John Cooke (bef. 1630 - abt. 1691)

Born before 13 Jan 1630 in Netherbury, Dorset, England

Ancestors

Husband of Mary (Borden) Cooke — married 1652 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island

Descendants

Died about 16 May 1691 after about age 61 in Portsmouth, Newport, Rhode Island

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Biography

John Cooke immigrated to New England as a child during the Puritan Great Migration (1621-1640).

John Cooke, alias "Butcher", son of Thomas Cooke (also alias "Butcher") and Unknown Somerset, was baptized in the parish church of St. Mary, Netherbury, Dorset, England, March 30, 1630.^[1] John is affirmed to be the son of Thomas Cooke, a butcher, in Little Compton Families.^[2]

He married, circa 1652 Mary Borden, daughter of Richard and Joan (Fowle) Borden, in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. (She was baptized in the parish of Cranbrook, Kent, England, on January 13, 1632/33 and died in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, in December 1690.)^[1][3]

John and Mary (Borden) Cooke/Cook had eleven children, all born in Portsmouth, Rhode Island:^[2][4]

1. Elizabeth (Cooke) Briggs, b. in 1653; d. after 1716; m. about 1680 William Briggs, son of John and Sarah (Cornell) Briggs.
2. John Cooke Jr., b. 1655 m. Ruth Shaw
3. Mary (Cooke) Manchester, b. 1658 d. in 1716 or later; m. William Manchester, son of Thomas and Margaret (Wood) Manchester.^[5] (Volume 1 had shown her spouse's name as John Manchester, with the same parentage as William)
4. Sarah (Cooke) Wait, d. after 1733; m. Thomas Wait, son of Thomas and Hannah Wait.
5. Hannah (Cooke) Briggs, b. in 1736; d. in 1786; m. (1) Daniel Wilcox; m. (2) Enoch Briggs, son of John and Sarah (Cornell) Briggs.
6. Joseph Cooke b. ca. 1662; m. Susanna Briggs.
7. Thomas Cooke b. ca 1664 m. Mary Cory
8. Deborah (Cooke) Almy, b. ca. 1666 m. William Almy
9. Martha (Cooke) Cory, b. ca. 1668 d. in 1704 m. William Cory, son of William and Mary (Earle) Cory.
10. Amey (AMY) (Cooke) Clayton, b. ca. 1671 d. in 1729; m. David Clayton.
11. Samuel Cooke, b. about 1674, d. after 1705. He was mentally incompetent and under the care of his brother Joseph, who was allowed £100 by order of the Superior Court at Bristol in 1701 for having maintained him for “ye space of tenn years”, this amount to be raised from the profits of Samuel’s land in Tiverton, “he being an idiott and not able to provide for himself.” His father had left him the 19th Great Lot there, but with the restriction that he was not to have the disposal of it himself. (May have gone to Manmouth, N.J.)

John Cooke was likely illiterate, demonstrated by his signing documents with a "mark".

John and Mary are buried in the John Cook Jr. Lot, Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Portsmouth #44, on Glen Road, Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Also buried there are their grandson Joseph Cook (b. 1695, d. 1726, son of Joseph and Susanna (Briggs) Cook), and his son Paul Cook (b. & d. 1726).^[6]

He died with the name John Cook, May 16, 1691, at Portsmouth, Rhode Island, probably of smallpox.^[1] John's death information contains a portion of his will, which (it says) "was proved May 25, 1691 (Portsmouth TC 2:266). A copy of this will is included in Court Files, Suffolk, 42579, where it was entered into evidence over fifty years later by John's great-grandson William Cook when he was seeking to recover his inheritance."^[7][8]

Slaves

John owned four slaves and Willed them to his children.

1. To Joesph Cooke he gave:
   1. Jack - John Cookes Negro man who is of service for time of his Life.
   2. Maria - Native Indian woman to be his servant for ten years and then to be freed
   3. Goan Francisco - Native Indian boy to serve with him until he be twenty-four years old, at which time Joseph was to put him in good apparel and give him corn and a horse
2. To John Cooke he gave:
   1. Betty - John Cooke's Negro woman.

John Cooke Timeline

• 1630 Birth in Netherbury, Dorset, England.
• 1655: Admitted Freeman.
• 1668 June 03 - He and Daniel Wilcox were given the privilege of running the ferry at Pocasset.
• 1669 October - John Cooke alone was picked for jury duty.
• 1670 - Deputized.
• 1676 Aug 25 - Aged about forty-five years, testified before a court martial held at Newport (On certain Indians) that being a Puncatest in the middle of July or thereabout, did ask of several Indians, whom they were that killed Low Howland, the aforesaid Indians' answer was that there was six of them in company, and Manasses was the Indian that fetched him out of the water.
• 1688 Licensed.
• 1691 Death in Rhode Island Colony.
• 1691 May 25 - Will was proved.

John Cook's Will

Will of John Cook of Portsmouth, aged, dated 15 May 1691, proved 25 May 1691, mentions sons John Cook, Joseph Cook, Thomas Cook, and Samuel Cook; daughters Mary Manchester wife of William Manchester, Elizabeth [Briggs] wife of William Briggs, Sarah [Wait] wife of Thomas Wait, Hannah [Wilcox] wife of Daniel Wilcox, Martha [Cory] wife of William Cory, Deborah [Almy] wife of William Almy, Amy [Clayton] wife of David Clayton, and six other unnamed daughters; granddaughter Sarah Manchester. Overseers George Sisson and Issac Lawton.

John Cooke signed his mark to his will 15 May 1691, less than five months after the death of his wife, Mary. He stated that although he was of sound memory and understanding, yet being aged and calling to mind the brevity and uncertainty of this life not knowing how soon the Lord may call me from hence, especially considering the sore visitation of the smallpox where with many are now visited and many have been taken away.

To his son John Cook Jr. he left his land at Puncatest Neck, it being about 150 acres, together with the housing thereon, 4 acres of saltmarsh meadow at Sapowet in Little Compton,together with one-half of the upland he had there, 8 head of neat cattle, the feather bed and bedding in the house John, Jr. now lived in at Puncatest, and 20 sheep. From this bequest was reserved for Joseph Cook the right during his lifetime to keep 15 head of cattle at Puncatest and to harvest hay there for the wintering of those cattle.

His son Joseph Cook received the housing where John now lived in Portsmouth, together with all the land and outbuildings, 4 acres of saltmarsh meadow at Sapowet and one-half of the upland there. If Joseph should die without male heirs this property was to pass to son Thomas and his male heirs.

Joseph, within half a year after his father's decease, was to pay to his sister Mary, wife of William Manchester, £10 and to deliver to her 10 sheep. To his sister, Elizabeth, wife of William Briggs, Sara, wife of Thomas Wait, Hannah, wife of Daniel Wilcox, and Martha, Wife of William Cory, Joseph was to pay £10 apiece. Sister Deborah, wife of William Almy, was to have only one shilling. Sister Amy, wife of David Clayton, was to be paid £10 in money, ?and to each of his other sisters being six of them he shall deliver to each of them a cow. Elizabeth Briggs also received a feather bed, bedding and furniture.

The reference in the will to other sisters being six of them, has been often misinterpreted to mean that John left six additional daughters whose names he omitted. No evidence whatever has been found to indicate any other daughters, and the explanation seems simple: Amy Clayton was in New Jersey by 1691, making delivery of a cow to her impractical, and the other daughters whose names are given to add up to six.

To Joseph he left his Negro man call Jack. Who is of service for time of his Life, and his Indian woman Maria to be his servant for ten years and then to be freed, and his Indian boy Goan Francisco to serve with him until he be twenty-four years old, at which time Joseph was to put him in good apparel and give him corn and a horse. Joseph also received a feather bed and bedding.

To son Thomas Cook he left the 16th lot in Pocasset Purchase, divided or undivided, and 4 acres of salt marsh.

To son Samuel Cook he left the 19th lot in Pocasset Purchase, but Samuel was not to have the disposal of this without the advice and consent of the executor and overseers of the will.

John further bequeathed to his son John his Negro woman Betty and to his son Thomas 20 sheep, 3 cows and a mare.

He named son Joseph whole and sole executor of the will and request and intreat my loving friends and neighbors George Sisson and Isaac Lawton to by my overseers to do their utmost that all Things may be managed aright according as I do hereby dispose.

Moreover I will and bequeath to my Granddaughter Sarah Manchester a cow to be delivered her at the day of her marriage....?

George Sisson, Margaret Hall and John Yelthro witnessed the will; {Yelthro was a schoolmaster and probably the scribe who wrote it). All three testified to it authenticity when it was proved 25 May 1691 (Portsmouth TC [Town Records] 2:266). A copy of this will is included in Court Files, Suffolk, 42579, where it was entered into evidence over fifty years later by John's great-grandson William Cook when he was seeking to recover his inheritance. ^[9]

Research Notes

• Thomas and (the first) Mary Cooke had three children; however, apparently only two reached adulthood. They were Thomas, ... and John.
• Apparently John had a half brother - "John Cook. Born on 13 Jan 1630 at England. John was baptized in St Mary, Netherbury, Dorset, Eng. on 30 Mar 1630. John died at Portsmouth, RI on 16 May 1691.^[6]
• John Cook, second son of the original Thomas Cooke. He was baptized on 30 March 1630 in Netherbury, England, came to America with his parents in 1635, and died on 16 May 1691 in Portsmouth, RI. John Cook married, probably about 1652, Mary Borden, daughter of Richard and Joan (Fowle) Borden. She was born in England on 13 January 1632/3, and died 23 December 1690 at Portsmouth. John and Mary had eleven children; only one of them will be of interest here.

Our Research, by Alice Ament Davidson Gedge - adgedge1.GED

1. Paula Evans, Rt. 2, Box 152, Hale Center, TX. Cites: (a) "Genealogical Dictionary of Rhode Island."
2. "Genealogies of Rhode Island Families from the New England Historical and Genealogical Register" (Genealogical Pub. Co., Baltimore, 1989) 1:676. "The Manchester Family of Rhode Island," contributed by Alden C. & Rita C. Manchester.
3. Lawrence K. Lee, Overland Park, KS (1998).
   1. Birth: (1) 1631. (1,2,3) s/o Thomas Cook.
   2. Baptism: (3) 30 Mar 1630.
   3. Death: (1,3) 16 May 1691. (3) Portsmouth, RI.
4. Of Pocasset, in Plymouth Colony, now Tiverton and Little Compton, RI.

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Jane Fletcher Fiske, Thomas Cooke of Rhode Island, published by Jane Fletcher Fiske, Boxford, Massachusetts, 1987. Reference Volume 1, pages 13-19, 23, 36-7
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} Wilbour, Benjamin Franklin, Little Compton Families, Published by the Little Compton Historical Society from records compiled by Benjamin Franklin Wilbour, reference “The Cook Family”, Volume 1, pages 205-206]
3. ↑ Torrey's New England Marriages to 1700, (Online database. AmericanAncestors.org. New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2008.) Originally published as: New England Marriages Prior to 1700. Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2015, Reference Volume 1, page 367
4. ↑ JOHN COOKE ALIAS BUTCHER (30 March 1630 - 16 May 1691) - taken from the book Thomas Cooke of Rhode Island, Compiled and published by Jane Fletcher Fiske, Boxford, Massachusetts, 1987, Volume 1, pages 13 - 19, 23.
5. ↑ Wilbour, Benjamin Franklin, Little Compton Families, Volume 2, "Corrections and Additions"
6. ↑ ^{6.0 6.1} "Pane-Joyce Geneanology", by David Pane-Joyce:
7. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #21863959
8. ↑ Rhode Island Historical Cemeteries
9. ↑ THOMAS COOKE OF RHODE ISLAND, by Jane Fletcher Fiske, page 36-37.

See also:

• [Source] #S31 ; Page: page 260; Text: 1652, John Cook was granted liberty to make highway between his uncle Stukeley Westcott and himself.
• [Source] URL: http://records.ancestry.com/john_cooke_records.ashx?pid=5370843
• Source: Ancestry.com. England, Select Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1900 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014. Original data: England, Essex Parish Registers, 1538-1900. Salt Lake City, Utah: FamilySearch, 2013.
• Source: Ancestry.com. U.S. and Canada, Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, 2010. Original data: Filby, P. William, ed. Passenger and Immigration Lists Index, 1500s-1900s. Farmington Hills, MI, USA: Gale Research, 2012. Reference: Place: Massachusetts; Year: 1620-1650; Page Number: 114
• Will - proved, 25 May 1691 - From the document, "Cook-Tallman Connections" by Cynthia C. Cook, dated January 5, 2004: (Barton-7380 has not seen copy)