2026 (6) Enoch Cook - Mary Foster - Cook Support the newborn American Cause

Enoch Cook was born in Newton MA  in 1744, He died in May 1827 in Westford, Mass. He settled in Groton for a time, about 1770. 
Enoch Cook married Mary Foster (1743-1789) on 21 Feb 1765   * [Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts] His wife Mary Foster was born in 1743, in Newton, Middlesex, MA. 

Genealogy of Fosters in Mass: Mary Foster & Enoch Cook's marriage 1765

(Captain) William Enoch Cook and Mary Foster
The family genealogy passed to Ruth Antilla has Enoch Cook as  >>“William”  Enoch Cook<<.  We can only speculate as to why, for in some of the records I found he is called “Enoch William Cook.” Most records have him as “Enoch Cook.” However, he had a son named “Enoch” – sometimes done to differentiate between father and son within the family.
Their children were: 
1   Lydia Cook 1765–1805
2    Samuel Cook 1767–1858
3   Mary Cook 1769–?
4    Enoch Cook 1771–1830
*5    John Cook 1774–1848
6   Lucy Cook 1777–?
7    Lucy Cook 1779–1840
 8   Sally Cook 1783–1865

American Revolutionary War Service in Massachusetts
Clearly Enoch Cook sided with the “rebel” or American cause in the colony of Massachusetts. He supported it with his ‘life, fortune and sacred honor’ as the following information suggests.
With the alarm on 19 Apr 1775 this company, raised in Groton and Pepperell, Mass, went immediately to Lexington.  
He was a soldier in the Revolutionary war and held the rank of Sergeant in the company of Capt. John Swatelle and the regiment of Col. James Prescott.
Enoch was also in Capt. Edmund Longley's Co., Col. Cogswell's regiment in 1778.  This regiment was on detached service to guard and fortify posts around Boston. 

Enoch Cook's burial information in Westford MA

After the Revolutionary War, the family history papers claim he was a leader in Shay’s Rebellion in western Massachusetts. But I found no records supporting this.

The Cook family owns a Revolutionary period British-flintlock gun?
The family papers of the Cooks (compiled in the late 1900s) mentions a gun from the Revolutionary war, and that it was still in the possession of one of the descendants of Enoch Cook. I searched to verify this but came up with nothing, until I found a newspaper article about a descendant.  A 1901 newspaper article titled “Five Generations of Cooks” says: 

"Abel Cook....was born in the town of Groton, Mass, May 24, 1807. …He is the _grandson of Enoch Cook, who served in the revolutionary war, was present at the surrender of Burgoyne's army and took from an English soldier a flint-lock gun, which is now in his grandson's possession." (where the gun is today, I have no idea)

 

Enoch Cook's Revolutionary War Loan to Massachusetts
The ending pledge of the Declaration of Independence from England famously says the signers committed their “lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor” to the cause. 
"Fortunes”  is there because, of course, when the colonies broke from England, they were separate from the mother country. Being "independent" by definition meant they lacked a direct supply of money to pay soldiers or for ammunition, etc.  

Now, there was no Washington DC, no central bank, no currency with anything behind it, no Federal Reserve, and there was no gold to back money. 

Wealthy men, such as Robert Morris Jr of New York was a signer of the Declaration and is considered a financier of the Revolutionary cause. Still, Congress and its colonies had in essence create a “GoFundMe” in each colony to support soldiers, ammo, etc. 

Massachusetts Continental Loan Office
In Oct 1776 to raise money the 2nd Continental Congress authorized a loan office (or Continental loan office) in each of the 13 colonies/states. These colonial offices would accept the loan from colonists (called “subscriptions”) in addition to handling financial matters for the national Treasury.  Each state had its own commissioner of loans, although the officials were technically agents of Congress.
Massachusetts Continental Loan Office issued loan certificates to both men and women. These loans from colonists were called “subscriptions” to a loan office. What was happening was they were contributing to the financing of the colonie's army, rather like War Bonds of WW2. 

Some had subscriptions for the army they served in. Enoch Cook was an officer but he also “subscribed” to the loan. All records of the subscriptions are recorded in loan office's records.
Below is the top of the ledger page Enoch Case's subscription is recorded on. In the yellow box are columns with name, date, number of certificates, certificate #s, and amount in dollars. In the top row I put the date in an orange box (all I can make out is) “1779.” In the pink box is the name of the subscriber; here it is Stephen Greenleaf. The purple box indicates how many certificates he 'subscribed" to: 1 certificate. The blue box next to it indicates Stephen's certificate number, which was 4956. On the right in the green box is the total amount of all certificates he subscribed (at 400 dollars each): he loaned the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 400 dollars (for 1 certificate).

Top of Ledger: Columns with Titles (Massachusetts)

Near the bottom of the ledger page is Enoch Cook's subscription. He too bought 1 certificate, the number was 5023 and loaning the Commonwealth 400 dollars.
 

Enoch Cook's purchase of a subscription on the same ledger page 1779

Discharged from Duty

New England, and Massachusetts in particular, had been so troublesome for such a long time, the British ceased their active military ventures in the colony early in the official war period. The Battle of Brooklyn, NY on Long Island was the first major engagement after the Declaration of Independence was signed July 1776. 

The British forces saved their men and might for the mid-Atlantic and southern colonies for the rest of the war. Enoch Cook was discharged from service in 1779. (Record below) 

Enoch Cook's enlistment and discharge paper (DAR online)

Death and Burial

His wife, Mary (Foster) Cook, died in Groton, Middlesex, MA. Enoch Cook died on 3 May 1827, at the age of 83, and was buried in Fairview Cemetery, Westford, Middlesex, MA


SOURCES:

Marriage record: Vital Records of Newton, Massachusetts, published by the New England Historic Genealogical Society, Boston, Mass, 1905 (Internet Archive)]

 5 Generations of Cooks: Text from "Five Generations of Cooks" published in the Boston Globe Newspaper, 28 Oct 1901, page 2. 

 

 Found in DAR records:

REVOLUTIONARY WAR MUSTER ROLLS, Microfilm Publication: M246; National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 93: War Department Collection of Revolutionary War Records, 1709-1939

AND

LEDGER RECORDS, Records of the Massachusetts Loan Office, 53.3.2; Microfilm Publications: M925, T783; National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 53: Records of the Bureau of Public Debt.

Website: Town of Westford Massachusetts, Military burials (town website) accessed Feb 2026 

Family Papers: Cook Family Genealogy (sent by Don F Cook to Ruth Antilla 1980)

2026 (5) James Cook- Lydia Fiske

 James Cook  - Lydia Fiske

 

James Cook, was son of Stephen Cook Jr and Hannah Fuller. He was born in Watertown Mass on 3 Mar 1714 and died in Newton Mass. His father left him a farm in Framingham, and he lived there after his marriage till 1747 when he returned to Newton, MA.

He married in Newton, MA, Lydia Fiske on 24 Nov 1737. 

Lydia was born Jul 1717 in Newton MA and died 9 March 1759 in Newton MA, leaving several young children. (*There are other Fisks and Cooks in Massachusetts and they have to be carefully separated from one another).

The couple had 10 Children (including *Enoch Cook). The first few children were born in Framingham, Ma and the final six in Newton, MA.

 The children of James and Lydia Fiske were: 
1) Jonathan 3 Dec 1738  
2) Lydia 22 Jan 1740 
3) Stephen 24 Jun 1741 
*4) Enoch  B 1744 (see next post)
5) Zebediah Fiske 26 Feb 1746 
6) Elizabeth 6 July 1748 married William Badlam of Sherborn. 
7) Mary 16 Jun 1750 died Nov 1750 
8) Rebecca 18 Jun 1753 married William Flagg 
9) Esther 4 May 1755 
10) James 8 Jan 1758 

James had his will drawn up in Westborough, Mass in 1774. The will was probate in 1776 Newton Mass in 1776. He died either 1755 or 1776. 

 Mentioned in his will is his wife Mary 
The living children mentioned are: 
1 SONS: Jonathan, Stephen, Enoch, Zebediah Fisk, James 2 DAUGHTERS: Lydia (Bond), Elizabeth, Rebeckah, Esther

3 Mystery children: The bulk of the estate is left to “son and daughter” often shorthand for an son-in-law or daughter-in-law I have not found: Peter and Hannah (possibly a child of a subsequent marriage).

Unsurprisingly, he married at least once (maybe twice) after Lydia died for she left him small children to rear. It is not clear if he had children later, but from reading his will, I suspect either Peter or Hannah was a child of that union.

The probate papers includes an inventory of his estate, in which he mentions his son Enoch Cook--an ancestor and subject of next post.

 

James Cook's Estate Inventory. It names his son Enoch (subject of next post)

Sources 

Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts : With A History of Worcester Society of Antiquity 4; Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925,Worcester Historical Museum

 

Probate Records 1648--1924 (Middlesex County, Massachusetts); Author: Massachusetts. Probate Court (Middlesex County) From Ancestry.com

Family Papers: Cook Family History ; Don F Cook sent to Ruth Antilla abt 1980.

2026 (4) Children of Stephen Cook (Jr) & Hannah Fuller

Stephen Cook Jr was the son of Stephen and Rebecca Flagg. They were the parents of James Cook.

Stephen was born Jan 1683 in Watertown MA and died 1760 in Watertown MA.

He married Hannah Fuller B 1682 in Cambridge Village (later, Newton), MA.  She died Apr 1772 in Watertown, MA. They had at least 8 children including James Cooke. 

Children of Stephen Cook (JR) & Hannah Fuller
*1 James
2 John 
3 Abigail
4 Susanna 
5 Hannah 
6 Mary m. Dix

His will was dated 14 Aug 1757.  His son James was given land adjoining his farm & Stephen's farm in Framingham, MA. He willed his son John Cook all lands, houses, and grist mill.
The rest of estate-real and personal-(egs follow in will).

Stephen Cook (Jr) Will 

Sources:
Family Search.org 
"Massachusetts, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1626-2001",
Ancestry. com 
The William Ward Genealogy: the History of the Descendants of William Ward of Sudbury, Mass, 1639-1925 
 

2026 (3) Stephen Cook & Rebecca Flagg - Son of Gregory Cook (Parents of Stephen Cook Jr)

STEPHEN COOK & REBECCA FLAGG - GEN 2 

Stephen Cook, son of Gregory Cook and Mary?, was born either in England about 1647 or in Cambridge, MA. He grew up in Cambridge, MA. 

As an adult he settled on the line between Watertown, MA and Newton, MA. Later in his life he moved back  to Cambridge, MA.  

In 1679 Stephen Cook married Rebecca Flagg, daughter of Thomas Flagg. 

They were admitted to the church of Rev Mr Bailey. Stephen became a Deacon of the church, an office held by prestigious members of the congregation.

They were the parents of at least many sons-- which allows for more "Cooks" of Massachusetts to be descended from.  

His wife Rebecca died 20 Jun 1721. Stephen died on 27 July 1738, in Newton, Middlesex, MA, at the age of 91. 

"Deacon" Stephen Cook's grave, Newton, Mass

 They are buried in East Parish Burying Ground, Newton, Middlesex, Massachusetts.

 Rebecca died 20 Jun 1721 and he died in Newton in 1738 at 91 years old. 
Their children were:
1) Mary 2 Dec 1681  bap Watertown 15 Apr 1688
*2) Stephen 9 Jan 1683
3) Isaac 28 Apr 1685
4) John 15 Mar 1686-87 - moved to Preston CT
5) James 23 Jan 1688-89
6) Samuel 3 Dec 1690 settled in Windham CT
7) Peter 10 Aug 1692 
8) Daniel who married in 1722 Mary Jackson (D. of Abraham Jackson)

Sources:

• Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts : With A History of Worcester Society of Antiquity 4; Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925,Worcester Historical Museum 
•  FindA Grave
•  Family Search.org

2026 (2) -Gregory Cook - Where the Cook Line Starts in New England

Gregory Cook - Earliest NE Cook - GEN 1 

From FamilySearch. org: 

Gregory Cooke was born in 1621, in Rattlesden, Suffolk, England. He married Mary White on 25 September 1645, in Suffolk, England. They immigrated and he died on 1 January 1691, in Watertown, Middlesex, Massachusetts, at the age of 70. (Summary edited)

Gregory Cook, born in England about 1625. He worked as a cordwainer or shoemaker. He came to Massachusetts about 1660 and settled in Cambridge MA.

Gregory married 1st Mary __      

She died 17 Aug 1681. 

He married 2nd Widow Susan Goodwin on 1 November 1681. (After his death she married Henry Spring).

 
The only known names of his children were Susanna Cook of Newton who died 13 Nov 1674, and Stephen Cook.

 

 In 1672 he bought the nearby Dummer farm, or 112 acres of it, adjoining his farm. 

In 1663 he bought land from Abraham Williams including a house on the highway from Watertown to Roxbury, near Edward Jackson Sr and near what is now Newton Centre near the Watertown line. While Cook's house was torn down in 1823, but it was handed down to his son Stephen who likely lived in it.

Gregory was a prominent man in public life. He was a constable in Cambridge Village in 1667, selectman of Mendon 1669 to 1670, and proprietor of 40 acres of land there. 

 

But he did not remain there long. He was a selectman of Watertown in 1673-1678-1679-1681-1684. He was on a coroner's jury in Watertown June 15, 1674. He died January 1, 1691.
 

His son Stephen administered the estate, the inventory gave the value of the estate as one hundred and ninety-one pounds.

Source 
Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Worcester County, Massachusetts : With A History of Worcester Society of Antiquity 4; Author: Crane, Ellery Bicknell, 1836-1925,Worcester Historical Museum