Sarah Cook

    Born in Kingsbury England on 23 February 1804,(1) Sarah accompanied her family to NSW on the "Alexander" in 1806.(2)
    Little is known of Sarah's childhood apart from her baptism with the other members of the family on 2 June 1816 at St Phillips Church, Sydney.(3) (A notation on the baptismal register informs us that an earlier baptism took place as well). Apart from this, Sarah's name appeared as a witness on the land transaction between her father, Thomas Clarkson and Edward Shakely in 1819,(4) but any further details of her younger years remain a mystery. It is obvious she must have spent time at Bunburry Curran, Airds, where her sister Catherine and her family were residing in Thomas's house. Her future husband, Michael Cook was an assigned convict in the employ of Thomas Rowley in the Airds district and perhaps this is where Sarah met him.   The other Michael Cook.
    Michael Cook was a convict who arrived in the colony aboard the "Larkins" in 1817 to serve a seven year sentence. His indent details describe him as being from Southhampton, Eng. 20 years of age, and at the time of his arrest as workinq as a farm boy. He was 5' 3" tall (or short), of ruddy complexion, flaxen haired, with hazel eyes (later, grey was added to the description of his eye colouring.)(5)
    Michael Cook was lucky to be alive; On 3 March 1817 he and William Augur had been found guilty of burglary and had been sentenced to hang. It was claimed they had entered a house at Andover, Eng, on 2 February and stolen 200 lb weight of cheese worth £3. A plea of clemency however, commuted their sentence and they were destined to be NSW colonials before the year was to end.(6)
    On his arrival in NSW Michael, along with others, was sent to Liverpool for general distribution.(7) He became assigned to Thomas Rowley in December(8) (the same month of his arrival) and he received his Ticket of Leave the very next year.(9) It would seem he worked for Rowley until August 1822 -- the same month and year that Thomas Clarkson sold his Bunburry Curran estate to Daniel Cooper. Leaving Rowley's employ, Michael became assigned to Reverend Riddell (as was William Augur) at Liverpool.(10)
    In 1823 Michael Cook applied for a pardon. His application was accompanied by a character reference from Rowley and Riddell. Both acknowledged that he was an "honest sober and industrious character" and had served Rowley faithfully for 5 years.(11)
    Twins were born to Michael Cook and Sarah Clarkson on 16 May 1822 but the young couple were not to marry until after Sarah's father's death in 1824. The two little girls were named Martha and Charlotte and were christened with Elizabeth Rowley at St Phillip's Church, Sydney on 14 January 1827.(12)
    Michael and Sarah were married at Saint Luke's Church, Liverpool on 9 August 1824.(13) That same year Michael received his Certificate of Freedom.(14) Ironically, this was granted just days before Thomas Clarkson died.
    The Cooks (or Cookes) were resident in Minto (Airds) after their marriage. The muster taken in 1825 lists them as being there with their family, Martha and Charlotte aged 4 and little Thomas Clarkson Cook, born in March 1825 and proudly named after the grandfather he'd never see.(15) & (16)
    In July 1825 accusations were laid against Michael Cook which cast a shadow on his honest and sober reputation. Robert Townson, a landholder at Bunburry Curran, wrote to the Colonial Secretary complaining that Michael, together with some of Townson's own convicts, was stealing items from him. This, he claimed was making it almost impossible for him to continue his business of farming. Upon Townson's return from a recent trip to Sydney, he discovered 1500 lbs of flour had been stolen from his grainery. He expressed the belief that Michael Cook was involved….   
My suspicions fall upon my convict servant Thomas Jacobs, a very bad man, and a little settler or farmer (only x I believe a Ticket of Leave man) called Michael Cook, and the stolen property, as he keeps a cart, is I  suppose carried to Sydney and very likely to his mother in law Mrs Clarkson, Baker, Hunter Street. She was, not long ago sentenced to the Coal River (Newcastle) as a receiver.(17)
    A notation in the side column, referring to the x says simply "doubtful"; Townson's accusations were obviously viewed quite critically, by the officials of the day. The letter from Townson also stated that one Samuel Newman, late a servant of Townson's lived with Cook and that "until I can break up this conspiracy I shall never be safe". He went on to say that one of the constables would be able to tell them where....
this Cooke puts up his cart. Cooke was Convict servant to Clarkson and then married one of the daughters, was guilty of robbing their house of porks which I found upon my Jacobs… (18)
    Early in 1826 Michael Cook applied for a licence to vend spirits. On hearing of this, Robert Townson again wrote to the Colonial Secretary, objecting to the granting of such, on the grounds that Cook's place was a haven for rogues who caroused well on into the night. He claimed the house "has long been known for the clandestine traffic in spirits". At the time of this letter being penned, Michael Cook was facing charges of vending without a licence at the Court in Campbelltown.(19) The official outcome of these charges are unknown.
    In April 1826 Michael sold all his household goods and farming possessions to his "infamous" mother in law Catherine Clarkson, and it would seem that it was at this time that the family were preparing to move to Lane Cove.(20) In any case they were there in 1828 when the census of that year was taken and by then their family had increased to five children.    Image of Bill of Sale
    Residing with the Cooks in 1828 were Mary Ann Ansell and Samuel Newman. Mary Ann aged 55 years (in 1828) had arrived free in 1806 on the "Fortune" which had accompanied the "Alexander" as far as Rio where the latter remained for repairs, whilst the "Fortune" and Bligh's ships continued on their way to NSW. Samuel Newman, aged 28 years (in 1828) was freed by servitude and was Michael's old friend from his Liverpool days.(21)
    Michael Ansell (relationship to Mary Ann unknown but by age alone could have been a son) was residing on the portion of land which Samuel Midgelly had been granted and which adjoined the Cook's land, the boundary being the centre of what was to become known as "Fidden's Wharf Road".(22)
    In 1831 Michael Cook tried to purchase a section of land on the banks of the Lane Cove River, not far from his own property at Fidden's Farm. (23) The land was of 10 acres and was near Cook's Wharf. Although the survey map indicates Cook was an applicant for the land, after a lengthy period of applying and corresponding with the new Government Officials, he was to lose the land to Thomas Hyndes.(24)
Image - Parish Map Hunters Hill.      Image Lane Cove Map 1835
    In 1836 tragedy struck the family. One of the twins, Martha, seduced and made pregnant by a neighbour, Robert McIntosh, died just days before her 14th birthday. Michael Cook sued him, and received £50 in damages.(25)
    Michael Cook died in 1853 aged 55 years, leaving his wife and a large family to fend for themselves.(26) It would appear that the majority of the children remained in the Lane Cove area until their father's death but after that they began to disperse. The older ones were of marrying age and went off to make lives of their own. The North Coast was to beckon a number of them.
    In 1863 Sarah Cook made application to bring her property under the Real Property Act and received the Certificate of Title to her land.(27)    Image of Certificate of Title
    Situate on the corner of Lane Cove Road and Fidden's Wharf Road the land comprised the grants of Joseph Fidden and William Wilson, totalling 90 acres in all. In 1872 Sarah sold two portions -- one of 10 acres to Mrs Jane Baker and the other of 20 acres to Robert Baker.(28)
    In 1865 Sarah was joined by her brother, Mountford, whose son, Thomas Frederick had purchased the adjoining grant from Sarah Flood, the widow of Thomas Flood.(29) Thomas made the land over to his father and thus Sarah and Mountford were to find themselves neighbours.
    When Sarah Cook died in 1877, she left all she had to her sons, and her daughter Pricilla.(30) Three portions of the land containing (after survey) 10 acres, 2 rods, 4 & 3/4 perches; 9 acres, 3 rods, 10 & 1/4 perches and 10 acres, 3 rods, 28 & 1/4 perches were given to Thomas Clarkson Cook, Mountford Cook and William Cook.(31) Mountford and William were resident in Gosford at the time of their mother's death, whilst Thomas was further North at Nambucca Heads.
    Another portion of the land containing 19 acres, 2 rods, 27 & 1/2 perches was left to Charles(32) and 16 acres 2 rods and 39 and 1/4 perches was to become John's.(33) James had predeceased his mother as had Martha, Catherine, Ann and Sarah and little Rebecca.(34)
    Sarah's Will was executed by John McKeon, who immediately had the land surveyed. This map shows the land in great detail, indicating son John's house and orchard, which was 1 acre outside the boundary and gives credit to the adjoining allotment of Mountford Clarkson.(35)    Image of Map
    John's homestead is the only dwelling (apart from a hut) to be included on the map so this could well have been the original family home.
    Thomas Clarkson Cook, Mountford Cook and William Cook, immediately sold their portions,(36) (Mountford's sale supposedly financed the bullock team he transported to the Nambucca to haul logs). John sold his portion (part of Wilson's original grant) in 1884.(37) The portion left to Charles was the only one left in the family and it was sold piece by piece until in 1945, his daughter, Sarah Rayson Jane Cook (spinster) and Minnie Violet Holmes sold the last piece.(38)
    Sarah and Michael Cook are buried at Saint Thomas' Church of England Cemetery at St. Leonards, Sydney, together with their son, James aged 47 and his family; wife, Mary Ann, died 1904 aged 73 and daughter Charlotte Ann Wheeler died 1912 aged 43.(39)
     Image - Sarah Clarkson/Cook Pedigree Chart

THE OTHER MICHAEL COOK.

On board the "Larkins" in 1817 was another Michael Cook.(40) This Michael Cook had been convicted at the Surrey Assizes on 27 March 1817 and received a life sentence.(41) The exact nature of his crime is unknown to us at this time. He was a 40 year old painter and glazier, he was 5' 3" tall with a dark sallow complexion, brown eyes and brown hair, greying in parts.(42)
On his arrival, he was assigned to Mr Wilkinson at Parramatta, (43) and in 1819 he married Mary Mullett,(44) a convict who arrived on the "Lady Melville'' in 1817.(45) They do not appear to have had any children.
In 1821 this Michael Cook petitioned for a mitigation of his sentence(46) but was not to receive his freedom until 1825.(47) In 1823 he purchased 49 rods of land in Fennell Street, Parramatta, land which had formerly been granted to J. Walton.(48) In 1828 Michael Cook and his wife, aged 47 and 32 years respectively were still residing in Parramatta.(49)
Michael Cook died in 1838.(50)

 Page last updated -  7 July  2006