William Cook Sr (abt. 1731 - 1801)

Born about 1731 in Brunswick County, Virginia, American Colonies [uncertain]

Ancestors

Husband of Keziah (Burch) Cook — married Oct 1760 in Hanover Louisa, Virginia

Descendants

Died 1801 at about age 70 in Surry, North Carolina, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Catherine Hall [send private message]

Biography

William Cook was the son of Benjamin Cook and the husband of Keziah Burch. Robert W. Baird has written an extremely meticulous and well-sourced biography for him which can be viewed online at: https://genfiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/William-Cook.pdf. The contents of this profile are almost entirely taken from Robert's reseach and he should be credited here for his work.

William Cook had a Surry County contemporary by the same name. Beginning around 1778, the two were distinguished in public records as "William N. Cook" or "William Nicholas Cook" and plain "William" or "William Cook, Esq". This profile concerns "plain" William Cook, Esq.

The first written record of him appears in 1756 in the ledgers of Partridge & Company, where both he and his father, Benjamin Cook, had an account.^[1] William sold land in Louisa County, Virginia, which had been part of the estate of Benjamin Cook.^[2] and appeared in court along with his wife, Keziah, strongly evidenced to have been the daughter of Thomas Burch and Hannah Cheadle.^[3]

William and Keziah moved to Lunenburg County, which later became Charlotte, where they owned at least 200 acres. Three of their sons lived and/or married there. They next moved to Surry County, North Carolina, where William first staked a claim for 640 acres on the south side of the Yadkin River on 16 July 1778.^[4]

He served as a justice for more than 20 years and is generally referred to as "William Cook, Esq." in court records.

William died in Surry County at the age of 67 or 68. The date of his death was in 1801, between April 27th and August 12th. At his death, he owned 450 acres in Surry County. In his will, he named his wife and eleven children: Samuel, Benjamin, David, Mary Shores, Frances, Elizabeth, John, William, Hannah Meredith, Sarah Jones, and Keziah DeJarnete. He also named three granddaughters (children of Mary Shores): Nancy, Polly, and Elizabeth Shores.^[5]

Census Records

1790 United States Census, Surry, North Carolina

William Cook (male over 16) with inferred household: David Cook (male over 16); Samuel Cook (male over 16); Keziah Cook (female); Frances Cook (female); Keziah Cook (female); Elizabeth Cook (female); Sarah Cook (female); 10 unknown slaves

1800 United States Census, Surry, North Carolina

William Cook (male 45+) with inferred household: Samuel Cook (male 16-26); Frances Cook (female 16-26); Elizabeth Cook (female 26-45); Keziah Cook (female 45+); 9 unknown slaves

Sources

• PRIMARY SOURCE: Robert Baird's Biography of William Cook in "Bob's Genealogy Filing Cabinet" viewed online on July 21, 2021 at: http://www.genfiles.com/cook-files/William-Cook.pdf.

1. ↑ Robert Baird: Virginia Genealogical Society Quarterly, Vol. 25, No. 1, p 40.
2. ↑ Baird: Louisa County, Va. Deed Book C, page 44.
3. ↑ Baird: Will of Thomas Burch, dated 17 January 1774 in Albemarle County.
4. ↑ Baird: NC Grant No.287 in Plat Book, entered 16 July 1778.
5. ↑ Baird: Surry County, NC Will Book 3, p 44.

See Also:

• "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHK1-CJR : accessed 13 April 2017), William Cook, Surry, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 520, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.
• "United States Census, 1800," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHRD-W4P : accessed 13 April 2017), William Cook Sr, Salisbury, Surry, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 640, NARA microfilm publication M32, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 32; FHL microfilm 337,908.
• "United States Census, 1790," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XHK1-CQ9 : accessed 30 September 2017), William H Cook, Surry, North Carolina, United States; citing p. 516, NARA microfilm publication M637, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 7; FHL microfilm 568,147.

Acknowledgement: Cook-16914 was created by Mikel Hall through the import of export-Ancestors.ged on Sep 5, 2016.