"There Is No Superior Race of People, But There Are Superior People in Every Race"

Jesse Cook 1801-1855 Quaker, Abolitionist, and Underground Railroad Operator. A leader in the restoration to freedom of my ancestors over a century ago.

 ~~ "Guide My Feet, Hold My Hand" Memorial Page, Mary Goins Gandy, 1987, a gr. gr. granddaughter of Katherine (Kitty) Payne (1816-1850)

The quote above is from the book, "Guide My Feet, Hold My Hand" (1987) written in gratitude by Mary Goins Gandy, a great, great granddaughter of Katherine (Kitty) Payne (1816-1850), a manumitted slave. Along with her three children, Kitty was kidnapped on July 24, 1845, from their cabin, not far from "Cook's Mill." The nephew of the former owner of Kitty, Samuel Maddox, Jr., of Virginia, claimed Kitty's manumission was not legal. Maddox hired a group of slave catchers led by Thomas Finnigan to travel to Pennsylvania and bring Kitty back to Virginia. Which they did, however Kitty and her children did not go peacefully. According to witnesses, they fought back as hard as they could and had to be forcibly removed. At least one of the kidnappers was injured during the struggle. Kitty and her children were well known and well liked in the Gettysburg area. She worked for Jesse Cook and other local Quaker farmers. Jesse bought the farm of approximately 175 acres in October 1838. I visited the farm in 2013 and after more than 175 years, the farm is known publicly as "Cook's Mill."

By 1840, "Cook's Mill" was a known "safe-house" for freedom seekers and Jesse's children remember seeing runaways squatting in the hills and woods around the farm. Two years after Jesse Cook died, in 1857, "Cook's Mill" was chosen to replace the "station" at William H. Wright (1812-1884) house in Flora Dale, on the established Underground Railroad route through northern Adams County. (See Useful Links) Jesse's oldest child, Mary B. Cook (1833-1906) ran the "station" and Jesse's wife, Ruth McMillan Cook (1808-1887) and her children ran the 170+ acre farm until the end of the war. Jesse's family sold the farm when the Civil War ended in 1865. "Cook's Mill" is eleven miles north of Gettysburg, in northern Adams Co., Pennsylvania., a mile and a half south of the Cumberland County line.

~~~~~~~~~~~

One way a house or farm could be secretly recognized as a "safe-house" or "station" was a white-band painted around the top of the farm-house chimney. Expanding on this "white band" signal, the well-known abolitionist and Quaker, William Wright (1788-1865) of York Springs, painted the entire first floor exterior of his two-story brick house, white. Apparently so there was no misunderstanding on how he felt about slavery and what his well-known house "Plainfield" represented. From 1820 to 1865 William Wright is believed to have aided more than 1000 runaway slaves through his two houses Woodburn & Plainfield, near York Springs, Adams Co., Pennsylvania.

~~~~~~~~~~~

FAMILY RECORDS for the QUAKER PETER COOKE (c.1674-1713) from TARVIN, CHESHIRE, ENGLAND
Twins are a family trait.

Peter Cooke is believed to have been born in Tarvin, Cheshire, England, in about 1674. His parents and siblings, if any, are unknown. Peter was married 10mo. 7, 1695 (Dec. 7, 1695) at "their Publick Meeting Place at Newton in the aforesd County of Chesr," to Elinor Norman who was born in Kingsley, Cheshire, in about 1675. Of the 32 witnesses who signed their marriage certificate only one was a "Cooke" John Cooke, who I believe was a brother, and not one "Norman" signed. Whether this is significant or not, I don't know, but it raises questions.

Peter & Elinor had nine children of which two died young, Abraham twin of Thomas and the first Mary. Both are recorded buried at Newton Meeting, where Peter & Elinor married. After 1st month (March/April) 1713, Peter, Elinor and their children John 17, Peter 13, Isaac 11, Thomas 9 (twin), Elinor 6, Mary 4 & Samuel 15mos., probably sailed from Liverpool, England for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During the voyage Peter, the father, died of unknown causes and against standard procedure his body was not brought to port. Suggesting that there was a medical reason against keeping the body. If the passenger lists survived, I believe they would have explained what happened to Peter.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Cousin Albert Cook Myers (1874-1960) author and historian, was well respected in England:

“Being a Quaker and a member of one of the oldest Philadelphia families of that sect, he was shown much consideration by the English Society of Friends, who officially welcomed him to England at the London Yearly Meeting. They gave him an office and a secretary, without charge. In old Devonshire House, in Bishopsgate, where Penn visited and attended meetings for many years, and which is now used by the Friends as their headquarters.”

 -- Gettysburg Compiler, Wednesday, February 7, 1912.

Studying the family and genealogy of the Quaker William Penn (1644-1718) for more than 50 years, Albert Cook Myers "assembled a massive and notable body of information about William Penn." The English Royal Family became aware of what ACM was doing and wanted to meet him. In 1911 Sir Albert Cook Myers was knighted by King George for his work on William Penn's family. ACM's most significant finding: proving that William Penn's mother, Margaret Jasper, was not Dutch.

~~~~~~~~~~~

ACM knew where to look for early Cooke family records in England, but more importantly he was granted the access. In appreciation for his work on Penn, ACM was granted carte blanche access to search any and all archives, meetings, parishes, churches or anywhere else in England he thought Cooke genealogical records might be found. He found nothing, no new records.

My father went to England twice in 1981 and 1983 following up on a couple of things ACM was unable to complete and double-checking other things. Dad didn’t find anything new either. Suddenly he passed away the following year in 1984. I don’t think there are any new records left to find. 

Peter had to rely on "collections" to help fund the voyage to the New World. I believe Peter had a contact in America, a Joseph Helsby who came over from Tarvin in 1711. Without a contact in America it would have been more than a very risky endeavor with seven children, the youngest just 15 months old. Another indication of a contact; other than the 100 acres warranted to Elinor by the state in 1718, there are no records indicating she or the children needed assistance or were in dire straits of some kind because of Peter's death.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The only other records that might have given clues about Peter’s family in England, but more importantly the cause of Peter’s death aboard ship and the disposition of his body, are the passenger lists from their voyage to Philadelphia in the spring (c.April) of 1713. I think this is where the record of what happened to Peter is found, and it may explain the "silence" by the family about what happened. This is just my guesstimate, but if Elinor and the children believed everything was duly recorded in the ship’s manifest, Captain’s log, passenger lists, or all three. The family would have no reason to later independently record what happened to Peter, thus their "silence" about it...

The passenger lists from the spring of 1713 - Liverpool, England to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were archived at the "Customs House" in Philadelphia. At the outset of the War of 1812, it was felt that the "Customs House" was at risk, so it was moved south to Washington D.C. Two years later in 1814, when the British burned most of Washington D.C., the White House and the "Customs House" were among the structures destroyed. The lists, logs & manifests for this specific time and area are lost forever. Whatever records we have today, is all there is. This is why there is a gap in the passenger list records between c.1700 and c.1750 - England to Pennsylvania.

About mid-May early June 1713 Elinor arrives in Philadelphia alone with seven children. Their youngest, Samuel, was a babe-in-arms at 15 months. Samuel dies weeks after arriving and he is recorded buried at Philadelphia Monthly Meeting:

(July 26, 1713) 5mo. 26, 1713 "Samuel Cook son of ____ Cook who dyed at sea and Elinor his wife"

This is the earliest recorded date associated with the Quaker Cook Family in America. The family recently enjoyed its 300th anniversary.

~~~~~~~~~~~

DEVONSHIRE HOUSE AND ISAAC SHARP.
 BY ALBERT COOK MYERS.

It was (cousin) Charles Francis Jenkins who first impressed me with the interesting possibilities of Isaac Sharp and his department. In one of his pleasant sketches of English travel, which appeared in the Intelligencer of Eighth month 3d, 1895, C. F. J. wrote:

"I spent part of yesterday [Seventh month 11th, 1895] at Devonshire House, in the office of the ' Secretary of the Society of Friends,' Isaac Sharp, who says he finds time to look over the Intelligencer and Journal each week. He is a very busy person, with two or three assistants, and with many daily calls upon, his information and patience. He seems to fill a very useful position, being at all times the representative of the Society who can be seen and consulted, who knows just where to refer the seeker for information on any Society point, who preserves and has charge of the records, and has many other important duties. The records of births, marriages and deaths of Friends for all of England an- kept here in most admirable order, being copies of original books, which according to Act of Parliament were requested (or required) to be deposited in Somerset House in London, the official home of all the registers of this kind. In a short hour I found several dates and items of interest relating to the Wildmans, the Croasdales, and the Walmsleys of Bucks County, who all came from Settle Monthly Meeting in Yorkshire."

"This incited me in the late fall of that year, 1895, when I was a callow sophomore at Swarthmore College, to begin my correspondence with Isaac Sharp. He kindly sent me over some data respecting my maternal Cook ancestry. Even yet he will remind me that my Quaker progenitor, Peter Cook, who came from Cheshire to Pennsylvania in 1713, was "done out of" so much passage money. In 1900, on my first trip abroad, I met our Friend in the flesh, and I have been in touch with him ever since. Friends' Intelligencer, Vol. LXXIV, page 584, 9month 15, 1917." -- ACM

(Below is the passage money that Peter was "done out of")

Frandley Meeting  1P.  11s. 4d.
Newton       "        3P.  10s.
Chester       "        1P.   1s. 6d.
Norton        "              12s. 2d.

Total                    6P.  15s. 2d.

This information was obtained for Albert Cook Myers some years ago by an Englishman named Isaac Sharpe. The original record showed a total of 16 pounds, 5 shillings, and 2 pence, and Mr.  Sharpe's comment was that "…either someone's addition was poor, or Peter Cook was done out of 10 shillings."

~~~~~~~~~~~

1727 Elinor Norman Cooke Fincher's approximate year of death.

On 4mo. 29, 1726, at London Grove Quaker Meeting in London Grove township, Chester Co., Pennsylvania, Elinor witnessed and signed the Quaker marriage certificate of her stepson Jonathan Fincher (1704-1757) and his wife Deborah Dicks (c.1705-c.1730). Two years later on 2mo. 25, 1728, Jonathan’s sister, Sarah Fincher (1706-1804) was married to Edward Swayne (1703-1776) at the same Quaker meeting in London Grove. If Elinor was able, she would have attended, witnessed and signed t the certificate, just as she did at Jonathan’s wedding. Elinor did not attend and did not sign. Elinor is never mentioned/recorded again.

Jonathan & Sarah Fincher were two of the seven Fincher children Elinor raised after remarrying John Fincher in 1714. Elinor raised 13 children, her six Cook children and seven Fincher children. Before 1752 the world used the "Julian" calendar where March was the first month of the year, not January. Because the Quaker dating system is by numbers only, Quaker dates before 1752 have to be converted to our current "Gregorian" calendar, by adding 2 to the month number.

viz:

4mo. 29, 1726 converts to June 29, 1726, and 2mo. 25, 1728, converts to April 25, 1728. Elinor probably died between 1726 and 1728.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The "e"

In mid-March 1879, at age 27, my gr. grandfather, William Ramsey Cook (1852-1938), his 2nd cousin, Dr. William Harvey Cook (1829-1879) and William Harvey Cook’s 7-year-old son at the time, Morris Llewellyn Cook (1872-1960) were gathered at Dr. William H. Cook’s house in Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Pennsylvania, because Dr. Cook was on his deathbed. The three decided it was time to formally change the spelling of their surnames from “Cook” to “Cooke.”

“The three cousins who added the “e”", is what was passed down in family lore. They knew that all of the English Quaker records dealing with Peter before coming to America in 1713, spell his surname “Cooke” with the “e,” including Peter's 1695 English Quaker marriage certificate. The first witness to sign in the left column, I believe to be Peter's brother, was "John Cooke." The three cousins believed they were reverting back to the original spelling. In 1879, there was no official process for changing the spelling of a name, you just started using and signing an alternate spelling.

The spelling “Cooke” was recorded in a few of the early American Quaker records but only in reference to the first generation, Peter’s children. After that all of the Quaker records in America spell the name “Cook” without the “e.” Some said spelling "Cooke" with the “e” was too “flashy”, not plain enough for Friends, so the early American Quakers made the change. I don't think so, I think that “Cooke” was the original spelling, but because most early American Quaker scribes spelled phonically and without Peter there to enforce the spelling, I believe a phonetic gap quickly developed and the “e” was dropped from Quaker records and the name.  -- rlciii

"The name in England appears to have been written Cooke. This family embarked for America soon after the birth of the youngest child, but the father died on the voyage or shortly after their arrival. The widow produced a certificate to Chester Monthly Meeting, 1, 29, 1714, and in that year was married to John Fincher, with whom she removed with her children to Londongrove." "The late Dr. William H. Cooke of Carlisle, who was much interested in the family history, and who returned to the original spelling of the name, died March 21, 1879."

 -- “History of Chester County, Pennsylvania” page 502, Gilbert Cope and J. Smith Futhey, 1881.

~~~~~~~~~~~

A letter Gilbert Cope wrote to his friend, Dr. William H. Cook, ten years earlier in 1869:

West Chester Pa
8mo 2nd 1869

Dr. Wm. H. Cook
Respected Friend

Having now reached home I will try to give thee a little more information respecting the Cook family, though I do not find much in my papers. The first mention I find of Peter Cook is 5 mo 25 1730 when he requested certificate from Newgarden Mo. Mtg. to marry Sarah Gilpin. They were not married till 9 mo 26th [1730] at which time he lived in Londongrove township.

7 mo 26th 1730 Newgarden Monthly Meeting complained of Elinor C. "sister of Peter Cook" for bearing an illegitimate child. 8 mo 31st 1730 thos Cox & Mary Cooke were complained of for having been married by a priest. The children of Peter & Sarah Cook should have been given in Newgarden Mtg Mtg. records but are not. This meeting also complained of a Thomas Cooke for marrying a dau. of Alexander Underwood, out of meeting 8 mo 31st 1730. Thomas and wife with some of the Underwood family obtained certificate to Sadsbury. At that time Sadsbury Monthly Meeting included some meetings on the west side of Susquehanna and very soon after this the Monthly Meeting was divided and Newberry [and] Warrington established.

There was a John Cook who married Elinor Langdale in 1718 and it appears they settled in  Londongrove township.  They had several children viz Mary, m. Moses Pyle, Margaret m. James Johnson, Phebe m. Thomas Plummer, John m. Rebecca Kirk, Stephen m. Hannah Reynolds & Margaret Williams & perhaps others.

Thomas's son of John & Rebecca married Susanna Couzens & Elizabeth Cope. He settled in Fayette Co and I suppose Cookstown was named for him or his family. Stephen & Margaret had a son Peter who married 4 mo 10th 1794 Hannah Starr of Newgarden & left two children John & Margaret. Samuel Cook, son of Peter & Sarah m. 11-11-1772 at Londongrove Mtg Ruth Moode dau of Alexander Moode dec.   William Cook of Warrington son of Samuel & Ruth dec, m. 11-29-1802 Susanna Cutler of Little Britain, Lancaster Co.

I have some other records of Cook, but as they are not descendants of Peter & Sarah perhaps thee will not care to have them. My friend Chat N. Stubbs I suppose is [unin] the descendants of John & Rebecca (Kirk) Cook. Many of the descendants of their son Thomas are given in the Cope Family.

Respectfully
Gilbert Cope

P.S.  I passed through Carlisle on the 28th [unin] on my way home but had not time to stop.  G.C.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Dr. W. H. Cook, of Carlisle, son of Jesse Cook, and son-in-law of Dr. J. H. Marsden of near York Springs, died of consumption at his residence in Carlisle on the 22d ult."

 -- "The Star and Sentinel" Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Thursday Evening, April 3, 1879