L L COOK

WORSHIPFUL MASTER

SPRING HILL MASONIC LODGE

1860

 

Research has produced no L L Cook in Navarro County and is highly likely that the letters “ L L” could be in error.       The most likely Cook to have been an early Grand Master of the Spring Hill Lodge would have been Henry Cook who lived near Dresden.    The few known facts about him suggest that he was just such a man.

 

Henry Cook was a well respected member of the community, a large land owner, a successful land trader, and served as a Trustee of the Dresden Methodist Church along with Ethan Melton and Jacob Hartzel. Most of the early Grand Masters were mature men and Henry would have been fifty-nine in 1860.    He had served in a company of Texas Rangers once commanded by Sterling Clack Robertson.    Brit Dawson affirmed his identity when he applied for his Headright Certificate.    Robert Harve Matthews and Brit Dawson had, probably, served with him in the same Ranger Company mentioned above.

 

Henry & Mary Goodson Cook had migrated from Hines Co MS, to  TX in 1832 as members of Austin’s Colony.    However, the records indicate that Henry never made a choice of land there.     The fact that he served in a company of Texas Rangers once commanded by Sterling Clack Robertson would indicate that he had left the Austin Colony at some point and chose land in the Robertson Colony.   His land grants were filed in what became Milam, Williamson, Lee, and other counties filed out of Ft. Franklin in 1838, seat of The Robertson Colony.

 

 Henry & Mary Goodson Cook had married in Franklin Co MS in 1825.     Mary Goodson was born Wilkinson Co GA.   Henry Cook was born GA 1801, died Navarro Co 1883.

 

The Ranger Company formed by Sterling Clack Robertson was later commanded by Capt. Boales (Boyles, Boiles)   It was Colin Boales who signed that Henry Cook had served four months in 1836.  The document was required in order for Henry Cook to be issued a Headright Certificate in 1838.  Brit Dawson and Michael Boren affirmed his identity.

 

The name “Boyles” was found often in the records of Western Navarro Co. Texas. 

Colin  Boales was, likely,  the father of Daniel Boyles-Boiles who lived near Henry Cook in the Dresden area.     Malinda Boyles b. TN 1814 had married Albert Green Tadlock and lived in the Dresden-Blooming Grove area, a neighbor to Dresden.  Elizabeth Boyles married John Fullerton who enlisted in the CSA at Dresden in 1862.  Fannie Boyles married George A Fullerton in 1880, then James Macginnis Lee after 1913. 

 

He held title to more than 4,000 acres in Milam County by 188.   Other land deed were found in Williamson, Burleson, Leon, and Lee counties.  He was on the Robertson Co Tax List in 1845 and was, probably, living in the area that later became Navarro Co.   He was on the Tax Roll of Navarro Co in 1845 and recorded the first cattle brand issued by Navarro County.

 

Henry Cook served on the committee to maintain roads near Dresden.   Daniel Boyles-Boiles was Chairman.  Others included: John Carr, William Cook, James Cook, Hiram Parker, John Parker, and John Pevehouse.

 

Henry and Mary Goodson Cook  had nine children.  Their oldest child was William Goodson Cook, born 1829, who  married Cynthia Ann Nally in Navarro Co Texas. There was a daughter, Nancy, born in Mississippi.   Mary died about 1865 and was probably buried at Dresden.

 

Henry married Mrs. Effie Jane McPhaul Prosser and they had six children.   Henry was said to have had fifteen children by both wives.

 

One son, Thomas Cook , born about 1837, married Mary Pierce in Navarro Co TX in 1857.    Mary Pierce was a daughter of Lewis & Alsey Pierce.    Mary Pierce had a brother, Hugh Pierce     Thomas and Mary Pierce Cook had a daughter, Ella , who married John Scott, and a son, Thomas David Cook.   Ella was born 1858 and died 1939 at Frost, Texas.

 

Their daughter, Mary Ann Cook, was born 1832 in Hines Co MS and married John Gideon Jack Boiles in Navarro Co June 16, 1850.    Jack Boiles was born Pike Co MO.  A Malinda Boyles, born Tenn, married Albert Green Tadlock 1832, Perry Co AL and lived early at Spring Hill.

 

Another daughter, Elizabeth Cook, married W Ashley Sutherland in Navarro Co about 1860.  Their children were Frank and William Sutherland.  She married 2^nd  to Hugh Pierce, son of Lewis & Alsey Pierce.

 

Another son, George Washington Cook, born 1847, probably in Navarro Co., married Mary Scott and lived in the area of Frost, Texas. 

 

Sources:     Eleanor Frances CookWyrick and others.

 

The Cook Family, however, was in Western Navarro Co. Texas early.   Henry Cook had married Mary Polly Goodson in 1825 at Franklin Co. Mississippi and by 1832 they had moved to Texas.   The family settled at some point at Dresden and Mary Polly was buried there before 1870.  Henry married Effie Jane Prosser in 1870. 

 

Children of Henry and Mary Polly Goodson Cook.....

Nancy             b. 1824            m. Thomas J Tennery

William            b.  1829    m. Cynthia Ann Nalley  b. 1834 MO

            Their children:

            Mary Ann            b.c1856                                  m. Charles Rushing

                                                                                    m. Capt. Hayes

                                                                                    m. Henry Runnels

            Nancy             b. c1858

            John W        b. c1860

            Thos Jeff.     b. c1864  NavCo                        m. Mary Alice Molly Compton

            James H         b. c1866  NavCo

            Benj. F.         b. c1868  NavCo                        m. Annie Compton

            Chas Payton b. 1872            NavCo                        m.  1894 Amy Newman

            Cynthia          b. c1876  NavCo                        m. James B Shropshire

                                                                                    m. Robert Caldwell

            Walter C         b. 1879            Navco            

m. Hettie F

                        m. Jimmy Susan Akers - dau Charles Winchester Akers

                                    c1917            W M Cook   born Franklin TX

                                    c1920            John Charles            born Franklin TX

James             b.  MS            c1830

Mary Ann            b.  TX            c1832              m. John G Jack Boiles (Boyles)

Thomas            b.  TX            c1837              m. Mary Pierce

Rebecca            b.  TX            1839                m. John Milton Hines

Elizabeth            b.  TX  c1841              m. W Ashley Sutherland

                                                            m. Hugh Pierce

Sarah F            b.  TX            c1841

Geo. Wash            b.  TX            c1849              m. Mary Scott

 

Children of Henry and Effie Jane Prosser Cook...

Henry D            b.  TX            1871

Laney Ann            b. TX            1873                m. Ben H Slane

                                                            m. Geo B Myers

Archie B            b. TX            1875

Lauchlen D            b. TX            1877

Effie Jane            b. TX            1877

Sallie Mae            b. TX            1882

 

 

John R Cook was Grand Master of the New Market AL Lodge 1838

sons James Cook  and Isaac Cook buried at New Market

Many of the Cooks left for Jasper Co TX 1840-1850

 

Joseph Hawthorne m. Rejina Cook in Georgia & after her death he migrated to Jasper Co TX 1861

 

John B Cook 1828-1911   m. Martha Ann Kelly.....b. Perry Co AL Lived Jasper Co TX

Notes:

• Submitted by Carl W. Matthews - Dec 2004