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.