Chat
|
Daily Search
|
My GenForum
|
Community Standards
|
Terms of Service
|
|
|
CROOKs of NY (circa 1840's), Wisc., Minnesota (Pipestone, circa 1890)
WE have learned a bit more about Wm. Crook's possible parents, Patrick & Ellen Crook of Elba Township, Dodge Co., Wisc.
Here is some information that is being checked and has good potential to be correct. We are grateful to those, including the researcher in Dodge Co., who ran across this information and kindly shared it with us. We believe that there is also a close relationship between John Crook of Elba and Wm. or his parents and are seeking more details. Some of the Crook surname spellings included "Crooke".
Here's more information:
This William Crook appears in Elba, Dodge Co., WI, in 1850.
786 Patrick Crooke 38 Ire farmer
Catherine 37 Ire
Richard 15 Ire
William 11 NY
Henry 9 NY
Catherine 7 NY
It is believed he is the same William Crook because of a notice in the Columbus Democrat for Feb. 24, 1905. It says, “William Crooke of Pipestone, Minn. & Michael Traynor of Columbus [Columbia County, Wisconsin] were callers in York.” York is an adjoining township to Elba [Dodge County, Wisconsin]. Michael Traynor was a neighbor of the Crooks when they lived in Elba.
There were these Crook homesteads in Elba:
CROOK, JAMES Section, 12 Township 3 N Range 9 E, 0 acres, Land Office (Milwaukee) 09 Document 35237, signed 1852/08/02
CROOK, JAMES, Section 12, T 3 N, R 9 E, 80 Acres, 09, Doc 35237, signed 1852/08/02
CROOK, JOHN, Section 24, T 3 N, R 9 E, 40 Acres, 09, Doc 26345, signed 1848/09/01
As for the birthplace, there is a Patrick Crook in the 1840 census for Chesterfield, Essex County, New York. This is right across the lake from Burlington, VT. It is possible that the Crooks came to Canada and entered the United States through Lake Champlain. Ogdensburg was a common entrance for Irish immigrants from Canada. They may have stopped in Burlington, Vt while William was born and then moved across the Lake to New York. Many times people confused where they grew up with where they were born.
We believe the John Crook who also lived in Elba was a relative to Wm. We believe he was related because according to probate records William Crook contested the will of John Crook. Another piece of evidence would be the will of Ellen Crook, John’s wife, who died five years later. She left everything to her own nieces and nephews and to the nuns in Milwaukee. There may be more specific information in the will of John Crook. You could probably get copies from the probate court of Dodge County in Juneau, WI.
According to the 1880 Dodge County History, John Crook was born in County Dublin about 1825, He came to the United States in 1843 and lived in Essex County for five years. He came to Columbus (which is the nearest city to Elba) in 1848. He married Ellen Lavery of County Limerick.
This would make sense. He probably came to the US and stayed with his older brother in Essex County, NY, until they came to Wisconsin in 1848. Unfortunately, we cannot locate John in the census for 1850. John was a prominent farmer in the area, owning 160 acres. John died Dec. 15, 1889 and Ellen died Dec. 3, 1904. They had no children.
Of William’s siblings, the only one we know for sure about is Henry. Henry is buried in St. Columbkille’s cemetery in Elba. In the same plot, there is another Crook.
Crooke, Dr. P. age 27 years d. Jan. 16, 1851
Henry age 16 years d. Feb. 24, 1856
Its believed the Dr. P. Crooke is Patrick Crooke who was listed as 28 years old and a physician. He is living Milwaukee with another physician, David Mulloy, in the 1850 census. Patrick might have been another brother.
John and Patrick birth dates don’t jive with Patrick being 38 years old as reported in the 1850 census, but in later censuses, his birth date is reported as 1800 and 1790. Both of these dates would be consistent with sons born in 1823 and 1825.
Have found no clues about what happened to Catherine or Richard.
In 1857, Patrick Crook took out an ad in the Columbus Republican that said he would no longer be responsible for his son William and that William was on his own.
In 1860 Patrick was convicted of murdering his wife in their Elba farm home and was sentenced to life in prison. Patrick appears in the state penitentiary in Waupun in the census for 1860, 1870, and 1880. Catherine was probably buried in Elba, but there is no marker. If you want to read the account that appeared in the Columbus Republican you can read about it in Vincent’s Semi-Annual United States Register for 1860 which is available on the internet, page 121.
Concerning naturalization index for Patrick and John: There is no record for Patrick. John arrived in New York in June 1843. He was a minor under the age of 18 when he arrived according to the petition filed Oct. 31, 1850 in Dodge Co.
Death records: John's is there but it gives no parental information. There is no record for Patrick, even though he must have died in Dodge County since he was serving a life sentence in Waupun State Prison.
Again, I wish thank all those who have helped in the research over the last few years and offered perspectives from independent sources. We also welcome input and questions about the information furnished, as some of it may be disturbing descendants.
Notify Administrator about this message?
Followups:No followups yet |
| http://genforum.genealogy.com/vt/essex/messages/93.html | ||
 |
Link to GenForum Add Forum |
|