Suffolk County Biographies
Source: Ancestry.com
New Jersey Biographical Sketches, 1665-1800
~~~~~~~~
Branches of the Southampton, NY COOK Family
The name Ellis Cook appears in the
records of Morris county at a very early date. Mary, wife of
Ellis Cooke (so the name is spelled on her tombstone in the
Hanover graveyard), died April 19, 1754, aged thirty-eight years.
Ellis Cook Esq'r "departed this life April 7th, 1797 In the
66th Year of his Age." Margret Griswould, wife of
"Coll. Ellis Cooke," died March 15, 1777, aged
forty-one years and three months.
A tombstone was erected in the same graveyard in 1860, by their
descendants, to the memory of "Ellis Cook, a Captain in the
Revolutionary Army who died A. D. 1832, and of Isabella Cook, his
wife who died A. D. 1825." According to local tradition,
Ellis Cook was the "original blacksmith" of Whippanong
township, whose shop occupied the site of the old Academy. In
1772, Ellis Cook kept a tavern in Hanover.
The foregoing are evidently of three generations. During the
Revolutionary period, Ellis Cook was very prominent in public
affairs. He was elected a member of the Committee of Observation
of Morris county, January 9, 1775, and on May 1 he was elected
one of the delegates for said county, they being vested with
power of legislation, and to raise men, money and arms for the
common defense.
He served as a member of the Provincial Congress in May, June,
August and October, from Morris county, and was a member of the
Committee of Safety which sat at New Brunswick from January 10 to
March 2, 1776. At a meeting of the Committee of Safety on January
13, 1776, the Committee of Morris county applied to have Ellis
Cook commissioned Lieutenant-Colonel of the Eastern Regiment of
Militia in that county, and a commission was ordered to be issued
to him accordingly.
The Provincial Congress, which sat at New Brunswick in February
and March of the same year, ordered that œ1. 6s. 8d. be paid
to Ellis Cook, Esquire, in full of his account for removing the
records in the Surveyor-General's office at Perth Amboy to New
Brunswick. He was a member of the Provincial Congress of New
Jersey which met at Burlington June 10, 1776, and which adopted
the Constitution of New Jersey, July 2, 1776.
On July 18, 1776, he was appointed Lieutenant-Colonel of the
battalion to be raised in Morris county. He was elected a member
of the Assembly for Morris county in the years 1776, 1777, 1779,
1781-1792, and was appointed one of the Judges of the Morris
county courts, 1793-1795.
The will of Ellis Cook, of Hanover, Morris county, yeoman, dated
March 11, 1756, was proved Aug. 31, 1756. He devises to William
and Ellis, his two eldest sons, "all my whole estate,
Plantation and movable estate," to be equally shared; to his
sons Jonathan, Epaphras and John, œ10 each when 21.
Executors--sons William and Ellis. Witnesses--Jonathan Squire,
Thomas Bigelow and William Dixon.--N. J. Wills, Liber F., f. 404.
No inventory is on file or of record at Trenton. It will be
observed that he makes no mention of wife.
Her tombstone in the Presbyterian churchyard at Hanover says:
"Here lieth ye Body of Mary wife of Ellis Cooke Dec'd April
ye 19 1754 Aged 38 Years." This Ellis Cook, b. 1703, was a
son of Abiel3 Abiel2 Ellis1, of Southampton, L. I. His mother was
Martha Cooper. He m. Mary, dau. of John Williams. He removed
about 1744-5, with his father-in-law, from Southampton to
Hanover, Morris county.
He seems to have had brothers Abiel, Samuel, Lemuel, Zebulon,
Matthew, Abraham. He is said to have been killed at Fort Oswego,
1756. Issue:
i. William, b. 1734; m. Sarah Cocker, June 5, 1755. He was the
father of Captain Ellis Cook, mentioned above, who d. in 1832.
William Cook (was he the same, or of a later generation) m.
Margaret Cooper, Feb. 12, 1778.
2. ii. Ellis.
iii. Jonathan, m. Margaret Tappan, Nov. 30, 1757.
iv. Epaphras, m. Sarah Smith, Oct. 4, 1762. Epaphras Cook and
Charlotte his wife were received into the Presbyterian church at
Morristown, from the Hanover church, July 25, 1822, and were
dismissed May 4, 1829, to New York. He was doubtless of a later
generation.
v. John, m. Sarah Parrott. John Cook, of Pequannock, m. Jane
Peer, of the same place, Oct. 14, 1772. Was this the son of
Ellis?
2. Ellis2 Ellis1 Cook, b. 1732. m. Margaret Griswould Cocker, (b.
Dec. 15, 1735), July 12, 1753; d April 7, 1797, in the 66th year
of his age, according to his tombstone at Hanover; she d. March
15, 1777, aged 41 years and 3 months. Her tombstone sets forth
that
Here lies one bereav'd of Life,
A Tender Mother and a Loving wife;
Kind to Relations & a faithful friend
Happy in her beginning, no doubt so in her end.
The very useful and distinguished career of Col. Cook has been
narrater above. He m. 2d, Lucy (Ely) Perkins, who was received
into membership in the Hanover church, Jan 12, 1791. His will,
dated April 6, 1797, sets forth that he was at the time
"infirm in body," which might be inferred from the fact
that the instrument was proved on the 25th of the same month.
In his will he provides that his wife Lucy should "furnish
my son George Whitfield with clothing, &c., from her right of
dower." He devises to son Jabez a tract of land
"opposite my dwelling house, bounded by Mathew Kitchel,
Samuel Merry, Passaick river and road, except a meadow; also my
tract in Essex county joining Aaron Beach, Isaac Winans and
others." Sons Zebulon, James and Ambrose "to share
equally all the rest of my real estate, in Morris and Essex
counties." To daughters Margaret Kitchel, Matilda Plumb and
Rulatte Gregory, œ10 each.
"My son Ambrose to take my son George Whitfield and bring
him up and instruct him in the Practice of Physic, and Ambrose to
be paid œ25 annually until George Whitfield is 21."
Executors--Aaron Kitchell, Prudden Alling, James Cook.
Witnesses--(Dr.) John Darcy, William Cook, Epaphrus Cook. The
"Inventory of Coll. Ellis Cook Esqr," April 12, 1797,
footed up œ602, 14, 4, as appraised by Enoch Beach and David
Bedford.--N. J Wills, Liber No. 37, p. 228. Issue:
i. Jabez.
ii. Zebulon, b. March 22, 1755; m. Mary Jones, Feb. 15, 1775; d.
Dec. 12, 1810; she was b. May 20, 1758; d. April 14, 1830.
iii. James, b. Mar 25, 1760; m. 1st, Elizabeth P. Condit, Nov.
25, 1781; 2d, Ruth Pierson, Aug. 3, 1786; he d. March 26, 1836:
he lived at Succasunna.
iv. Ambrose. "Doctor Ambrose Cook and Miss Sally P.
Wheeler" were married June 27, 1794. He d. in Monmouth
county.
v. Margaret, m. William Kitchell, of Hanover.
vi. Matilda, m. David Plumb, Feb. 27, 1794. He was of Newark.
vii. Rulatte (called Lotta), m. William O. Gregory, Sept. -,
1792; he was of Newburgh, N. Y.
viii. Elizabeth, d. Sept. 30, 1780, aged 1 yr. 4 mos. 2 days.
ix. George Whitfield, bap. 1790 or 1791. In accordance with the
terms of his father's will he was brought up a physician, and
practiced in Hudson, N. Y.
Another Ellis Cook, of Bottle Hill (now Madison), m. Sarah
Wortman, Sept. 28, 1789. He was of Hanover when he made his will,
April 7, 1801, which was proved Aug. 5, 1807. In this instrument
he gives to wife Sarah œ60 in lieu of dower; to daughter
Keziah Morris œ70, New York money; to daughter Mary Miller,
wife of John Miller, œ70; to daughter Sarah Ward, wife of
Israel Ward, œ70; to grandson Ellis Morris, œ30, when
twenty-one years of age; to grandson Ellis Thompson, œ30; to
"grandson Benjamin Cook, son of my son Benjamin, in fee, all
houses, lands and tenements in Morris County, if he shall live to
twenty-one years, otherwise to be divided among surviving
grandchildren allowing two shares of the whole to the daughters
or daughter of my son Benjamin Cook, deceased, and the remainder
in equal shares among the children of my three daughters Keziah
Morris, Mary Miller and Sarah Ward, share and share alike;"
to "daughter-in-law, Sarah Cook, widow of my son Benjamin
Cook, deceased, all the use of the real estate herein devised to
her son Benjamin Cook, and to bring up the children of my said
son Benjamin, deceased, during her widowhood; in case of her
marriage, his executors to take charge of the same;" residue
of estate to be divided among surviving children as they shall
arrive at the age of twenty-one years.
Executors--Sons-in-law Luke Miller, John Morris and Israel Ward.
Witnesses--John Donington, Jonathan Richards and John Blanchard.
A codicil, dated August 5, 1807, gives to wife Sarah œ100
additional. Witnesses--Archibald Sayre, John Blanchard.--Morris
County Wills, Liber A, p. 236. According to the late Prof. George
H. Cook, State Geologist of New Jersey, this Ellis Cook, of
Bottle Hill, was a son of John Cook, of Southampton, and was 80
years old at the time of his death. He had a brother Obadiah, of
Halseytown, Morris county, whose brother-in-law, Joel Halsey, was
named as his executor in 1765.
All these Cooks were descendants of Ellis Cook, m. Martha, dau.
of John Cooper, who was one of the "undertakers" or
settlers of Southampton, L. 1., 1640; d. 167?? at Southampton.
Issue:
John, Ellis, Martha, Elizabeth, Mary, Abiel.
Abiel had children: Josiah, Frances, Abiel 2d.
Abiel 2d d. 1740 at Southampton, having had children: Abiel 3d;
Samuel, d. at Shrewsbury, N. J., 1745; Ellis, b. 1703, d. 1756,
who settled in Hanover, Morris county, as above stated; Phebe,
Susannah, m. - Barton, and lived with nephew Abiel in N. J.;
Matthew, d. in N. J.; Zebulon, settled at Freehold, N. J.;
Lemuel, Abigail, Anna.
Abiel 3d m. - Leonard; he located in Monmouth county in 1720.
Children: Abiel 4th; Sarah, m. Aaron Mattison, April, 1745;
Nathaniel, m. - Robins; Frances, m. Samuel Mount, 1755; Susannah,
m. - Imlay; Mary, m. Jonathan Lippincott, 1757; Phebe, m. Peter
Dewitt, 1757; Abigail, m. - Strickland.
Abiel 4th, b. Nov. 15, 1723; m. Mary, dau of Samuel Thompson,
June, 1765; d. Jan. 24, 1797. Children: Sarah, William, Susannah,
Samuel, Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Hannah, b. 1775, m. the Rev. Joseph
Stephens, pastor of the Baptist church at Freehold, 1789-1793, d.
1817.
This page was last updated February 3, 2004.