Identifying the Parents of William Clifford Cook

The following is an outline of my research and logic used in identifying the couple I believe is the parents of Wm Clifford Cook. I've been meaning to get this out there somewhere other than my Ancestry tree so that others could see why I have drawn the conclusion that I have.

Discovery of William Clifford Cook's Mother: Elizabeth Harrison Cook

The research to determine the parents of William Clifford Cook, who was born in North Carolina in 1811 and lived much of his life in northwestern Bedford County, Tennessee, began by establishing his location and identifying his potential mother in 1830. The initial phase of the research focused on determining where William Clifford Cook lived around the year 1830 as that was the earliest time period for which I could identify him.

1. Locating William Clifford Cook in 1830: Information from the Williams vs. Putman TN State Supreme Court Case (1829-1832) established that William Clifford Cook had sworn testimony for the defense and appeared to have spent a good bit of time around Zephaniah Anglin which might suggest that they lived in the same neighborhood.

2. Finding the Cook Household: A review of the 1830 Bedford County, TN, census in that neighborhood revealed a Cook household led by Elizabeth Cook. This household contained a male of the correct age group to be William Clifford Cook.

3. Identifying the Harrison Connection: Elizabeth Cook was living near the Harrison and McClain families. Crucially, the household immediately following hers was that of William Harrison (husband of Elvira Cooper Harrison).

4. Confirming Elizabeth's Identity: William Harrison was a Revolutionary War soldier who had moved from Franklin County, NC, to Bedford County, TN, had a daughter named Elizabeth, born around 1788. This daughter would have been approximately 42 years old, which matched the 40-50 age bracket of the older female in the household of Elizabeth Cook in the 1830 census.

5. Supporting Kinship Evidence: Further research noted that in 1840 Dyer County, Tennessee, William Clifford Cook(surname misspelled as Kook) was enumerated near a J B Harrison. If Elizabeth Cook was indeed the daughter of William & Elvira Harrison, this J B Harrison would have been William Clifford Cook's maternal uncle. Noah Putman(brother in law of William Clifford Cook) was also a neighbor in that 1840 Dyer County, Tennessee Census

6. Conclusion on Mother: Based on proximity, age match, and family continuity between North Carolina and Tennessee, Elizabeth Cook is strongly presumed to be Elizabeth Harrison, William Clifford Cook’s mother.

Evidence Pointing to William Pope Cook as the Presumed Father

With the likely maiden name of William Clifford Cook's mother identified as Harrison, the research logically shifted to Franklin County, North Carolina, where the Harrison family originated.

1. The Franklin County Marriage Record: A check of Franklin County, North Carolina  marriage records revealed a marriage on August 13, 1806, between a William Pope Cook and a Betsey Harrison. Betsey is a common nickname for women with the given name Elizabeth.

2. William P. Cook's NC Presence: Tax lists confirm that a William P Cook paid tax in Franklin County, NC, from 1807 to 1810.

3. Migration and War of 1812 Service: The unique name and timeline allowed for tracking this individual into Tennessee:

• A William P Cook enlisted in November 1814 in Metcalfe’s 1st Reg’t West TN Militia (War of 1812 serving under Capt Patterson) from Bedford County, Tennessee. William Pope Cook’s service records in the militia show that he was part of the division under Major General William Carroll's at New Orleans.
• Upon discharge in May 1815, he granted Power of Attorney to Joel Childress of Rutherford County, TN. Rutherford County is near northern Bedford County, where the Harrisons resided.
• He witnessed a deed in Rutherford Co, TN, in July 1816.  
• By 1820, William P Cook was enumerated with his family in Maury County, TN.

4. The Absence of the Father: The last known record of William P. Cook is a transaction involving the sale of an enslaved man named Lewis in Maury County, TN, in 1821. Since Elizabeth Cook was listed as the head of household in Bedford County, TN, by 1830, William P. Cook is presumed to have died or left the family sometime between 1821 and 1830. No will or probate records for William Pope Cook were found in Maury or Rutherford Counties.  Any will or probate file that existed prior to 1863 in Bedford County Tennessee was likely lost in the courthouse fire.

The Role of DNA Evidence

The circumstantial evidence establishing the "identity merge" of William P. Cook from NC to TN through the Harrison family is strongly reinforced by DNA evidence.

1. Paternal Lineage (Y DNA): Y DNA testing of a direct male descendant of William Clifford Cook connects him to a group of Cook men who descend from Shem Cooke (1722-1796) of Granville County, NC. This can be seen up to Y111.  Although William Clifford Cook's descendant's test is a Y700 marker we do not have an identified descendant of Shem Cooke who has tested at that level.  If we could get one or more direct male descendants of Shem Cooke to upgrade or test the the BigY level that would greatly help to solidify the connection further. Significantly, the historical research seems to indicate that William Pope Cook is the son of William Cook, who was a son of Shem Cooke, thereby placing William Pope Cook  in the correct paternal line.

2. Maternal Lineage (Autosomal DNA): Autosomal DNA evidence shows kinship between William Clifford Cook's descendants and the Harrison and Cooper families, which supports the conclusion that William Clifford Cook’s mother was indeed Elizabeth Harrison, as this connection cannot be explained through any other family lines.  

About Joseph S Cook:  Addressing the long standing assumption that William Clifford Cook's father was Joseph S Cook:   For many years the only clue early researchers had to someone kin to William Clifford Cook was that he was appointed admin of the estate of Joseph S Cook in the fall of 1838 in Williamson County Tennessee.  Many took this to mean that Joseph S Cook was his father.  Current evidence doesn’t seem to support that.  Joseph S Cook himself is a mystery as his probate file gets combined with another Joseph Cook(Davidson Co/Williamson Co) who dies in 1840. All we can take from William Clifford Cook’s involvement in Joseph S Cook’s probate is that he did know him in some way, most likely kin thru his father's side of the family. 

The sources present a highly compelling and circumstantially strong case that William Pope Cook of Franklin County, North Carolina (who married Betsey Harrison), is the same individual who moved to Tennessee and is the father of William Clifford Cook. This evidence forms a continuous chain linking  spouse, Elizabeth/Betsey Harrison, and the continuous movement from NC (1806-1810) to TN (1814-1830) via the migratory path of the Harrison family. 

I feel fairly confident given the current sources that the evidence points to the parents of William Clifford Cook(b. 1811 d. 1882)  likely being William Pope Cook and Elizabeth Harrison who were married in Franklin County, North Carolina on August 13th of 1806 and who moved to Bedford County Tennessee.

Sources:

"United States Census, 1830," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYY2-SVHP?i=166 : accessed 30 January 2023), Tennessee > Bedford > Not Stated > image 167 of 282, Household of Elizabeth Cook; citing NARA microfilm publication M19, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).

"United States Census, 1840," database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:2:1TGQ-9RH : accessed 30 January 2023), Household of Wm C Kook, Dyer, Tennessee, United States; citing p. 104, NARA microfilm publication M704 , (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration.), roll 521-522; FHL microfilm 24,544.

"North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSHB-W9GK-4?cc=1726957 : 28 November 2018), > image 1 of 1, Marriage Record of William Pope Cook to Betsey Harrison, 13 August 1806 in Franklin County NC; North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History.

Williams vs. Putman, Tennessee State Supreme Court Case Middle District Ordered from TN State Library & Archives via https://supreme-court-cases.tennsos.org/ Delivery(Jan 2, 2019) via email of scanned digital images(PDF) 41 pages. (Location at TSLA Range: 33 Section: A Shelf: 2 Box Number: 375)

Maury County Tennessee Court Minutes, Vol 6, Monday 20 January 1823, Wm P Cook to James Hardison, negro man named Lewis; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKX-VQ4B-9 accessed: 14 April 2025) IGN 8151023, Image 788 of 830.

Maury County Tennessee Deeds, Deed Book, Vol K, p 98, William P Cook to James Hardison a negro man named Lewis, 24 February 1823; image, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CS4F-XG2K : accessed 14 April 2025), IGN 7896936, Image 377 of 558.

1810 US Federal Census, Franklin County, North Carolina, p 792 , William P Cook; Database with Images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9YB4-S6X : accessed 4 November 2025) IGN 5157130, Image 163 of 718.

1820 US Federal Census, Maury County, Tennessee, p 99, William P Cook; Database with Images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYB9-SKSQ : accessed 14 April 2025), IGN 5156987 , Image 74 of 242.

Revolutionary War Pension Application File W463, Elvira Harrison, widow of William Harrison (NC service); imaged, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9XY-YY8Q : accessed 20 April 2025), IGN 7584164, image 404 of 1123.

Bradley, Stephen E. 1990. Franklin County, North Carolina Tax Lists, 1785-1810. Keysville, Va.: S.E. Bradley.

"Estate of Jos. S. Cook, Dec.", The Weekly Review (Franklin, Tenn), June 14 1839, Vol 8 No 51 p 3(unnumbered) c 6; FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSKW-5H9L-V : accessed 6 January 2025), IGN 8141796, Image 49 of 640.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This was the summary of the notes provided by Google Gemini about my research: (a bit wordy and over dramatic IMO)

**The discovery of William Clifford Cook's parents can be logically viewed as finding a key piece (Elizabeth Cook) that unlocks a safe (William Clifford Cook’s identity). First, her location next to her known Harrison parents establishes her maiden name and links the family to Franklin County, North Carolina. Then, searching North Carolina  records based on that maiden name reveals the identity of the father, William Pope Cook, whose movements subsequently align perfectly with the Harrison family's migration path to Tennessee, culminating in the genetic confirmation that William Clifford Cook belongs to the established lineage of William Pope Cook.

Disclaimer:  I used NotebookLM with my notes on my research of the parents of William Clifford Cook to pull together the outline.  I also asked it for a summary.  See it's response noted above(**) If any researchers have additional evidence or conflicting evidence please contact me. I want to be thorough and consider all sources.

Compiled Service Record-William P Cook 1st Reg't (Metcalfe's) TN Militia War of 1812

In a blog post last month, I mentioned that I had ordered the compiled service record for William P Cook 1st Reg't (Metcalfe's) West TN Militia.  That ordered arrived today

Cook William P 1st Regiment (Metcalfe's) West Tennessee Militia.
War of 1812 Private(in) Private(out)
Card Numbers
38479190
        9277
----------Company Muster Roll----------

William P Cook
Pvt Captain Andrew Patterson's Co. of
Inf., 1 Reg't Tennessee Militia.
War of 1812

Appears on
Company Muster Roll
for Nov 13 1814 when mustered

into service, to May 13 1815

Roll dated
May 14, 1815

Date of Appointment or enlistment, Nov 13 1814.
To what time engaged or enlisted May 13, 1815
Present or absent, Present

L Baker Copyist

---------Company Pay Roll-----------

C 1 Metcalfe's W. Tenn. Militia.
William P Cook
Pvt Captain Andrew Patterson's Co. of
Inf., 1 Reg't Tennessee Militia.
War of 1812

Appears on
Company Pay Roll
for Nov 13 1814 to May 13 1815
Roll Dated May 13 1815
Commencement of service or of this settlement Nov 13 1814
Expiration of service or of this settlement May 13 1815
Term of service charged, 6 months, ____ days
Pay per month, 8 dollars, ____ cents
Amount of pay 48 dollars, ____ cents

Signer's name ____________
Remarks ____________________

L Baker Copyist

--------------------

Other documents included:

Power of Attorney--Joel Childress of Ruther(ford) County TN had power of attorney for William P Cook signed on 29 Aug of 1815.  Joel Childress is the father-in-law of James Knox Polk.

Discharge Certificate--William was honorably discharged 

Transcription of Discharge Certificate

I certify that William P Cooke, a Private
in my Division of Tennessee Militia, has performed a tour of duty of six months, ____day in the service of the United States--that his good conduct, subordination and valor, under the most trying hardships, entitle him to the gratitude of his county; and he is hereby honorably discharged

Wm Carroll
Major General 2d Division Tennessee Militia.

Source:

Compiled military service record, William P Cook(Pvt.), 1st Regiment(Metcalfe's)West TN Militia, War of 1812, RG 94: NARA-Washington.

More documents about Wm P Cook of 1st Reg't Metcalfe West TN War of 1812

Contacted the Tennessee State Library and Archives(TSLA) earlier this month, inquiring about the 1st Regiment (Metcalfe) West Tennessee Militia.  A William P Cook served with this regiment during the War of 1812 according to a service index card that I found on Fold3.com.  This particular regiment, according to the TSLA page, was made up of men mostly from Davidson, Bedford, Franklin, Lincoln, Maury, Warren, and Giles Counties.  The archives have War of 1812 Muster Rolls on microfilm(MF 1459--2 rolls). Metcalfe's Regiment under Andrew Patterson is on Vol. 6, p 133-136.  I was able to get copies of those images.  There was a muster roll and several payroll listings.   I have an order in at one of the document retrieval services I use for service records, which I hope will have some additional information.

Andrew Patterson is buried in the Swanson Cemetery in Marshall County, TN. Some of my Cook family are also buried there.

Ledger page from MF1459 roll 2

I also have more books ordered to add to my collection about the War of 1812. 😀

Sources:

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/7081834/andrew-patterson: accessed July 19, 2025), memorial page for Capt Andrew Patterson (25 Mar 1770–7 May 1849), Find a Grave Memorial ID 7081834, citing Swanson Cemetery, Chapel Hill, Marshall County, Tennessee, USA.

War of 1812 Muster Rolls, Microfilm, Roll 1459(roll 2),  TN State Library & Archives, Nashville, TN; Rolls of 1st Reg't Metcalfe- under Capt Andrew Patterson,  William P. Cook. [The rolls are arranged alphabetically by the name of the colonel for each regiment and further broken down under the name of the captain of each company.]

Bounty Land Warrant # 37922--Nancy Culverhouse

The Land Entry Case File 
Warrant # 37922 by Act of Sept 1850  to Nancy Culverhouse widow on service
of John Height Pvt in Capt Paces Co 2nd Reg Tenn Vols
War of 1812 

Nancy Culverhouse Assigned to Wm G Hight

Wm G Hight Assigned to Jacob Idleman

Jacob Idleman entered the claim at the 

Vandalia Ills office on 80 acres in Fayette Co. Illinois

Record Group 49

Records of Bureau of Land Management

National Archives, Washington, DC.

Document Retrieval by Gopher Records

37922
Act of Sept 1850

Nancy Culverhouse widow
of John Height Pvt Capt Paris Co 2nd Reg Tenn Vols
War of 1812

Jacob Idleman Asg
Vandalia Ills 80 acres

5th May 1853
Reg 7 Aug /55

11 April 1852

For value received I Nancy Culverhouse to whom the within
warrant No 45.922 was issued do hereby sell and assignee unto William
G Hight of Bedford County Tennessee and to his heirs and
assigns forever the said warrant and authorizes him to locate the same
and receive a patent therefor. Witness my hand and seal this 4th
day of June 1852
Nancy Culverhouse(her mark and seal)
Attest
C S Dudley
R B Rucker

4th June 1852 Justice of Peace James Foster
7th June 1852 John H Oneal Clerk of Bedford Co TN
verifies the return by the JP and applies the seal

17th June 1852 Wm G Hight sells & assigns to Jacob Idleman
of Fayette Co IL

Attest
Ro G Smiley
D F Wilkin

17th June 1852 in Davidson Co TN by Justice of Peace Robert W Greene
F R Cheatham certifies and seals the assignment also on 17th June 1852

Nancy Harger Jakes Applies for Bounty Land

James Jakes 1788–1847
BIRTH 10 FEB 1788 • Franklin Co., Virginia, USA
DEATH 05 SEP 1847 • Bedford Co., Tennessee, USA
My 3rd great-grandfather, James Jakes married Nancy Harger on 29 MAY 1806 in Franklin Co., Virginia, USA  They have one unknown F under 10 in household during 1810 census In which they are in Franklin Co VA near John Jakes--James’ father. Their son George Jakes was my 2nd great Grandfather and was born in 1820 in Franklin Co VA. I do not have the census for them that year(1820.) The family was in Bedford Co TN by the time of son James Jakes’ birth in 1825 and the remainder of their children were born in TN. There are a good bit of descendants from John Jakes son of James & Nancy Harger Jakes so more work has been done on his line.

I had no idea that James served in the War of 1812. I just happened to do a search on the surname Jakes at the BLM site and found the listing below.  I would recommend checking the BLM GLO site to see if any of your ancestors applied for and received a warrant but opted to sell it.  

Looking at the individual entries it appears that James serviced under Capt Jones in the Virginia Militia during the War of 1812. Nancy filed for bounty land under the 1850 Act as well as the 1855 Act and sold the warrants as many did. I have copies of the Land Entry Case Files. I placed an order for Nancy's Bounty Land Applications but the Archives couldn't locate it and feel like it is either lost or misfiled. Many times the Bounty Land Applications are placed in with the pension files but with neither James nor Nancy applying for a pension that did not happen in this case.

Bounty Land under the 1850 Act:

Transcription From back of Warrant:

For Value Received I Nancy Jakes widow of James

Jakes to whom the within Warrant No(blank) was issued

do hereby sell and assign unto William C Davis & George Trumbull of

St Clair County Illinois to his heirs and assigns forever

the said warrant and authorise him to locate the same 

and receive a patent therefore.  Witness my hand

and seal this May 32st 1853.  Nancy (Her x Mark) Jakes Seal

Attest

Francis H Ragsdale

B. L. Chadwick

State of Tennessee Coffee County

On this 21st of May 1853 personally appeared Nancy

Jakes to me well known and acknowledged the foregoing

assignment to be her act and deed and I certify that the

said Nancy Jakes is the identical person to whom the

within issued and who executed the foregoing assignments thereof.

J A Brantley J P

State of Tennessee

Coffee County

I  A.M. Short Clerk of the County Court 

for said county certify that James A Brantley

Esqr whose genuine signature appears to the above certificate

is and was at the time of executing the same an acting Justice of

the peace in and for said county duly commissioned and

qualified and that full faith and credit is due to all his

official acts as such.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set

my hand and affixed my seal of office

at Manchester this 23rd day of May

1853     A M Short Clerk

Bounty Land Under the 1855 Act: 

Transcription from Back of Warrant

For Value Received I Nancy Jakes to whom the within Warrant

No 57991 was issued do hereby sell and assign unto Silas O Kellogg

of Steele County Minnesota Territory and to his heirs and assigns forever

the said warrant and authorise him to locate the same and

receive a patent therefor.

Witness my hand and seal this fifth day of Aprile 1856

Nancy (her x  mark) Jakes Seal

Attest

T. B. Martin

John Jakes

State of Tennessee County of Bedford

On this the fifth day of April in the year Eighteen

hundred and fifty six before me personally came Nancy

Jakes to me will known and acknowledge the foregoing assignment

to be her act and deed and I certify that the said Nancy Jakes

is the identical person to whom the within warrant issued and

who executed the foregoing assignment thereof 

Alexander Lee JP

State of Tennessee

County of Bedford

I J H. Thompson clerk of the county court

of the county and state aforesaid do hereby

certify that Alexander Lee Esq whose genuine signature appeared to the

foregoing certificate of acknowledgment is and was at the time of so

doing an acting justice of the peace within and for the county and

state aforesaid duly elected and commissioned and qualified and that full 

faith and credit is due all his acts as such.

In Testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand and affixed

the seal of my office as clerk aforesaid this eighth day of 

April AD Eighteen Hundred and fifty six   J H Thompson Clk

Sources:  

Nancy Jakes, widow of James Jakes(Priv., Capt Jones Company, Virginia Militia, War of 1812), bounty land Warrant file # 63701(Act of 1850 40 acres); Land Entry Case File; Record Group 49; Records of the Bureau of Land Management; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Nancy Jakes, widow of James Jakes(Priv., Capt Jones Company, Virginia Militia, War of 1812), bounty land Warrant file # 57991(Act of 1855 120 acres); Land Entry Case File; Record Group 49; Records of the Bureau of Land Management; National Archives, Washington, D.C.

Bounty Land for Elisha Luna's War of 1812 Service

The following is my transcription of a portion of the Bounty Land Application file of Mary Luna, Widow of Elisha Luna(Deceased a soldier of the War of 1812)  Mary did not file a pension claim but did file for bounty lands after the 1850 Act and the 1855 Act. Red Text is used to indicate the location of the transcribed information within the image files as most of the images contained multiple papers.

I've also included my notes and some images after the transcription

US, War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant
Mary Looney Widow of Soldier Elisha Looney
https://www.fold3.com/image/316048215/looney-elisha-page-1-us-war-of-1812-pension-files-1812-1815
National Archives
Records of the Dept of Veterans Affairs
Record Group 15 NARA Catalog ID 564415

Image 1 Index Card

War of 1812 Soldier Elisha Looney or Luney
Widow Mary
No Claim for Pension
Bounty Land Wt 8469-80-50
Bounty Land Wt 20086-80-55

Service Pvt under Capt Tubbs Tenn Mil

Image 8(Top  left portion)  

Mary Looney Widow
of Elisha Looney Dec'd
Private Capt Tubbs Co.
Tennessee militia commanded
by Lieut Hammonds
War of 1812

121.179

M & G G Dibrell
Sparta Ten

Image 8(Top  Right Portion)

State of Tennessee
White County

On this 23d day of April A D 1855
personally appeared before me a justice of
the peace within and for the county and state aforesaid
Mary Looney aged Sixty four years a resident of
White County Tennessee formerly a resident of Dekalb county
who being duly sworn according to law declares that she
is the widow of elisha Looney deceased who was a private
in the company commanded by Captain James Tubb in
the regiment of Tennessee Militia command by Col Hammond
in the war with Great Britain declared 05th June 1812
that her said husband volunteered or was drafted
in Smith County Tennessee about the 20th day of Sept 1814
for the term of six months and continued in actual service
for more than 14 days and was honorably discharged
at Wilson Springs Miss. Territory about the 10th day of April 1815
she further declares that she was married to the said
Elisha Looney in Sumner County Tennessee about the ___
day of ______1805 by one________
a justice of the Peace and that her name before her
marriage was Nary Ann P? Enix that her said husband
died in Dekalb County Tennessee about the year 1842 on
the 27th day of April and that she is now a widow, she
further declares hat she has heretofore made application
for bounty land under the act of 28 Sept 1850 and
obtained a land warrant for 80 acres No 8469
which she has legally disposed of and cannot now

(Continued on Image 8 Bottom Left Portion )

be returned she makes this declaration for the
purpose of obtaining the bounty land to which she
may be entitled under the act approved 3d March
1855 and has never applied for any other. 

 Mary X (her mark) Loonery

We William Adcock and Leonard Adcock residents
of Dekalb County Tennessee upon our oaths declare
that the foregoing declaration was signed and ack-
nowledged by Mary Looney in our presence and
that we believe from her appearance and the
statements of the applicant that she is the identical
person she represents herself to be, thus her
husband Elisha Looney is dead and she is still a
widow.

Leonard Adcock
William Adcock

The foregoing declaration and affidavit were sworn
to and subscribed before me on the day and year
above written and I certify that I know the affiants
to be credible persons that the claimant is
the person she represent herself to be and that
I have no interest in this claim

Elijah W Denton
Justice of the Peace

Image 8 Bottom Right Portion

State of Tennessee
White County


I George G Dibrell Clerk of White County Court
Hereby certify that Elijah W Denton Esq whose
genuine signature appears to the within affidavidts is now
and was th the time of signing the same an acting Justice of
the Peace in and for said county duly commissioned and
qualified that all of his official acts as such are entitled
to full faith and credit in Testimony whereof I have hereunto
set my hand and affixed the seal of said court
at office in Sparta the 28th day of April A
D 1855

G G Dibrell Clerk
of White County Court

Image 9 Left Portion

State of Tennessee Dekalb county
I W J Isbell clerk of the county court of
Dekalb County do certify that Isaac H Hayse, Esqr and
William H. Magness Esqr before whom the within declarations
and affidavits purport to have been made were both of
them acting Justices of the peace within and for the county
of Dekalb in the state aforesaid at the time the Same
purports to bear date and that they were duly commissioned
and sworn and that the signatures purporting to be theirs
is genuine and that I have attached or made fast the
certificate of the clerk of the county court of Sumner County
stating the loss of the records of Marriages in said county
and that the same is a attached with the seal of Dekalb County
In testimony where of I have hereunto set
my hand and affixed my seal of office
at office in Smithville this the 21st day
of November 1850 W J Isbell Clk
of Dekalb County Court

Image 9 Right Portion

Declaration of Mary Luna
Widow of Elisha Luna Deceased
State of Tennessee
Dekalb County

On this the the(sic) ninth day of November
in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and fifty personally appeared before me Isaac H.
Hayse an acting justice of the peace within and for
the county of Dekalb in the state aforesaid Mary
Luna, aged about sixty two years a resident of Dekalb
County in the state aforesaid(Tennessee) who being
duly sworn according to law, declares that she is the
widow of Elisha Luna, deceased, who was a private
in the company commanded by Captain James Tubb
in the 2nd Regiment West Tennessee Militia commanded
by Col Laury and Lieutenant Col Hammonds
in the war with great Britain declared by the
United States on the 18th day of June A D 1812
and that her said Husband was drafted and
mustered in to the service of the United States at
Fayetteville Tennessee on the 20th day of September
1814, for the term of Six Months, and that her said
husband the said Elisha Luna continued in actual
service in said war for the term of upwards of
six months, and was honorable discharged at
Wilsons Springs, Madison County Mississippi Territory
on the 10th day of April A D 1815 as will
appear from the muster rolls, and the proof of
the said Captain James Tubb.

She further states that she was married to the
said Elisha Luna, the in the County of Sumner in the
state of Tennessee on the 18th day of January 1802
or 1803, by virtue of a marriage license, issued
from the proper authority and married by a justice
of the peace of said county, whose name is not recollected
at this time, and that her name before her said marriage


Image 10 left Portion

Was Mary Enox, and that her said husband died
at home in Dekalb County Tennessee on the 27th
Day of April 1841, and that she is still a widow
and have not been married since she was married to
the said Elisha Luna
She makes this declaration for the purpose of obtaining
the bounty land to which she may be entitled under the
act passed 28th September 1850 and that she knows 

nothing of her said husbands discharge

                                                Mary (Her Mark) Luney
Attest B L Johnson

Sworn to and subscribed before me the day and Date
first above written
Isaac H Hayes J P
for Dekalb County

State of Tennessee Dekalb County.
Personally appeared before me Wm H
Magness an acting justice of the peace within and
for the county of Dekalb in the State aforesaid James
Tubb, former Captain in the Second Regiment
West Tennessee Militia Commanded by Lieutenant
Col Leroy Hammons, and who being duly sworn
according to law declares that the within named
Elisha Luna was a private in his company in
the second regiment as above stated, and that
the said Elisha Luna was mustered in to the
service of the United States at Fayetteville, Tennessee
on or about the 20th day of September A D 1814
for the term of six months and that he the said
Luna was in actual service for upwards of
six months in my company, and was honorable
discharged on the 10th day of April 1814 as appears
from the muster rolls now in my possession
sworn to and subscribed before me this the
14th day of November 1850

James Tubb Former Capt.
former Captain
in 2 Regiment W T M

Wm H Magness J P
for Dekalb County

Image 10 Right Portion

State of Tennessee Dekalb County

Personally appeared before me William H
Magness an acting justice of the peace within and for
Dekalb County in the sate aforesaid Joseph Atnip
who is entitled to full credit and who being duly
sworn according to law declares that he was personally
acquainted witht he within named Elisha Luna and
that him and the within named Mary Luna
lived together as husband and wife in the holy state
of wedlock all the time that I was acquainted with
them which was many years before the death of the
said Elisha Luna and that they raised a large family
which are all of lawful age and that the said Mary
Luna, widow as aforesaid is yet a widow and the lawful
Widow of the said Elisha Luna, deceased, and has not
been married since she was married to the said Elisha
Luna deceased and that she is at this time and has
been a member of the Baptist Church, for long before the
death of her said husband, in good standing and that
I the witness am in no wise interested in this matter,
Joseph Atnip (Seal)
Sworn to and subscribed before me this 21st day of November A D 1850
Wm H Magness J P
For Dekalb County

State of Tennessee
Sumner County

I John L Bugg Clk of the
County Court of Sumner County Certify
that I have made diligent research in my
office for the marriage license of Elisha
Luna and Mary Enix said to have been married
in this county in 1803 or 1804 and the
same cannot be found. The records of
marriage of this date having been lost
or destroyed than being now on file in
my office witness my hand and seal
of office at Gallatin this
the 13th day of November 1850

John T Bugg Clk
By H W Bugg D C

Notes:  

The documents are somewhat intermixed in the file and within how they were digitized.   The notation from the index card summary notes that no pension was filed for Elisha's service.  Mary filed for bounty land under the 1850 act and the 1855 act and received warrants both times for a total of 160 acres.

There is some discrepancy in the marriage date and the date of Elisha's death but that is not unusual as there is also a number of spellings differences for Mary's maiden name and also for her married surname.  She got the month right for her marriage but missed the year and maybe the date by a few days.  Also she gives a conflicing answer on the year of Elisha's death but gives 27th of April as the day and month consistently.   Elisha and mary lived in the area of Dekalb Co TN near the county line adjacent to White County.  The Adcocks and the Lunas lived close.  My maternal grandfather who is my Luna descendant also is a descendant of the Adcocks of that area.

In her 1855 Bounty Land Application. Mary mentions that she has disposed of the land she received in 1850.   The GLO website site shows her as the original land owner.  Interestingly it's in Lawrence County Arkansas, the same county where I am also researching a Cook land entry.  Mary Luney is listed in the Registered Land Sale Book for Lawrence Co AR(see source below) I have not yet found out what became of the land from this 1850 warrant.

Lawrence County, Arkansas, Register of Land Purchase and Sale Record, page 175; filmed by Genealogical Society of Utah, 1980; digitized by FamilySearch, [URL: https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-CSTJ-6SX8-L?i=599&cat=147338]; catalog listing at FamilySearch, "Register of Land Entries, Lawrence Co AR," DGS #8340198, item 5, image 600 of 611.

Christopher Warner ended up with the 1855 Warrant(20086) and used it on land in Richardson Co. Nebraska.

Elizabeth Dent Browning Cook--widow of Willis Cook

Read thru some Cook documents looking for those with a connections to Franklin Co. NC. Found one who also had a connection to Weakley Co. TN which is also an area of interest It was the Widow's Pension Application of Elizabeth Dent Browning Cook who applied on the service of her husband, Willis Cook. I've included the link to the full source file in the Source section but will put direct links as I address some of the information contained within the file. There are 38 Images within the file folder at Fold3

War of 1812 Claim of Widow for Service Pension (pg 33)
Soldier: Willis Cook Widow: Elizabeth Dent Browning Cook
https://www.fold3.com/image/305855939
The application gives a description of Willis Cook and a summary of his service time. His occupation is given as carpenter.

Marriage date given as 10th of Dec 1820 married by Harry Goodlow J.P. according to notarized statements given by Elizabeth's brothers Jourdan N T Dent and Joseph E Dent. Elizabeth was a widow of Thomas Browning(died while serving during War of 1812) William Smith was the bondsman.
[The Franklin Co NC Abstract shows the bond date as Dec 19, 1820. The bond appears to say Dec 19, 1820 as well. The year is clear and seems to be a year later than that remembered by the Dent brothers. There is a possibility that the date on the bond is actually the 9th as a pen stroke may have been misinterpreted as a 1 before the 9 making it the 19th. It does seem more likely to me that the marriage bond was signed on the 9th of Dec with the marriage taking place on the 10th at their father's home in the year given on the bond--1821 See bond at: https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/2658316:60548]

Date & Location of Soldier's Death 24th April 1870 near Dresden Tennessee.

Information which I find helpful to know is also included on her application. She is asked to list where they have resided and she lists Franklin Co NC, Murray Co. TN(that's actually Maury Co TN) and Weakley Co TN where she now lives.

From the Widow's Pension Application at https://www.fold3.com/image/305855939

Widow also mentions that her husband did file a Bounty Land Warrant but she couldn't remember the date of his filing.

WO16754 WC24867 Bounty Land Warrant Number: 21298 --160--12

Sources: 

“War of 1812 Pension and Bounty Land Warrant Application Files,” database and images, Fold3 (https://www.fold3.com/image/305855907 : accessed 15 Jan 2023); image of widow Elizabeth Cook's pension claim WC24867, service of Willis Cook(Pvt. Capt. E J Leigh's Co And Corp Capt. Villard's Co 10 US Inf. Corp Capt. Hight's Co And Sgt. Capt. Hall's Co US Art Corps); citing "War of 1812 Pension and Bounty land Warrant Application Files, compiled ca. 1871–1900, documenting the period 1812–ca.1900," National Archives Catalog ID: 564415, Record Group 15, Roll RG15-1812PB-Bx0812, National Archives, Washington, D.C.

"North Carolina, County Marriages, 1762-1979 ," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP9T-5H9L : 10 March 2021), Willis Cook and Betsey Browning, 19 Dec 1821; citing Franklin, North Carolina, United States, p. , North Carolina State Archives Division of Archives and History; FHL microfilm .[abstract from Bonds]