The Cook Family in Robertson County, Tennessee
The first Cook in Robertson County was Augustine Cook (15 April 1767- May 1821) and his wife was Clara Payne (abt 1762- 1850).
The American Historical Magazine vol. 5, no. 4 (October 1900) pg 323. Pioneers from Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina-1789-1795 Daniel Holman, John Phipps, Charles and Thomas Kilgore and AUGUSTINE COOK are among those listed as settlers on the Red River.
Children of Augustine Cook and Clara Payne are:
i. James Cook born abt. 1790 in Caswell County, North Carolina; died Bet. 1831 - 1833 in Robertson County, Tennessee; married Lucinda Owen.
ii. Robert Cook born abt. 1792 in Caswell County, North Carolina; died Abt. 1849 in Robertson County, Tennessee; married Polly Owens.
iii. Thomas Cook born abt. 1794 in Caswell County, North Carolina; married Elizabeth Cone.
iv. John Cook, born 19 Mar 1796 in Caswell County, North Carolina; died 22 Aug 1886 in Robertson County, Tennessee; married Margaret Huddleston 11 Apr 1813 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
v. Mildred Cook born abt. 1796 in North Carolina; died 24 Dec 1850 in Robertson County, married William Baggett 03 Feb 1821 in Robertson County.
vi. Lucinda Cook born abt. 1803 in Robertson County, Tennessee; married Ray Sprouse.
vii. Clare Chloe Cook born abt. 1807 in Robertson County, Tennessee; married Lewellyn Phipps in Robertson County, Tennessee died Bef. 26 Apr 1843 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
viii. Mary Polly Cook born 02 Nov 1800 in
Robertson County, Tennessee; married William M. Shannon Abt. 1827 in Robertson
County, Tennessee; died 13 Apr 1849 in Robertson County
Augustine Cook Will
Robertson County, Tennessee Will Book 3, pages
260-261
16th November 1819
In the name of God, Amen,
I Augustine Cook of the County of Robertson and
State of Tennessee being sick but being of sound mind, memory and knowing
that it is appointed for all men to die do make and ordain this to be my
last will and testament as follows.
To Wit: That of all the property that it hath pleased
God to bless me with in this life should be divided as follows.
To Wit:
First, I give my daughter Cloe Cook twenty dollars
to be paid by my Executors out my Estate to her and her heirs forever.
Item, my sons James, Thomas and John Cook I have
given them each a horse and saddle of which they are in possession of which
they are to have and their heirs forever.
Item, I give and bequeath to my son Robert Cook
one sorrel horse flux main and tail & saddle.
Item, I give and bequeath to my daughters Milly,
Polly and Lucinda one horse and saddle each and each of them a good bed
and furniture.
Item, I give and bequeath to my beloved wife Clary
Cook during her life or widow hood the plantation on which I now live with
all the farming utensils belonging to same with one half of all the stock
of whatsoever kind belonging to the same which is not heretofore bequeathed,
also all the household and kitchen furniture not before bequeathed, also
the use of the Negro boy Jas which I have on a mortgage from William Ragsdale.
Item, I give and bequeath to my son Robert Cook
the plantation on which I now live & tract of land after the death
or marriage of his mother, to him and his heirs forever.
Item, the residue of my Estate not before bequeathed
shall be sold by my Executor and be equally divided amongst my following
children, to wit, James, Thomas, John, Milly, Polly and Lucinda them and
their heirs forever.
Lastly, I nominate, constitute and appoint my sons
James Cook and Thomas Cook Executors of this my last will and testament
and annulling and making void all former wills by me made and ratifying
and confirming this and no other to be my last will and testament. In witness
whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal this 16th day of
November 1819.
The above picture is a Cook cemetery located in what is now a cow pasture. There are what appears at first glance to be as many as a dozen tombstones. Family history has it that Augustine Cook (and most likely his wife) is buried in an unmarked grave, or possibly it is marked by one of the many fieldstones dotting the area.The authors of Robertson County Tennessee Cemetery Records listed eight legible gravestones, three of which are pictured below.¹
Cook, John B. 28 Nov 1846- 1 Aug 18? son of
James & Jane Cook
Cook, W. A. 4 Jan 1836- 17 Nov 1907
Cook, Jesse L. 20 Feb 1912- 11 Aug 1912
Cook, Henry C. F. 13 Sep 1908- 20 Dec 1908
Cook, Theodore 7 Nov 1900- 9 Dec 1905
Cook, E. A. 7 Sept 1872- 8 Apr 1873 daughter
of W. A. & R. F. Cook
Cook, R.F. died 12 Nov 1884 wife of W. A. Cook
Crabtree, Lula Bell
14 May 1880- 26 Aug 1905
The property owner and myself are planning on fencing
off the area to keep out the cows. I hope to also clean up the cemetery
a bit and take better pictures.
W. A. Cook (grandson of Augustine)
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John B. Cook (grandson of Augustine)
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Jesse L Cook
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Second Generation
John Cook (19 March 1796- 22 Aug 1886) married Margaret Huddleston (12 Feb 1795- 25 Jan 1874).
During the Seminole War of 1818, John
Cook was a 2nd Sgt in the 2nd Regiment of the West Tennessee Volunteer
Mounted Gunmen, which was raised in Robertson County by his brother, Capt.
James Cook. They were mustered into service in January of 1818 and their
general was Andrew Jackson. The army consisted of around 4,000 men, about
half of which were Creek Indians. This force invaded Spanish Florida and
destroyed Seminole resistance and also captured the towns of St. Marks
and Pensacola from the Spanish. Jackson also executed two British subjects
for supposedly inciting the Seminoles into rebellion. Spain saw that it
could not defend Florida and in 1821 the Adams- Onís Treaty ceded
all of Florida to the United States. Below are copies of John Cook's military
service record.
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John and his wife Margaret, along with other Cook family members, are buried in the Villines Cemetery in Cross Plains. The most famous person buried there is Thomas Kilgore, a Revolutionary War soldier and early settler to the area who eventually built Kilgore Station.
Children of John Cook and Margaret Huddleston are:
i. Augustine Cook, born 17 Jun 1815 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 1862 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
ii. David Cook, born 29 Jul 1817 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 26 Mar 1893 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
iii. Clarissa Cook, born 24 Oct 1819 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 11 Jan 1897 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
iv. Elizabeth Jane Cook, born 25 Dec 1821 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 27 Feb 1888 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
v. William Arch Cook, born 31 Jul 1823 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 07 Mar 1881 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
vi. George Washington Cook, born 12 Aug 1824 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 10 Mar 1911 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
vii. John Cook, born 13 Jan 1827 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
viii. Patrick Henry Cook, born 31 Oct 1831 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 1904 in Christian County, Kentucky.
ix. Thomas Cook, born 08 Jan 1831 in Robertson County,
Tennessee; died 14 Sep 1854 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
Will of John Cook probated 1886: Robertson County Will
Book 22, page 315
John Cook Decd Last Will and Testament
I John Cook of the county of Robertson and state of Tennessee being of sound mind and memory do hereby make my last will and testament, revoking all other wills by me at any time.
Item 1st It is my will and desire that after my death I shall be decently buried and my debts paid and my graveyard be substantially filled in.
Item 2nd It is my will and desire that after item the first of this will is complied with so far as relates to my debts be that my sons David Cook, G. W. Cook and W. A. Cook and my daughters Clara Zech and Eliza J. Zech shall each have twelve hundred dollars. One hundred dollars of said amount I have recently paid to each of the above named, for which I hold their receipts.
Item 3rd It is my will and desire that if there should be any estate left after satisfying the above bequests, it shall be equally divided between the above named David Cook, G. W. Cook, W. A. Cook, Clara Zech + Eliza J. Zech and also my son P. H. Cook not heretofore mentioned.
Item 4th My reason for leaving my son P. H. Cook out of the first dividend of twelve hundred dollars is that I have paid that amount for him more than I have given to my other children and it is for the purpose of making them equal with him.
Item 5th It is my will and desire that my executors shall sell all my effects + lands and convey the same without any order of court, and that the sale and conveyance shall be as bonafide as if I had done the same myself.
Item 6th I humbly nominate and appoint my sons David Cook, G. W. Cook and W. A. Cook to execute this my last will and testament.
Signed and sealed on the 4th day of February 1874
John Cook
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Margaret Huddleston Cook
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Thomas Cook (son of John Cook)
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George Washington Cook (son of John Cook)
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Sarah Cook (wife of G.W. Cook)
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Clarissa Cook (daughter of John Cook)
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Third Generation
David Cook (29 July 1817- 26 Mar 1893) married Sarah Patten on the 21st of March 1845 and she died around 1848. David's second wife was Mary Ann Chowning (26 July 1828- 12 Nov 1871). After Mary's death, David married for a third time to Rebecca James, but they had no children. David and Mary, along with David's two sons from his first marriage and two infants from his second marriage to Mary, are buried on the same farm where they used to live.
Children of David Cook and Sarah Patten are:
i. William T. Cook, born 14 Mar 1846 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 02 Mar 1877 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
ii. David Patrick Cook, born 01 Nov 1848 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 22 Jan 1874 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
Children of David Cook and Mary Chowning are:
i. Margaret A. Cook, born May 1850 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 1881 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
ii. John C. Cook, born 14 Mar 1852 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 25 May 1855 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
iii. James Milton Cook, born 24 Oct 1854 in Robertson County, Tennessee; died 13 Aug 1856 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
iv. M. Ellen Cook, born Abt. 1858 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
v. Frances Elizabeth Cook, born Abt. 1862 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
vi. Robert Marshall Cook, born 31 May 1863 in Robertson County, married Enola Bradley on 10 July 1881; died 24 Dec 1945 in Robertson County, Tennessee.
vii. Martha Jane Cook, born 27 Jan 1867 in Robertson County,
Tennessee; died 03 Aug 1941 in Montontgomery County, Tennessee.
Census Data for David Cook and family
District 11, page 97b, 24 September 1850 household 791, family 791, David Cook 32 m Farmer $1000 Tn
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District 11, page 97, 6 August 1860 household 710, family 709,
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District 15, page 17, Springfield PO, 13 July 1870. household 122, family 122,
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Source: FHL Film 1255277 National Archives Film T9-1277 Page 3B
Relation Sex Marr Race Age Birthplace
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David Cook
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Mary Ann Chowning Cook
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David P. Cook
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William T. Cook
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John C. Cook
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James M. Cook,
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Unknown
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¹Durrett,
J. M. Robertson County Tennessee Cemetery Records. White House,
TN,Yolanda G. Reid, 1987.
Many thanks to Jerry Wilson for compiling much of this information
last updated 18 April 2009