Sarah Cook

DAR# A025455

Biography

Sarah Simpson was born on a remote Pennsylvania farm in 1743 to Irish immigrants Samuel Simpson and Rebecca Consort. She was raised on a farm that was so remote from town that the children, including Sarah, received only a limited education and most of that at home, since the few months of winter school barely sufficed to instill the rudiments.

She married William Cooke in 1762 in Paxtang, PA. The Cookes were close family friends with a common Irish history. The new couple quickly started a family that was eventually 9 children, starting with Elizabeth in 1764 and ending with William Jr in 1787. Around 1767 the family relocated to Northumberland Co. based on the birth places of the children.

Sarah Simpson Cooke was a patriot who opened her home as a hospital for wounded (Revolutionary) soldiers and for the needy. A couple of articles have been published on her activities.

She and the family are recorded in the first US census, 1790, in Northumberland Co, and again in 1800 and 1820 in same county.

Her son John was a Captain in the 4th Sub-Legion of the United States Army, serving with a Northumberland company that fought the Indians in the Northwest Territory.

The other children were Mary and Jane, who married, respectively, Robert and William P. Brady, sons of Captain John Brady; Rebecca, who became the wife of William Stedman; Elizabeth, who married Thomas Martin, and Sarah, who became the wife of William McClelland, and later of Judge Samuel Harris, of Lycoming County. William Cooke, the other son, married Martha Lemmon, daughter of James Lemmon.

Sarah Cooke died in 1822 in Northumberland County. She was first buried in old cemetery of Northumberland, PA but later moved to modern Riverside cemetery on 7th Street in Riverview Cemetery in Northumberland, Northumberland Co., PA. where the headstones still stand. Charles Cooke IV, had the stones replaced and rededicated in 2000. We have courtesy of Chs Cooke IV a court filing with the disposition of her estate, filed 20 Nov 1824, written 5 Oct 1822. And an inventory taken 2 Aug 1822.

References

• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Dec 8 2020, 4:40:02 UTC
• Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 3 2024, 22:16:04 UTC