Consider Cooke, Sr

Consider Cooke, Sr
BIRTH 4 Feb 1745
DEATH 20 Apr 1819 (aged 74)
BURIAL
Marksboro Presbyterian Church Cemetery
Blairstown, Warren County, New Jersey, USA
MEMORIAL ID 12685187

Consider Cooke descendant of Francis Cooke a signer of the Mayflower Compact
2/4/1745 Birth in Kingston, Plymouth County, MA
4/20/1819 Death in Marksboro, NJ
Parents - Elisha Cooke & Rebecca Edgerton
Wife - Sarah Bell
Childern - Rebecca, William & Nathan Consider Cooke, b. 4-Feb-1745 in Kingston, Massachusetts, married about 1770, Sarah Bell, b. about 1750 in Hardwick Township, Sussex County, NJ, d. 21-Apr-1820 in Hardwick Township, Sussex County, NJ. Consider died 20-Apr-1819 in Hardwick Township, Sussex County, NJ. (Excerpt from "The Family of Elisha Cooke", Francis Cooke Newberry, published by The Blairstown Press, 1934)
The third child of Elisha and Rebeckah Edgerton Cooke was Consider Cooke, born February 4, 1745, undoubtedly at Kingston, Mass., since it is evident that his parents did not remove from that town until 1747.
Consider Cooke was two years old when his family left Massachusetts and this statement is on the authority of the his grandson, Archibald Stinson Cooke.
Consider Cooke was thus probably the only child of Elisha and Rebecca
Cooke living to maturity who could claim Massachusetts as his
birthplace. He must therefore have been about sixteen years old when
he came with his parents to their Sussex County (Note: It was still
Morris County until 1753.) home about 1761 and about twenty-six years
old when his mother died, probably in 1771.
As the eldest son, Consider appears to have remained with his father
on the home place, and Elisha,in his will, granted him "the part of
the farm I now live on, containing ninety acres more or Less." There
was also granted, in the same will, to Consider's brother Daniel "69
acres of land surveyed and formerly belonging to my son, Consider
Cooke" but excepting the shop which Consider had built on that land.
It is therefore probable that when he established a home of his own,
Consider lived on the hill back of his father's home, along a road
which turned north from the Great Road. It is understood that "the
shop stood at the corner of the home site".
When he was about twenty-five, and probably a short time before the
death of his mother, Consider Cooke married Sarah Bell, said to have
been the daughter of Jesse and Mary Bell. Jesse Bell, undoubtedly the father of Sarah, is mentioned in Elisha's Old Book, from 1766 to 1775, as follows:
"Jefse Bell, dr for Paftering and wintering a calf, forplanting ground 2 bufhels and a half wheet, for corn, 12 sheeves of ry and a pack of ots, wheat, corn and buckwheet, hay, mutten, 1 sheet, Paftering a Calf 7 weeks and wintring one Shhep, and a bufhel of turnaps.
"Jefse Bell was credited with a hid (hide), a calf, 30 pounds of Nails, 3 days in harvest, an order from Paterson, a Saddle, Jamping 2 axes, ' lasey day and a halfs work,' a dear Skin, and to "three days work as he Set price.'"
On November 30, 1767, there is a receipt - "Received of Jefse Bell the le sum of Fourteen and eleven Pence it being in full of all accompts.
I say Recd by me," and signed "Levi Howell."
From 1772 to 1775 Elisha Cooke several times "ballenced accompts with
Jefse Bell," and in addition sold to him potatoes, flaxseed, corn,
wheat and Endego.
These records indicate that Consider and Sarah grew up as neighbors.
Sarah was about six years younger than Consider and must therefore
have been born about 1750.
After the death of Elisha Cooke in 1799, Consider and Sarah may have
moved into his old home, although Elisha's will reserved the dwelling
house for the use of his widow if so desired. Consider was given by
his father's will, not only the 90 acres of Elisha's homestead, but
"all my Cattle, Sheep and hogs, one walnut table, half my wagon & my
best suit of clothes, & my great arm chair." He was, however made
responsible for the furnishing of grain, meat, firewood, etc., to
Elisha's widow and for the payment in cash of a number of bequests ot
other heirs of Elisha.
During their early married life, however, Consider and Sarah Cooke
undoubtedly lived in the house and there must have born and reared
their three children:
Rebecca born 1771
William born 1773
Nathan born 1776.
Rebecca was undoubtedly named for Consider's mother, Rebecca Eggerton
Cooke, who probably died about the time her granddaughter and namesake was born. William, being the oldest son, was given the name which had been borne by the eldest sons for four generations.
Consider Cooke is reported by Cooke recorders to have been a staunch
Whig, and to have lost considerable money in the depreciation of the
Continental currency.
According to Snell's "History of Sussex and Warren Counties, New
Jersey", Consider Cooke was a constable in 1793.
In his father's Account Book, there is an undated account with Consider:
"To weeving 6 yds. chek shurten at 10 d. yd.; 3 yds of lency
at 9 per yd.; 4 yds of Stocked at 8 per yd.; 31 yds. att 7
per yd." and in 1770, "Isaac Lanon dr. to worke by Confider,
16 shillings."
From an Account Book kept by Consider's son William, we learn that
from 1812 to 1815 inclusive, Consider and his son had a number transactions, covering the purchase of honey, tallow, cash at Marksborough, weaving 23 yards, cash paid Dr. Leeds, candles, beef,
etc.
It is probable that Consider himself kept an account book, as this
seems to have been the custom in the family, but no such record has
been located.
On April 3, 1813, according to Sussex County records, Consider Cooke,
Sr., of Hardwick, deeded to Nathan Cooke, same place, the east corner
to Consider Cooke's farm, 9 acres, $380.00. Consider Cooke, in his
later years became partly blind. Miss Kate Cooke, quoting from people
who remembered him, reports that in his old age he would hail passing
caravans of pioneers seeking new homes, and would inquire of them,
"Are ye from Taunton?" This gave rise to the opinion that Consider
was born in Taunton, Massachusetts, but from records later found which practically establish his birthplace as Kingston, Mass., it seems more probable that his interest was for some other reason.
Consider Cooke died, in his seventy-fifth year, on April 20, 1819, and was buried in the Cooke section of the Marksboro Presbyterian
Cemetery, about three miles from his home where many others of his
generation, including some of his brothers, are buried. He was
probably one of the founders of the Marksboro Presbyterian Church in
1815. The inscription on his gravestone is as follows:
Sacred to the Memory of
CONSIDER COOKE, SR.
Who departed this life
April 20th, 1819
In the 75th year of his age
Consider Cooke died without a will as there is recorded at the Court
House at Newton, N. J., a partition deed, executed by his three
children on August 19, 1819, four months after his death, which
divides "certain lands tenements and hereditaments situate in the
county of Sufsex, which descended to the said Rebeckah Cooke, William
Cooke and Nathan Cooke by the death of their father intestate."
There is also recorded at the Court House an Inventory of Consider
Cooke, Sr., taken May 18, 1819, as follows:
Purse and apparel............$44.52 1/2
One Bond with interest.......537.31
___________
$581.83 1/2
House and farm equipment.....
____________
$972.69
Daniel Curlis and Isaac Reed, Seno. were Appraisers and Nathan Cooke,
Consider's younger son, was Administrator of the estate.
Children:
Rebecca Cooke b. 17-Aug-1771.
William Cooke b. 14-Nov-1773.
Nathan Cooke b. 13-Jun-1775.

The above information was contributed by Willson O'Connell .

Family Members
Parents
Elisha Cooke
1716–1799

Rebeckah Edgarton Cooke
1723–1766

Spouse
Photo
Sarah Bell Cooke
unknown–1820

Siblings
Experience Cooke Landon
1751–1799

Half Siblings
Photo
James Cooke
1772–1845

Children
Photo
Rebecca Cooke
1771–1863

Photo
William Cooke
1773–1850

Photo
Nathan Cooke
1775–1850

Created by: Rich H.
Added: 15 Dec 2005
Find A Grave Memorial 12685187
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/12685187/consider-cooke