Petition for Settlement: Estate of William Cook

Newspaper notice 27th Dec 1845 of the Greensborough Patriot(NC)

State of North Carolina, Moore County.
Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions October Term, 1845.

Joseph, adm'r
of William Cook
vs.
David Cook & others               Petition for settlement

In this case it appearing to the satisfaction of the
Court that David Cook, Lydia Norvell, Martha and Coaly Hornsley, William P. Cook, defendants in this case, are not inhabitants of this State-- it is therefore ordered by the Court that publication be made as to them for six weeks in the Greensborough Patriot, for them to appear at the next term of this Court on the Fourth Monday of January, 1846, at the Court House in Carthage, and plead, answer or demur to the petition filed in this case or the same will be taken pro confesso and set for hearing, and heard ex parte as to them.

Witness, Alexander C. Curry, Clerk of our said Court at office the 4th Monday of October, A.D. 1845.
A.C. Curry, Clerk

Connections between 1807 Franklin Co NC and 1820 Maury Co TN

1820 U.S. census, Maury County, Tennessee, population schedule, p. 99, William P Cook; digital image, Ancestry (https://www.ancestry.com/imageviewer/collections/7734/images/4433291_00066 : accessed 8 Aug 2025)

I've looked at William P Cook's 1820 US Federal Census Maury Co TN census entry many times over the last year so much so that I can remember many of the family names. I'd ordered a tax list book covering Franklin Co NC and started reviewing that today.  It covers the years 1785-1810(not all inclusive) but my focus would be on Wm P Cook's years after his marriage for the most part.  So the years 1806 thru 1810. The first year I find a Wm P Cook is in 1807 p. 92 Capt. Jordan's District.   He's listed as William P Cook paying one white poll.  Along with the Bobbits, Fullers. Hights. and Woodliefs that I would expect around him I found a Richardson Gill.  This is not a terribly common name but it is one with which I am familiar because it is listed immediately before William P Cook in the 1820 Maury Co Tennessee US Census entry. 

Bradley, Stephen E. 1990. Franklin County, North Carolina Tax Lists, 1785-1810.Keysville, Va.: S.E. Bradley; p. 66, Capt. Jordan's District 1807, entries for William P Cook and Richardson Gill.

Franklin Co NC 1815 Tax List at NC Digital Collections---I searched and found Richardson Gill still in the 1815 Tax list but didn't find William P Cook.  William shouldn't be there though because he is in TN by that time.
 

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.]