephen Cook, supposed to be his brothers, were with him for a time. Stephen settled in Newton, then part of Cambridge, Mass. After the war Walter returned to Mendon, and died there Jan. 5, 1695-96. His wife Catherine died Jan. 3, same year. He lived very near Aaron C. Cook's place in Mendon. He had an original forty acre right, and he and his sons became large land owners, especially in the southeast part of the adjoining town of Bellingham and in Woonsocket, now in Rhode Island.
His will, dated Jan. 16, 1694-95, bequeathed to wife Catherine, son John, and children Nicholas, Samuel and Experience.
Children:
1. Ebenezer, born May 30, 1656, at Weymouth.
2. Walter, Sept. 10, 1657.
3. John, married Naomi Thayer; resided in Cambridge.
4. Nicholas, mentioned below.
5. Samuel, lived in Mendon.
6. Experience.
7. Elizabeth, married Peter Aldrich.
(II) Nicholas, son of Walter Cook, was born at Weymouth, Feb. 9, 1660. He went to Mendon with his father and settled near him after the war. His farm was in the eastern part of Mendon, in what is now (1910) Blackstone, Worcester county, Mass., and he extended his possessions into Bellingham a considerable distance, perhaps as far as the Cumberland (Rhode Island) line. His posterity has been numerous in Milford, Blackstone, Bellingham, Wrentham, Cumberland and Woonsocket.
He married Joanna Rockwood.
Children, born in Mendon:
1. Josiah, Aug. 29, 1685.
2. Nicholas, mentioned below.
3. Joanna, Feb. 13, 1689.
4. Mary, Oct. 9, 1690.
5. Ann, March 4, 1695.
6. Seth, April 28, 1699.
7. Daniel, Aug. 18, 1703.
8. David, Nov. 13, 1705.
9. Abigail, Oct. 4, 1707.
10. Noah, 1710.
(III) Nicholas (2) son of Nicholas (1) Cook, was born at Mendon, June 10, 1687. He resided on the Rehoboth road, on the Bellingham side of the line which divides that town from Mendon. He was the first Baptist deacon of the town.
Children:
1. Jemima, born Nov. 16, 1716.
2. Nathaniel, mentioned below.
3. Peter, Aug. 26, 1720.
4. Daniel, Sept. 12, 1722.
5. William, Dec. 12, 1724.
6. Caleb, Sept. 25, 1727.
7. Elizabeth, July 15, 1729.
8. Abigail, Nov. 1, 1731.
9. Nicholas, Feb. 7, 1733.
10. Susanna, March 6, 1738.
11. Ezekiel, June 19, 1744.
(IV) Rev. Nathaniel, son of Nicholas (2) Cook, was born Sept. 15, 1718, at Bellingham. He settled in Cumberland, Rhode Island, and was prominent in both church and town affairs. He became colleague pastor of his Uncle Josiah in the Six-Principle Baptist Church. He was a popular pastor, eloquent and influential. He officiated at many marriages and funerals in this section. He was succeeded by elder Abner Ballou, for whom this church was named. He was thrifty and industrious.
He married Martha Ballou, of one of the leading families of this section.
Children:
1. Jerusha, April 2, 1743.
2. James, Aug. 15, 1744.
3. Elias, Aug. 15, 1746.
4. Nathaniel, April 4, 1748; mentioned below.
5. Ariel, Oct. 15, 1749.
6. Martha, Sept. 18, 1751.
7. Silas, March 23, 1753.
8. Phebe, Jan. 16, 1755.
9. Elizabeth, April 25, 1757.
10. Judith, Jan. 19, 1759.
11. Awamas, Jan. 12, 1761.
(V) Nathaniel (2), son of Rev. Nathaniel (1) Cook, was born at Cumberland, April 4, 1748, died Sept. 27, 1846, nearly a hundred years old. He was an able, enterprising and useful citizen of great executive ability. He served in the revolution in the navy under John Paul Jones, as landsman on the ship "Alfred." The "Alfred" sailed Nov. 2, 1776, and made a successful cruise, taking many prizes, in which Cook had his share, as shown by papers in possession of descendants. The signature of Jones is preserved on one of these papers.
His house was east of Deamond Hill, Cumbeland. He was noted for the number of law cases in which he appeared as plaintiff or defendant. He was thrifty and had considerable property, and that he possessed good judgment and the confidence of his neighbor is shown by the trusts he administered.
He married, Nov. 24, 1768, Amy, daughter of Daniel (Samuel 2), John Whipple (1). She was born April 14, 1742, died July 21, 1832.
Children, born at Cumberland:
1. Esek, Dec. 29, 1768; mentioned below.
2. Jerusha, Sept. 7, 1770.
3. Amasa, Jan. 9, 1772.
4. Whipple, May 23, 1773; married Lucy Darling.
5. Amy, May 7, 1775.
6. Martha, June 17, 1777.
7. Dr. Nathaniel, Feb. 9, 1779.
8. Nahum, Nov. 19, 1782.
(VI) Esek, son of Nathaniel (2) Cook, was born Dec. 29, 1768. He lived at Cumberland, Rhode Island. Many of the family settled at Pelham, Massachusetts.
He married Thankful, daughter of Simon Whipple Jr.
Children, born at Cumberland:
1. Levi, born June 11, 1791; mentioned below.
2. Sally, Dec. 4, 1792.
3. Whipple, Jan. 15, 1795.
4. Amy, Dec. 24, 1795, died Aug. 26, 1800.
5. Simon, June 15, 1800.
6. Fenner, May 14, 1802.
7. Ammon, April 4, 1804.
(VII) Levi, son of Esek Cook, was born at Cumberland, June 11, 1791. He was a farmer at Pelham. In relgion he was a Universalist.
He married Rachel Ballou (see Ballou).
Children:
Hannah, Barton, Paulina, Lewis, Lucretia, Ellis Arnold, mentioend below.
(VIII) Ellis Arnold, son of Levi Cook, was born at Pelham, May 2, 1821. He removed from Pelham to Denmark, Lewis county, New York, where he followed farming. He held various town offices. In religion he was a Universalist.
He married, June 8, 1843, at Leyden, Anna, born Feb. 21, 1824, daughter of Sanford and Clarinda (Roberts) Parsons, of Leyden, N.Y.
Children:
Alson, of whom further.
Herbert E., mentioned below.
(IX) Alson, son of Ellis Arnold Cook, was born Feb. 19, 1844, in Leyden, Lewis county, N.Y. He was educated in the public schools of Leyden and at Lowville Academy. After leaving school he taught in schools in this section for three years. He as at Watertown, New York, for a time in charge of real estate belonging to the family, and was afterwards in the employ of Benjamin Hartwell, of New York City, for a year in the transcportation business. About 1873 Mr. Cook returned to Denmark, Lewis county, and took up his residence on the old Cook homestead, where he has since lived. He is an enterprising and progressive farmer, owning a herd of Holsteins known by all the dariymen in northern New York. One of his cows, "Lady Light Foot," has a record in one year of 23, 273 pounds of milk. He and his brother Herbert own together about eight hundred acres of land under cultivation on the old state road in Denmark village. The barns on these farms are large and scpacious, well-lighted and ventilated. He lives in an elegantly appointed home and enjoys all the comforts of the prosperous farmer. Mr. Cook has spent his life profitably in improving his property and makes a constant study of his chosen work. His success has earned for him the esteem and confidence of the community in which he lives. He has an interest in several cheese factories and has always been a successful manufacturer of butter and cheese.
In politics he is a Domocrat. In 1891 he was elected school commissioner of the second district of Lewis county and served three years, though the county has always been overwhelmingly Republican. He is a member of Denmark Grange, Patrons of Husbandry. He and his family belong to the Congregational church of Denmark.
He married (first) Feb. 11, 1880, Mary E. Cooper, of Canton, New York, born April 7, 1849, died Feb. 19, 1907, daughter of Samuel and Anna (Haskins) Cooper. He married (second) Nov. 28, 1908, Minnie Schermerhorn, daughter of Edward and Lovisa (Barnum) Schermerhorn.
Children of first wife:
1. Ellis Cooper, born Oct. 23, 1882; engaged on the farm with his father.
2. Elon Wesley, born Sept. 17, 1886; educated in common school, Copenhagen high school, St. Lawrence University, agricultural department.