The Reverend Samuel Cooke was the son of Thomas Cooke, collector of Revenue at Yarmouth, England. He studied at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge University and came to America as a missionary for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts in 1751. He received the honorary degree of MA from the College of Philadelphia in 1760. Reverend Cooke was in charge of Monmouth County, New Jersey, Episcopal parishes including Shrewsbury, Middletown, Freehold and other places from 1765 to the Revolution.
He travelled to England on private business in 1775 and returned to America in 1776 as deputy chaplain to the Brigade of Guards. His property in Shrewsbury was confiscated in 1779.
At the end of the war he went into exile in New Brunswick and was appointed Chaplain to the garrison at Saint John. In 1786 he became the first rector of the Episcopal Church at Fredericton and in 1791 he was Commissary to the Bishop of Nova Scotia.
Reverend Cooke was drowned crossing the River St John in a birch bark canoe, May 23, 1795. His son Michael, who attempted to save his life, perished with him.
His wife Graham Kearny, the daughter of Michael Kearny, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey was born in 1736 and died in 1771. They had 7 children including Mary b. 1757 d. 1819; Michael b. 1764 d. 1795; Lydia b. ? d. 1846; Isabella b. 1768 d. 1848 married Lieutenant-Colonel Harris William Hailes, Canadian Regiment of Fencible Infantry, and Anastasia b. 1771 d.1846 married Colonel David Ford, pioneer of Morristown, NY.
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